The potential of prayer

 

The potential for prayer exists in every moment of our lives, no matter what we're doing!  God offers us His Spirit at all times, but we must allow Him to help make prayer rise up in us like dough to yeast, so we can experience His Kingdom as He permeates our entire being with His Glory.  The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show how quickly and successfully the gospel could travel throughout the world despite opposition! (Luke 13:18-21)

We should bring prayer into our everyday circumstances because all forms of prayer, even the most simple and direct, can be the leaven to which Jesus compares the Kingdom.

I remember one time when I went to dinner at Hometown Buffet.  As anyone who has eaten there can tell you, it's always busy and noisy at dinnertime (or at least it was ‘pre-pandemic’), because it draws the large families with lots of small children who are attracted to the good prices and better than average food along with an atmosphere that doesn't restrict the antics of children that sometimes happens.  After I got my plate filled and sat down at a booth next to a family with two small, rambunctious kids, I began to have second thoughts about my choice of seating.  They were really noisy and unruly!  Until, that is, I crossed myself and said grace. The kids noticed my actions and asked their parents what I was doing.  A couple of the kids picked right back up where they left off with their shenanigans, but one continued to be inquisitive about what she saw.  I like to think that I may have put a little ‘yeast’ in her ‘dough’.  A little bit of leavening that hopefully, after some time, affected the entire ‘batch’.

We live in a world of rulers – our government, our employers, maybe someone in our family!  We’re given a voice by God, and a choice by God to do what’s right in our hearts and not be swayed by someone else’s agenda.  NO ONE can stifle or silence us.  We’re allowed the chance to be heard.  And God knows, we’re in a flux of emotion as we see where the world is going; riots (which I pray continue to subside), the pandemic (which, despite political narratives no one could’ve seen coming), an above normal number of hurricanes, the reality of seeing our social lives change dramatically with our friends and family, as well as  limited attendance for funerals, first communions, baptisms – even our church attendance is limited and, quite often, live-streamed so we can watch from the comfort and safety of our own homes.  And on top of all of that, an election that’s causing more thought and concern than most I can remember in my lifetime.

We see where the world is right now; we must continue to spread the gospel in a world of opposition. We have to prayerfully choose our words, deeds, actions – and right now – our votes!  If we do what we can here and now, prayerfully, and through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his Blessed Mother, Mary, we can make positive changes in a world torn in chaos.

Let’s learn from the mustard seed and the yeast – our faith and our love must grow exponentially so that there’s no doubt that they’re present in our reality.