This session challenges the listeners to consider the attitude we might need in order to hear God and understand what God is telling us. The content begins with the example of how I personally came to offer this series at my parish and includes a brief personal testimony to the work of God in my life. In this context, the content references the challenges we have in our busy lives turning to God, the value of confession, and the potential life-changing effects of prayer. 

For this session, it would be appropriate and very edifying for the presenter to tell their own story and experience of prayer or God impacting their life, or to invite others from the Parish to offer a testimony, perhaps even the priest. After the personal stories, this session introduces the daily prayer journal and the prayer model based on the Our Father with a practice run for the group: Adoration, Repentence, Meditation, Intercession.

First presented: St Paul Catholic Church, Damascus, MD; 2009-2010.

Presentation

Today I am going to talk a bit longer than usual (sorry for that) so that I can introduce myself and tell you what we will be doing this year for our prayer gathering.

God asked me to talk to you all about prayer this year! [pause]
You laugh, you snicker, you wonder? [pause]
What do you think about that statement? [pause]

[ Encourage any and all responses ]
[ Write responses on flip chart]
[ Ad-lib a bit ]

How do I know that God wanted me to talk to you about prayer? Did I hear him speak, like you are hearing me now? Well, it's not easy in our world today to ear God. And in order to help you understand how God directed me here, I need to tell you a little about myself.

I was born and raised Catholic. I've been praying all my life, just like you; going to church, blessings before meals, other special occasions, etc. Then there was a time in my life where I didn't pray quite as much. I didn't even think much about God. If someone had asked me, "How's your relationship with God?", I would have answered, "What relationship!" I was busy working, raising kids and trying to just survive in the world. I had some problems with my marriage and was feeling very alone. It came to a point where I needed to decide, should I go on trying or just give up. When I did go to church (not every week), I would pray to God, "SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE." I felt empty, lonely and even bored with my life. Well, God heard me ... He hears us all the time, but we don't always get how He is responding. This time, though, it was clear.

I needed to go to confession before Easter. That was something I tried not to miss. Heck, it's only once a year! So I went. The priest really paid attention to me, not just to what I confessed but what I was NOT saying. We talked a long time, and he gave me much more than just the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He gave me a direction to move ... a way to turn to God for help. The penance he gave me was to pray 20 minutes a day for seven days. >> Do you know that seven(7) is the number of perfection in the Bible? I just made that connection while I was preparing for this! Of course, that does't mean I'm perfoect, nor that I prayed perfectly or even WELL for those seven days.

In fact, I was shocked at the penance and lots of thoughts ran through my head in an instant before I said very questioningly, "OK." Thankfully Father went on to explain to me what I should do during my prayer times. It was probably the hardest penance I have ever done. But those seven days changed my life. I am not doing great religious things, but prayer is a big part of my life now. Through prayer, God has taught me to forgive, to love, to enjoy all that life has to offer. I still have struggles and difficulties, but I never feel alone or empty anymore and I my life is absolutely NOT boring!

One of the things I have tried to do with my new direction in life is to help my daughter to know God. So we started praying in the evenings together and I started participating in her Religious Education classes. Two years ago, I assisted in her class. Last year I co-taught her class. But through it all, I have been looking for ways to teach her how to pray. And this is how I come to be here today. God has helped me see that my daughter is not the only young person out there who needs God. Everything I have learned I can share with her. But, God has given me the gift of prayer and the desire to share it with ALL of you. This whole pattern of growth, and the desires that bring me here today have been given to me by God.

Everything we have we get from either God or from the world, every meal, every gift, every thought. We HAVE TO pray so that we can figure out which thoughts and situations we should be paying attention to and how best to use the gifts God has given us. So that's where we start. When we have an active relationship with God, we learn to trust that the actions we take are Gods will for us. So, to know what God wants us to do, to HEAR God, we simply need to pray.

You all have received a journal. This is your prayer journal. It is for you to use EVERY DAY. Make sure you write your name in your journal because they all look exactly alike. Keep it in a special place at home where you will remember to use it, but also to bring it with you to every Religious Ed class. In the front of the prayer journal is an outline for YOUR daily prayer time. Every prayer time follows the pattern of both the mass and the prayer Our Lord taught us, the Our Father.  The prayer outline is based on the Our Father.

[ Walk through the prayer outline ]

Praise/Adoration
Repent
Scripture
Intercession

Each week, we will take a different area of prayer and learn more about it. Then we will pray together using the outline in our journals.

So, as a beginning, let's pray together now. Use your journal to write down what we are doing together and any thoughts you have as we go through this exercise.

Praise: Psalm 8 (student reads out loud) [ brief commentary ]
Repent: [ few moments of quiet, write down some of your sins ] Prayer: I confess to almighty God ...
Scripture: Sunday Gospel (student reads out loud) [ few moments of quiet ] [ students share reflections ]
Intercession: [ few moments of reflection ] [ students lead prayers over petitions ]

Before we break off to our classes, let's take a quick look at the lyrics in the opening song.

1st verse, last line:
I feel like less than I was meant to be
2nd verse, first line:
What if I could fix myself
Refrain, 4-7th line:
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
3rd verse:
What if you could feel inside
The power of the hand that made the universe you'd realize
So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
Let Him live through you and me

This is why we pray every day, so God can fill every need we have and unlock in us all the mysteries of his power. Only when we have a real relationship with him can He live through us. His kingdom WILL come and his will WILL be done, throug YOU and ME. Remember, pray every day. If you have trouble, say: God help me pray. If you miss a day, don't worry, but ask God to help you remember the next day. Ask God for help in EVERYTHING and you will find his hands EVERYWHERE!