Prepare Yourself for an Ordeal

Sirach, chapter 2: 1-18 

You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost. You that fear the LORD, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy. Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?

Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? has anyone called upon him and been ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; forgives sins and saves in time of trouble.

Woe to timid hearts and drooping hands, to the sinner who walks a double path!

Woe to the faint of heart! For they do not trust, and therefore have no shelter!

Woe to you that have lost hope! what will you do at the Lord’s visitation?

Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his words; those who love him keep his ways.

Those who fear the Lord seek to please him; those who love him are filled with his law.

Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him.

Let us fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of mortals,

For equal to his majesty is his mercy; and equal to his name are his works.

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It is important that we have a clear understanding of nature and purpose of prayer. Prayer is not an isolated, personal thing that we like to take up when convenient, not unlike a hobby. Rather, prayer is an essential, component part of the wider Christian spiritual life. Prayer is a school, where we study under the Master's instruction, how to live a full and rich and productive Christian Life.

It is in prayer that:

• we meet Christ through a personal encounter. We forsake all other possible directions for our lives, choosing to make Jesus' way, our way, and the direction our life will take.
• we hear his voice speaking to us, we learn directly and personally from the Master, what our unique calling will be.
• the scriptures are opened up to us, and we see the bigger picture, understanding that we are part of the master plan of salvation for all the world.
• we learn that there is a highly intelligent agent opposing God's plans. We learn how evil works, using lies to deceive good people of good intention; twisting them into actual opponents against God's purposes. 
• we are healed of our "wounds of sin", and give fresh hearts to engage in the struggle of good over evil.
• we are given glimpses of the glory that waits all God's faithful.

Make no mistake, "when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials." Were we to choose to enter into the Lord's service and fail to embrace the practice of prayer, we would quickly become little more than cannon fodder in the battle with the forces of darkness. Yet, this should not cause us to hesitate, for after all, what other choice is there? St. Paul give this instruction: Ephesians 6:14

Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 

Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 

Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 

• So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, 
• clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 
• and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 
• In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 
• And take the helmet of salvation 
• and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10