Dear Parish Family, in the Gospel from St. Luke, Jesus
teaches us about prayer and stresses that His disciples
and all of us must pray always without becoming wea-
ry or losing heart. I found an online an article about
praying that I feel fits really well with this week’s
Scripture. Have a blessed week! Love and prayers al-
ways. ~~Fr. Steve

Why is prayer important? When we learn that a friend
or loved one is experiencing a time of adversity, “I’ll be
praying for you,” are often the first words we think to
say. We long to comfort, to empathize. But what are we
really saying? Are we simply offering “good thoughts”
or are we pledging to take these worries and concerns
before our Heavenly Father? Is there a difference? And if
so, why is prayer important?
Why is prayer important? Prayer is an incredible, and at
times, an overlooked blessing for the child of God. When
we belong to God, through saving faith in His Son, Jesus
Christ, we have the unique opportunity and honor to ap-
proach Him in beautiful and sacred communion. Be-
cause of what Jesus did for us on the cross—taking the
penalty for our sin in the shedding of His blood—we can
enter the Most Holy Place, something allowed only by the
High Priest in Old Testament times.
Prayer aligns our hearts with our Creator and Sustainer
and can become a treasured time of personal worship.
Do we long to know the mind and heart of God? The key
is to be still before Him (Psalm 46:10) and to linger in His
presence. The Bible teaches that we are to lay
our anxiousness before Him in prayers and petitions
(Philippians 4:6-7), and God’s peace will sustain and
guard our troubled spirits.
Prayer is a holy privilege as we become part of what
God is doing in another’s life. The apostle Paul found
great joy in praying, or interceding, for his friends in the
faith. He opens his letter to the Philippian believers by
expressing joy in prayer: I thank my God every time I re-
member you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray
with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the
first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began
a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:3-6).
Prayer draws us closer to God and to fellow believers in
Christ Jesus. There is a special intimacy between believ-
ers as they pray together. As we seek God’s heart for
each other, self-interest fades, and we long to see our
Savior work in the lives of others—growing and
strengthening our co-laborers in Kingdom work. What
an adventure, to join in what God is doing in the journey
of other believers!