Lamplighting Prayer Four

How much is enough when it comes to blessings from God? Our 2025 Daily Lenten Journey on prayer has focused on how each prayer inspires our faith. The prayers teach us to pray. Today’s prayer helps us answer the question, “How much is enough?”

O You Who are praised by the holy powers with never-silenced hymns and never-ceasing doxologies, fill our mouths with Your praise, so that we may magnify Your holy name; and grant us a portion and an inheritance with all who fear You in truth and who keep Your commandments; through the intercessions of the Theotokos and of all Your saints. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

As we fill our mouths with praise to God, we now ask for “a portion” of our inheritance. Words mean something, especially in our prayers. Today’s prayer isn’t asking God to give us everything. We only ask for a portion, just our ‘fair share’ is enough.

But is it ever really enough for our ego? This is another example of why I don’t recommend praying ‘spontaneously’ since we would likely ask for everything, not just a portion. If we were praying this prayer ‘in our own words’ we would ask for the entire kingdom.

What is God responds, “Ok. Here is your portion.” Would we be satisfied when see others getting what we perceive to be more? The Gospel answers that question with the parable of the laborers.

These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

Matthew 20.12

We never like to admit it, but we all struggle with our ego. I believe it is the difference between how heaven and hell are characterized in the Protestant Church VS the Orthodox Church. For us Orthodox, hell is hating God’s truth. For Protestants hells is God’s punishment.

For us Orthodox, we will all be with God in heaven. Some will experience it as heaven while others will feel it as hell. For Protestants, heaven is for the good people ‘up there’ and hell is for the bad people ‘down there’ but we NEVER think WE will be ‘down’ there.

Of course we are not yet with God in heaven. We are still on earth fighting the good fight every day, but all that means is that we still have a chance to understand what heaven will be like. So, for today, pray for your ‘portion of the inheritance’ and learn to be ‘ok’ with how much God gives.

Your eternal condition depends upon understand that God always gives us enough.

Happy Praying