Lamplighting Prayer Six

Every time we pray to God we are reminded of the many things He has already done for us. It is almost as if we are saying to Him, “I know you have already done a lot, but there is just one more thing I need today.” Today’s Daily Lenten Journey on Prayer is that type of prayer.

O God, great and wonderful, Who with ineffable goodness and rich providence orders all things; Who grants us the good things of this world, and Who assures us of obtaining the Kingdom through the good things already granted to us; O You, Who has made us shun all evil during that part of this day which is past, grant that we may also complete the remainder of the day without reproach, before Your holy glory, singing praise to You, the only good One, our God Who loves mankind. For You are our God, and to You we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

We should never forget that God is always blessing us, even when we don’t realize it. Just because we ‘didn’t ask’ for His blessings, doesn’t mean He didn’t step forward and bless us. This prayer is our way of acknowledging the tremendous blessings we have already received.

That being said, today’s prayer also reminds us that God isn’t keeping tally the way we are. I don’t want you to think God is ‘counting’ how many times He steps in to save us. He isn’t keeping score as if there is a limit to His blessings. We can, and should, still ask Him.

On the other hand, it isn’t bad to consider ‘what’ we ask Him to do for us. Are we spending our time asking Him for parking spaces and a new career track? You should have noticed by now that our daily prayers have nothing to do with material things, but about salvation.

If today’s prayer can do ‘anything’ for the way we pray, maybe it can teach us to focus our request on the things that matter, like protecting us against evil and forgiving our sins. Maybe the mere mention of the “good things already granted to us” can help us remain focused.

If tonight is our last night before the judgment, then this prayer can help us remember that God will help us get over the finish line. If tonight is our last night, why waste our prayers with trivial requests like money and prestige? It is something to think about.

Happy praying.