Image by Beautiful Light Photography
Ecclesiastes 5:1-5 certainly advise us to be mindful of not only what we pray for, but how we pray for them.
The Lord delights in our humility 1 Peter 3:3-4
and in our symbiotic ability to look into the hearts of others as we seek the heart of God.
Enough with the “if/then” prayers—if we truly think about it—we will never be able to fulfill our end of the deal to the fullest extent. We are taught that prayer is simply another form of communication between us, God, Mary, and the Saints.
However, it is not much of a conversation if we do all the talking! I use Adoration to fully center myself amidst a busy and loud world in order to be able to actually take a hot second to listen!
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. Ecclesiastes 5:13
I must note the Lord has not convicted me about exact tithing percentages, although my family and I support the Church monetarily. What He has convicted me of, was being greedy. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was that college student who gave exactly $1 during Sunday collections.
When I began dating my husband he, too, was embarrassed and encouraged me to set aside an amount that made more sense (do you sense the pattern of my husband’s gentle guidance here?!) Anyway, the teacher makes it clear that any wealth we may possess is a gift from above, and that gift is neither to be hoarded nor spent foolishly on purchases beyond our means or by gambling.
Reflect: Have you ever made a false promise to God? What became of that vow?
Act: Watch your use this week of the phrases “I promise” or “I swear”. Make a mindful effort to follow through on even the smallest commitments.
