PRAYER: THE PLEASING VERSUS THE OFFENSIVE. (Homily for January 15, 2016. First Friday Ordinary Time, Year C.)


Bible Study:  1 Samuel 8, 4 to 7 and 10 to 22. And Mark 2, 1 to 12.


There are prayers that are pleasing to God and there are prayers that are offensive to him. There are certain things we ask from him that unknown to us, he feels embarrassed that we should dare to ask for such things.

Today we read about how all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel to request that he should appoint a king to govern the nation of Israel. This was a simple request, one that made a lot of sense to the people themselves. All they wanted was a king just like other nations.

But then, beneath the surface, beneath the innocent prayer for a king, was a REJECTION OF GOD’S KINGSHIP over the people. All they could see was how a king would make them be like others, what they couldn’t see was that by becoming like others, they were asking God to step aside.

There are times we pray for certain things not because we really need them, but just because we want to be like others. And God says to us: “I made you different and unique, why do you want to be like others? Why do you want to drive that same type of car? Why do you think you also deserve that which your neighbour has?” For our part, we are simply praying but unless we examine our hearts very well, we wouldn’t see that it is just our petty jealousies playing themselves out in prayer.

Furthermore, our prayers could be offensive to God when instead of asking for God himself, we ask for a replacement of God in our lives. How? Just like the Isrealites, God wants to be our king, he wants to be at the centre of our lives, God wants to occupy our full attention, but we start asking for gods, that is, earthly things that would occupy our attention. When our prayers are totally materialistic, it is like saying: “God I really do not need you, just give me those things I worship, plenty of money, fame, romance, power etc.”

The fact is that we cannot play a fast one on God. He knows those things that we possess which take our attention away from him. He knows how much we desire to have certain things that we know would hamper our spiritual life. Have you noticed how some persons become blessed, so blessed that they stop going to church, they even stop praying as they used to, and they begin to ask: “what do I need God for?”

Samuel did all he could to discourage the people but they insisted. They shouted: “We want a king over us, we want a king who can fight our battles” They had completely lost faith in God. They saw God as too weak and too powerless to defend them from the threats of other nations.

How confident are you in God?

Do you bring this confidence to prayer? Do you pray with faith like the four men determined by all means to get their friend to Jesus? There is prayer that is pleasing to God. It is the prayer that is laden with faith in God’s ability to make things happen. As we read in the Gospel passage: “And when Jesus saw their faith…” Do your actions show your faith? Is Jesus happy about the kind of faith you bring to prayers?

Again, as the book James tells us: “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James 5, 16. In as much as God does not reject the prayer of the sinner, He wills that we should always strive to repent from our sins before approaching him. Hence Jesus himself taught “If you are on your way to offer your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you, first go and be reconciled and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5, 23 to 24.

It is from this perspective that Jesus pronounces forgiveness over the paralytic before saying “rise, take up your pallet and go home.” It was necessary to be reconciled first to God before he received physical healing. It is always necessary that we seek God’s forgiveness that our prayers may be pleasing to him. Hence even the Mass itself begins with the Penitential rites.

Before we present our prayer requests before him, we first examine our hearts thoroughly, we check the secret intentions and ulterior motives in our heart. That way, we check if we are truly asking for God or for a material replacement of God in our lives. We get to check if our prayers arise of a genuine need or because we just want to be like everyone else, whether we just want to be like other nations.

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, may my prayers always rise before you as a pleasing aroma and a sweet scenting fragrance. Amen.


God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.

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