Do you pray for yourself?
I have met many people who don’t think to pray for themselves. Some think it is selfish; others, maybe a bit burdensome to God, who already has enough to concern himself with. But I think we are to pray for ourselves.
Jesus prayed for Himself
In scripture, we see many times Jesus goes off either before the day or at the end, certainly in preparation for big decisions, by himself to spend time with the Father.
In Mathew 26:39, Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42 we see him in the Garden of Gethsemane praying very specifically for his needs as he faces the cross.
It is in the Gospel of John that we hear Jesus pray for himself,
When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. John 17:1-5
Jesus prays for glory, so the Father is glorified. And that is key! When you pray for yourself, do it with the heart and mind that says you are at the service of the will of God. You want to glorify God, not have your prayers answered out of selfishness.
This week, pray for yourself. Go to God with all that is in your soul and allow him to give you whatever you need. Strength, healing, comfort, peace, to know that you are loved – ask in humility and trust.
If you are interested in being better prepared for Mass each Sunday, join us to discuss the readings in the Live Not Lukewarm Community.
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