Fr. Richard OMOLADE

              

Praying always is a necessity for Christians and rightly so because apart from adoring and worshipping God, prayer is our act of surrendering to God in the face of evil and demonic attack. Indeed the battle we face is not against flesh and blood, but powers and principalities and we need a superior power to prevail. What happens then, when prayer becomes difficult?

 

Prayer is communication between people and God, it should be free and not forced. It should be honest and out of humility. The more the people of God engage in prayer, the closer they get to God, the more meaning they find in life. But this is not always the case, there are times in our life when prayer becomes a burden, a task we would rather not engage in. The more we try to pray, the less the motivation we can gather to engage in it. Even when we try, our words are often dry and empty. Nothing moves us, nothing makes sense and no routine works. Spiritual Directors call this, the period of aridity or dryness. Others, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and St Teresa of Calcuta call this experience, "Dark night of the soul."  Very few people are spared this ordeal in the spiritual life. In fact it is as if this period of aridity is necessary to purge the soul of self-dependence, pride and other attachment to the self or mundane desires. During this period of dryness, we are called to acknowledge our limitations, to recognize our need of God because without God, human effort is prone to fail.

Consequently, when prayer becomes difficult is one of the greatest time to pray. St. Paul was quite clear on this when he insists "Pray in season and out of season."  As weak humans we must place ourselves under the power of God and this is done only through prayer. We may feel alone, but God has not abandoned us, even if He is in the stern of the ship sleeping, He is still the almighty God.

 

So, a good Christian can experience dryness in prayer, a good Christian can feel the absence of God. That we are Christians does not mean tough days will not come or that our entire life will be trouble free. No matter how bright the day sky is, there will always be some clouds. We are human, not perfect, these low moments should be our springboard, launching us into the presence of God where He gives us peace and satisfaction. No wonder St. Paul says "the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words." (Rom 8.26)

 

There are some steps that have helped the people of the past. This include the practice of oral prayer.  When you cannot pray as before, get your prayer books out and pray using the book.... yes, read the prayers and in time, the habit of personal prayer will return to you. The Rosary with its strings of repetition is also a good practice. Here you are on a solid ground, reciting what you already know. If you are able, try and focus on the mysteries, this deliberate pause will draw you to enter into those events and feel the emotion of those events. You will be there with God who is always with you. In no time, you will be able to use your own words and prayer will become delightful. Spiritual reading has always profited the people of God.

 

When Prayer becomes difficult open the Sacred Book, read your Bible, and not just read, enter into the stories and teaching. Apply the passage to yourself and see how that shapes your world. Apart from the Bible, there are other spiritual writings that are worth reading, such as The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, The way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila, or the writings of St. Francis de Sales, The Story of a soul, and of course, the lives of saints. These writings have the power of shifting our attentions away from self and depressing issues and directing our thoughts to spiritual matters and more meaningful reflection on the stages of life.

 

Spiritual direction is also helpful. Talking to your Spiritual Director will help you to connect to your inner self and discern the source or cause of the problem. The advice of a good Spiritual Director can be helpful and uplifting.

 

When Prayer becomes difficult, try and pray with others such as members of your family, friends and significant others. We indeed rise on the wings of prayer and the prayers of others can lift us up when we are at our low ebbs.  As our people have always taught, a stick of broom cannot clean anything, but when you get them in a bunch, the broom will clean well. Remember, you belong to the family of God. You are not alone, so let the faith of others inspire you during your moment of dryness.

 

Furthermore, do not abandon your routine. Still attend Mass, attend pious society prayer meetings. Tough times do not last, but tough people do. Do not give in to pessimism but be strong in faith. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. The serious problem is to find yourself in this state and not know what to do. Doing nothing is the enemy of spiritual life, hence, it is imperative to have a plan in place when you don't feel like praying. That plan must include more prayer, not less. So, when prayer becomes difficult, pray more!