Prayer: Praying like Jesus
Jesus, I want to learn from You how to live in communion with the Father. Often, I try to walk alone, make my own decisions, and find strength within myself, but Your life showed me a different path. Even though You are God, You chose to live in complete dependence and communion with the Father. Teach me to recognize that I, too, was created to live with You and that there is no true life apart from Your presence. Draw near to me and to all the relationships that are part of my journey, so that Your presence may be the center of everything in my life.
Be the first step in my decisions, plans, and paths. May I not wait to make a decision only to ask for Your blessing afterward, but may I learn to seek You before I choose. Teach me to listen, to wait, and to recognize that my vision is limited. May I also be able to encourage those I love to seek Your direction, so that our relationships are not built merely upon our own opinions, but upon the wisdom that comes from You. May we learn together to place our plans before the Father.
When moments of anguish, fear, and suffering come, do not allow me to distance myself from You or try to carry everything alone. I want to learn from Gethsemane to present before the Father what I feel and, even when my will is different, to say: “Not as I will, but as You will.” May I also know how to remain by the side of those who are suffering, not by offering quick answers to what hurts, but by offering presence, prayer, care, and love. May our communion be strengthened precisely in the places where we most need each other and You.
Deliver me from the illusion of independence. May I not confuse strength with not needing anyone, nor maturity with being able to live without You. Place in my heart a spirit of communion, so that I may know how to ask for help, offer help, pray for my brothers and sisters, and allow them to pray for me as well. May our families, friendships, and communities be places where we can acknowledge our limitations without shame and find people willing to walk with us. May Christ be the bond that unites us and Your presence the source of our strength.
Jesus, I want my prayer life to be more than a habit: I want it to be a relationship and a lifestyle. Before decisions, in joy or in pain, when I do not know the way, in every moment, I want to seek You. And may this dependence on You also transform the way I love the people around me. Teach me to walk with them without trying to take Your place in their lives and without allowing them to take Your place in mine. May we learn together to look to the Father first, to trust in His will, and to remain in communion with You. Because I do not just want to learn to do more on my own; I want to learn to depend more on You. Amen.
by
Rapha Abreu is a journalist and cultural producer, and part of the marketing, writing and content production team at Mr. Rocco.
