Prayer is more than traditional words one memorizes to pray in church or at meals. Prayer can well up from so deep within us we don’t have clear words for our feelings. The word prayer names meetings with God, the Ultimate One on whose ground we walk, in whose universe we live and breathe, and whose dreams for us are greater than our own.
We may meet God when we fail, when we need to ask for help beyond anything we can find in ourselves. We may meet God when we succeed and the goal proves empty. Prayer at such times is asking—asking how come, asking how long, asking how many times, asking if I can do it, asking to be good enough, asking. Pursuing a goal is a way to test its worth.
In her society the widow in Sunday’s gospel has little power and influence. Her power is her persistence at seeking her rights.
Persistence can be an antidote to losing heart. Persistence means keeping at something, finding a small way to go ahead today.
Persistent practice is what turns raw talent into excellent athletic or artistic performance. Dribbling and shooting practice. Scales. Wind sprints. Rewriting stories. Homework. Persistence in setting and working toward goals can make dreams come true.
Prayer is not a way to twist God’s arm or coerce God into agreeing to our whims. Persisting in prayer is a way of taking heart and keeping focused. Letting God’s hopes for us well up within takes time, space, and quiet; for example, listening to the quiet of nature or meditating with music, a candle, or an aroma oil.
Jesus says we should keep asking God for what we want. Persisting in prayer may draw us into becoming part of the answer to our own prayers. By persisting in prayer, we may find the next step toward seemingly impossible goals. We can end our prayer with the words of the Our Father, “Your will be done.”