Chapter 26
Problems in Prayer
CATECHISM OF THE
The Catechism refers to prayer as
a "battle] conjoined to "the spiritual battle of the Christian's new
life" (2725). As such, prayer is comprised of numerous difficulties and obstacles
that must be surmounted in order to insure progress in the life of faith. These
problems confront the Christian before, during, and after the act of prayer.
Mistaken Ideas About Prayer
We encounter the most fundamental
problems with prayer before we ever enter into it. The most basic of these is
our mistaken notion of what prayer is. In essence, prayer is "a vital and
per al relationship with the living and true God" (2558). Trouble comes
when we attempt conceptualize prayer apart from its relational character. When
we reduce prayer to mechanical, psychological, cerebral, or merely ritualistic
categories, we degrade the integrity of prayer. We thereby turn it into
something sterile by objectifying God and his role in our prayer. To know what
true prayer is, we must give ourselves to an authentic relationship with God.
Closely allied to this basic
difficulty is the problem of entertaining false expectations about what prayer
does. They tempt us to equate fervor with feelings. We might expect to experience
physically some sensate response to our prayer. We might expect - unreasonably
- immediate, almost magical results from our prayer. We might expect prayer
spontaneously to change our life and the lives of others in a way that
dispenses us from exercising the personal responsibility required to mature in
charity and holiness. However, although at times God does bless us with a kind
of tangible consolation in prayer, our ultimate expectations in prayer must
exceed anything we can feel, any superstitious motives, and any notion that
diminishes prayer to a simplistic panacea. The Catechism confirms the rectified
expectation we should place on prayer: "Prayer restores man to God's
likeness and enables him to share in the power of God's love that saves the
multitude" (2572; cf. Rom
Such mistaken conceptions may well be the by-products of collusion with the mentality of "this present world" (2727). The Catechism warns against the deceptiveness of rationalism, materialism, hedonism, and escapism so prevalent in contemporary society. These attitudes injure and contaminate faith and thereby cripple spiritual vigor. The Christian is called to see through the falsity of their claims and to reject them by putting on the mind of Christ: "Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect" (Rom 12:2). Then, personally enriching prayer becomes possible as grace-filled renewal opens us up to saving knowledge, Christian values, ultimate delight, and unfailing hope.
However, we ourselves may need to
accept responsibility for the difficulties we experience, especially if we
attempt to approach prayer with unrepented sin on our
soul. For prayer is as much a battle against ourselves as it
is against the tempter. The Catechism reminds us that "We pray as
we live" (2725). If our lives are marred by unconverted hearts and unconfessed sin, our prayer life will be the first to suffer.
"Humility is the foundation of prayer" (2559), and true humility requires
us to possess a right self-knowledge coupled with confidence in God's divine
mercy that produces a healthy sense of sin. The integrity of our lives will be
reflected in the satisfying integrity of our prayer. In turn, prayer will keep
us on the way of righteousness, for "Prayer is an indispensable condition
for being able to obey God's commandments" (2098). The
rightness of our life in God "will depend on the rightness of our
prayer" (2764).
Teach Us How to Pray
We may also encounter problems
before praying simply because we do not know how to pray. This is no cause for
shame. Jesus' own disciples needed to implore the Lord: "Teach us to
pray" (Lk 11:1). Prayer is something that can be
readily learned. If prayer seems daunting due to lack of knowledge of
techniques, we need begin simply by following the lesson Jesus gave in response
to his disciples' request that is, to pray reflectively the Lord's Prayer
which "is truly the summary of the whole Gospel" (2761). United with
Jesus, and with that prayer in our hearts, we remain ever disposed to avail
ourselves of other methods of enriching our prayer.
Distractions and Aridity (lacking feelings)
Several problems also arise during the act of prayer. The most basic and general of these difficulties is that of distraction. Distractions seek to lure us away from the Lord by enticing us to indulge our attention on things that attract us. Distractions can come at any moment, despite our fervent resolutions to concentrate on God. Perhaps the worst distraction is the impulse to decipher why we have any distractions in the first place. This only makes matters worse.
The Catechism supplies the best remedy: "To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall -into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart; for a distraction reveals to us what. we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified" (2729).
A particularly volatile strain of
distraction is temptation. The real danger of temptation lies in its ability to
make us doubt ourselves, our convictions and commitments. Trouble with temptation
can lead us facilely and falsely to conclude that somehow we are displeasing to
God. The truth is that God allows temptations in our lives only to strengthen
our relationship with him. Temptations in fact serve us by revealing the areas
of our lives in which we are weakest so that we can turn that weakness over to
God, relying on his mercy: Ironically, temptations are a sign of divine
election and of the promise of a special grace, as St. Paul instructs us:
"God... will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial
he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it" (I Cor. 10:13).
The most trying temptation may be that of dryness, or aridity. Aridity is that unsettling state of experiencing no feeling, comfort, or sensate consolation in the process of prayer. Rather, it leaves us feeling abandoned, unheard, and alone. God seems very distant, removed, and aloof. Aridity can mean one of two things: either we have not given ourselves over to God as completely in faith as he requires. Or we have - and God's reward for such self-abandonment is the invitation to live deeply united to him in the darkness of faith without any reliance on created supports in prayer, like feelings. Therefore, contrary to what it may seem, aridity can signal a vibrant and fruitful life in Christ.
It is important to come to this understanding of spiritual dryness. For ignorance of it can lead to something worse: acedia, "a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart" (2733). The more common term for this is "sloth." However, the word is not meant to denote laziness so much as a reluctance to take delight in the things of God. When we fail to find our joy in the Lord, then in fact we do become lazy about the things of God as we stand "repelled by divine goodness" (2094). This pitfall returns us to the truth that the one essential trait in all authentic prayer is a rectified "composure of heart" (2699): "If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain" (2562).
When we embrace Jesus as "the only joy of every human heart," acedia recedes as our prayer intensifies.
Of course, we must not overlook the fact that it is possible for one to pray badly. The Letter of James warns: you ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (Jas 4:3). True and pure prayer requires a wholeness of heart set on the things of God; "If we enter into the desire of his Spirit, we shall be heard" (2737).
One key element of authentic Christian prayer is faith-filled reliance on the intercession of the saints: "The Church. . . is the place where we know the Holy Spirit. . . in the witness of saints through whom he manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation" (688). The saints perfect our prayer, for "those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . .They proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus" (956). It is right and proper for us to rely on the saints in this way, for "When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were 'put in charge of many things.' Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan" (2683).
Sometimes we have problems during
prayer because our prayer is not sufficiently Christ-centered.
Problems After Prayer
We might also occasion problems after prayer. We may be led to conclude, that, since we do not see hoped-for results in praying, we have failed in prayer. The Catechism consoles us: "Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer" (2737; Evagrius Ponticus, De oratione 34: PG 79, 1173).
Some may go so far as to
experience existential self-doubt due to seeming ineffectiveness in prayer.
However, the right response is "to battle to gain humility, trust, and
perseverance" (2728). To insure victory in our spiritual battles, the Letter
to the Ephesians informs us how we should equip ourselves: "Put on the
armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the
evil day. . . . Stand fast, with your loins girded in truth, clothed with
righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel
of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield. . . . Take the helmet
of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God" (Eph