(Photo: Jalal from IRAN)
What to do when prayer doesn't work?
Once Jesus said "why you say 'Lord', 'Lord' and doesn't do what I ask you for? That's a real huge problem related to our postmodern (or whatever other term to define this indefinition) times. People want spirituality, people simply found out that reason was not enough to fill in their lack of meaning. That happened just after the Second World War, an era that looked like a terrible marenight. However, that religious sense the most of the time is not connected to a sense obedience that it must have. Sometimes an utilitarian faith, sometimes a weak faith that only knows about empty practices or discourses or even prayers. The problem is that we cannot have the gift without the giver, it would be in vain. The issue is that we must be ready to change our way for a real repentence. You don't need to lament your sins all the time, but just feel it to the point you can realize how it's important to change. We must understand that our religious practice are useless if we are not ready to "deny ourselves everyday and take up our cross until the end". Otherwise our deeds are going to be in vain. A devoted heart is want God really wants. Nothing more, nothing less, He just wants us in his altar. Then, the peace will overwhelm our hearts and all we do will succeed, just as told in Salm 23. Just like the ants obey their masters without order and silently, we will serve God with a willing and glad heart. Thus, He will be our strength... and there's nothing better than count on 'The Lord of the Armies'.