Why is prayer a battle?
Catechism Meditation:
Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. the great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. the “spiritual battle” of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer. ―No. 2725
REFLECTION: Prayer is a battle because it requires effort. While it is true that prayer is a gift and that we rely on God’s many graces during prayer, we also need to make an effort to pray. If we don’t try to pray, we probably won’t ever pray.
The devil does not want us to be united with God, and so he does all he can to prevent us from praying. The key is to make prayer a habit and to continually strive to battle against the forces that oppose us.
Prayer requires fighting the mindset of the world that other tasks are more important. Until we conquer this mindset, we will never be faithful in prayer.
PRAYER. Lord, I open myself to You. Let me dwell in Your holy presence every day.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“No soul ever fell away from God without giving up prayer. Prayer is that which establishes contact with Divine Power and opens the invisible resources to heaven. However dark the way, when we pray temptation can never master us.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen