Prayer and following: A great exhange

 

The Jetty, Dana Point Harbor

Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Luke 18:22

Jesus calls many people in the gospel accounts. In this case, when the young man heard Jesus, "he became very sad, because he was very wealthy." (verse 23)

I have been thinking about how easily I feel independent from God when I have everything needed for a comfortable life: secure income, nice home, dependable car, family and friends who love me, good health, and meaningful work. 

So, what do we pray about when we don't feel we need anything? 

We pray to be led into a relationship with Jesus. We pray to be connected to the heart of Jesus. We pray to become part of building God's eternal kingdom. We pray to take part in Jesus's work of healing brokenness and delivering from the evil that exists in our world. 

Jesus calls us to follow. As with the rich young man in Luke 18, in calling us, Jesus offers an exchange: Exchange what will not last for a relationship with me that is eternal. 

Some people set intentional times throughout the course of each day to hear Jesus's call, and to correct their day in order to follow him. Often, the call of Jesus is a gentle whisper. Thus, quiet is necessary to shut down competing noise.

The following prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola is a good place to start this great exchange. It is called suscipe which is the Latin word for receive.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding

and my entire will,

all I have and

call my own.

You have given all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours;

do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and grace,

that is enough for me.

—St. Ignatius of Loyola

Resource for this post: Suscipe prayer card