Image: Adrian van Leen

                                                                                

When I was young, I prayed for riches and luxury;
Now I pray to have what my family needs daily;

When I was young, I prayed for intelligence and beauty,
Now I pray for wisdom and health constantly;

When I was young, I prayed that my enemies be hit with sudden heavenly judgment,
Now I pray that they will not continue to hurt me through mutual enlightenment;

When I was young , I prayed to the Lord to take my life in difficult times,
Now I pray to the Lord to give me strength all the time;

When I was young, I prayed to the Lord for unending life in happy times,
Now I pray that my responsibilities and obligations are finished just in time; 

But most of all I pray that I serve my purpose for passing through this way,
That my life will have attained its full meaning and so I pray...


by: Teresa Martinez (adapio)

Image: Holy Nativity Convent

My Say

As we mature and gain more understanding of life, we gain the ability to remove the focus of our prayers from ourselves and what we want.  Answered prayer is not merely about getting what we want but rather what will be good for us.  Sometimes, answers are not readily evident and would take time to reveal themselves and the wisdom they bring.

That said, I pray that God will give me the capacity to accept and understand the answers that I will get for my prayers.