It is not uncommon to have a prayerful person lament that ‘there is so many moments of anger in my life. Sometime during my time of prayer I experience myself being hot and bothered by the war in the Ukraine These feelings of anger spoil my prayer.’
Prayer is first of all the listening to the movements of God’s Holy Spirit within our lives. The Spirit of God moves everywhere. It is our duty to be attentive to the concerns within the Holy Spirit.
But we also need to spend some effort listening to the concerns that are percolating within our own heart. Where is the pain within our own lives that moves us to a more vibrant service to God and love for our fellow human being?
Listen to the anger and the impatience that you feel in your bones over the war in the Ukraine. Stand in solidarity with all the ordinary citizens who suffer so much from the bombing of their buildings and their electrical structures that can no longer bring them heat and light.
Listen to the pain you feel over the many homeless people in our own country. Put your finger on the pulse of your concern for these nameless people who struggle so hard just to survive the winter cold.
Keep your finger on your pulse for the friends and co-workers who struggle with their health. Sometimes it is very difficult just to get enough courage to engage the next cancer treatment. Listen to the feelings of understanding and support that you have for your friends in their daily struggles to recover their health.
Listen to the concerns in your heart when you listen to the news media tell stories of the refugees who flee the war in the Ukraine, the poor people from central America trying to get into the USA or the people from the Middle East trying to emigrate into Europe. Feel the intensity of the concern that is erupting within your own soul.
Hear the faint glimmer of concern that pops up in your mind when you consider all the families in Canada who have lost loved ones from an overdose of bad drugs. These senseless deaths rob so much of a family’s life. Hear your concern for each of these families.
The Spirit of God is moving within your heart. There may be feelings of great anger (that will get you moving), strong feelings of compassion to walk with the suffering and painful feelings of just not knowing what to do. There is great frustration in that sense of helplessness. Listen to these feelings. They are also movements of God’s Spirit within your heart.
We have not been trained to listen to the hurt and anger within our own mind. The Holy Spirit is also working in these very negative feelings.
Hopefully, you will sit down in prayer and ask the Holy spirit: now what do you want of me today? What is going on in my heart that will catch fire in your Spirit?
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