MM#360--Foundations in Flourishing, pt. 7 - Prayer

0:07 Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, david Kaiser. Hello, I am David and welcome back to another Mojo Minute and to the last in our series on the foundations and flourishing. It's our last series in this episode. For now we will pivot back to regular programming next week, but we will continually add to this series because it's our foundational series, it's our 101 class for building a flourishing life.

0:53 Now, in our last episode we talked about the virtues and how that and they were uber important and to start and put the virtues into practice in living that virtuous life, and to do so we have to start with the cardinal virtues because, if you remember, they are the hinge points, the main areas where those main virtues will help us, because they are the cardinal virtues which cover most of the other virtues. You get those into place and all the other virtues start to fall into place. Now, just to quickly recap, the cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, and we know those help us to begin to point us in the right direction.

1:42 Now Fulton Sheen had a wonderful quote from his book the Life of Christ and I want to quote it here because I think it's super important. He says head knowledge is worthless unless accompanied by submission of the will and right action, and I love the fact that he talks about the right action. You know this is the Theory to Action podcast. And what is the right action? Well, the right action to me means to follow and live a virtuous life. So to begin to build the good life.

2:23 We also know that those are just the basics. They don't give us a complete flourishing life. So to begin to build the good life, we also know that those are just the basics. They don't give us a complete flourishing life. The cardinal virtues don't give us, more importantly, the fullness of flourishing. In fact, they don't even give us eternal life. They fall short. And we know this because we need the three theological virtues to get us to heaven if it's practiced, and those are faith, hope and love or charity. Some folks call it charity. So if you missed our last episode, be sure to go back and listen to that one. We think it's one of our better ones we have done. And the last time we ended our class or the episode we said the ultimate need and desire of mankind was to pray, because prayer is the first act of love, that act of love between the creature and the creator, that act of love is the first movement of the heart back to and in recognition of its maker.

3:25 Now, because this is a sort of 101 class or a basics course where we're trying to find those building blocks to put into place. Let's just take a step back for a quick minute or two and look over the worldwide landscape of prayer. Now, at a 50,000-foot level, what does prayer look like around the world? You know the concept of prayer exists generally across many religions and cultures, even outside of Christianity, with various forms and practices. Here's just a general overview of how prayer is viewed and practiced in many different traditions around the world.

4:06 In Hinduism, prayer takes many forms. There's three types the punja, which is a ritual worship involving offerings to deities. It's often performed at home or in temples. There's a mantra recitation that's a repetition of sacred sounds or phrases believed to have spiritual power. And there's the bahan or katan and I apologize if I'm mispronouncing these and these are devotional songs and chants, often performed in groups. The Hindus pray to many various deities or aspects of the divine, depending on their tradition and personal beliefs.

4:51 Prayer is seen as a way to connect with the divine and cultivate devotion. Now, moving east Buddhism doesn't typically involve praying to a deity. It practices, its various prayers, has similar purposes, though. There's a meditation, the central practice in Buddhism, used for spiritual development and insight. There's chanting, often a resuscitation of sattras or mantras, often as part of daily practice or ceremonies. And then there's offerings, presenting items like flowers or incense at shrines as acts of devotion of devotion In some Buddhist traditions, particularly the Pure Land.

5:34 Buddhism practitioners may recite the name of Amidya Buddha as a form of devotional practice. Islam as part of the big three religions from around the world. Islam has the five pillars of Islam. Prayer of the Salah Muslims are often required to pray five times a day. Facing Mecca Prayer involves specific physical movements or recitations from the Quran. In addition to obligatory prayers, muslims may engage in personal supplications, and prayer in Islam is seen as a direct communication with Allah and a means of spiritual purification.

6:18 The other of the big three, judaism. Jewish prayer practices include formal prayers. These are recited at specific times of the day, often in a synagogue. There's personal prayers, which are spontaneous conversations with God, and then there's blessings, short prayers said throughout the day to express gratitude to their God. Prayer in Judaism is seen as a way to maintain a connection between God and reinforce religious values. Now, of the other types of prayer around the world, there's indigenous and tribal religions and non-religious perspectives.

7:00 Often these are just rituals or offerings or chants or songs, usually to act in harmony with nature or the spiritual world. To act in harmony with nature or the spiritual world. Often, we see, because there has been less actual practicing of any type of religion. You know, non-denominational religions sometimes don't even offer prayers to God to a Christian God, I mean and so oftentimes these prayers engage in very general meditations or gratitude practices or reflections.

7:45 Often these are just used for stress relief, mental clarity, expressing thanks for life's blessings and a reflection in contemplating one's values or aspirations. So, in general, the common themes around prayer as a one-on-one class here is its connection with something greater than oneself, which is good. To express gratitude or devotion, that's good. To seek guidance or support, that is good. And to cultivate interior peace and clarity, certainly good. And to reinforce values and commitments Now, that's all good. Now, for me, I'm a Roman Catholic, so I will speak about that aspect as one of the building blocks to building a flourishing life in my life, blocks to building a flourishing life in my life and all the people that have.

8:37 Well, let's just take a step back. For all people, the faith journey is a very unique and very personal journey, and prayer is a specific act along that journey. It's very intimate and you will have to find your way in this area. Certainly there are some things I could recommend. There are some things other people could recommend, but at its root, for the Christian or the Catholic, someone who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We believe in following that same God-man, jesus Christ.

9:19 We believe in proposing certain attitudes in certain ways of the heart, and in doing so we would keep Jesus Christ front and center, and that would especially happen in our prayer. Jesus Christ front and center, and that would especially happen in our prayer, and also in keeping with that same God-man, jesus Christ. We also know, especially on the Christian front or the Catholic front, that Jesus Christ is always proposed. He is never imposed on anyone. You see, at the very core of every human being, from a Catholic perspective, all human beings are created with personal freedom, the freedom of the will and the conscience to believe or not to believe, to follow the Creator or not follow the Creator.

10:13 Sometimes Christians and even Catholics in our histories, sometimes we have mucked up this aspect of freedom and we have confused it and we have made a mess of things. But after some 21 centuries the church has developed and understood even more firmly that human beings have to make these unique choices by themselves. These choices can't be imposed, they cannot break the free will of a human being, because the human being is created in the image and likeness of God and in that very innate image and likeness is freedom.

10:59 It's part and parcel of it. So the choices to believe or not to believe, to pray or not to pray, to follow the Creator or not follow the Creator, those all have to be proposed. They cannot be imposed. This is a radical difference than some other religions. And in following and keeping with the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, the second person of the Trinity, a person would have to answer one of the most important questions in this life, that is, namely was Jesus Christ the man God or the God man Was and is he the very second person of the Trinity?

11:48 And if you have said to both of those questions, was he the God-man and was he the second person of the Trinity? The next logical and vital question to ask is what did he say about prayer? Because prayer is that intimate conversation between you and your creator. And again, I love this quote from Fulton Sheen, especially for us head knowledge is worthless unless accompanied by the submission of the will and right action. So first, if you do believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, second person of the Trinity, he provides extensive teachings on prayer throughout the Gospels.

12:38 That's the main part where we learn about his life. Here are some key aspects of what Jesus says about prayer. He gives his disciples a model for prayer, often called the Lord's Prayer, as an example of how to pray. The key elements of that prayer include addressing God as Father, honoring God's name, praying for God's kingdom and his will to be done, asking for daily needs, seeking forgiveness and forgiving others. And asking for protection from the temptation and from evil. Jesus emphasizes the importance of the right attitude when praying.

13:23 He says to pray sincerely, not to show off or impress others, to pray privately and humbly, not for public attention, to avoid empty repetitions or babbling, and to pray with faith and persistence. He provides assurance about God answering his prayers Ask, seek and knock. God will respond. God gives good gifts to those who ask, especially the Holy Spirit, and whatever is asked in Jesus' name will be granted when aligned with God's will. And finally, the importance of prayer is it demonstrates the significance of the God-man through his own actions.

14:14 Jesus prayed regularly, often in solitude. He prayed before making important decisions. He taught his disciples how to pray. He emphasized prayer as vital for overcoming temptation. So if we stop there and we really reflect upon, if I'm a Christian and I'm a Catholic and I want to build a flourishing life. How can I not incorporate prayer as a central element in the spiritual life or in my religious life to build that flourishing life? If I omit prayer, I am missing a vital block in the foundation for building such a flourishing life.

14:59 And the biggest resistance we often find with prayer is so many people get discouraged in prayer. And in fact Jesus, the God-man, actually forecast this, he foresaw this, he encouraged persistence in prayer throughout parables. There's two specific parables the friend at midnight, from Luke 11.5 to 11.8, and the persistent widow, from Luke 18.1 through 18.8. These teachings emphasize continuing to pray and not to give up.

15:41 So, in fact, as we get close to closing this Mojo Minute and this foundation of flourishing on prayer, let's in fact pray. Let's in fact pray the Lord's Prayer, as he taught us, and so let us pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

16:28 So in today's Mojo Minute, head knowledge is worthless unless accompanied by the submission of the will and right action. Thank you, fulton Sheen. Prayer is vital to a flourishing life. It's vital to the core that we are as human beings. It's like spiritual oxygen to the soul. It's the intimate dialogue and conversation you have with your creator. If you believe, jesus Christ was and is the second person of the Trinity and was born, died and rose from the dead one of the most important questions you can ask yourself and then answer in your lifetime then, by following Jesus' teachings on prayer, believers, both you and me, can develop a much deeper connection with our Lord and our God, aligning our will with His will and experiencing that transformative power of prayer and love in our lives.

17:29 And if we do that, then surely we will be on the road to a flourishing life and a life of love, because we will not only have the natural virtues prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, we will also begin to incorporate those three theological virtues faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. And prayer is the building block, the conversation that begins that act of love and that's always pointing to love itself the God-man, jesus Christ.

18:31 Thank you for joining us, the God-man Jesus Christ, as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on.