Prayer: A sustained relationship

Today (unless you're not reading this on Sunday) begins our first week of Lent. Since I was raised in Catholic Schools I was always taught the importance of prayer, especially during Lent. While Lent is clearly an opportune time to make sacrifices and give up small (or large) pleasures in our lives, it is an even more opportune time to further commit ourselves to our faith and our relationship with God. The greatest way to grow in that commitment is through prayer.

I often ask myself, "why pray?" and before I let myself get too far I call to mind the fact that God is our creator and that somehow I have a relationship with God. So just as I would spend time with my friends or family to foster those relationships I also realize that I need to spend time with God in order to foster our relationship as well.

Another key factor here is that there are many ways to pray, so what works for one person may not work for another. Therefore we all have to be creative and also in tune with ourselves. Having that fact in mind I am also a firm believer that some time each day to just sit and talk with God like we would any other friend will nurture that everyday prayer life and also help us to extend it into our daily lives. There are many ways to spend that quiet time each day, but having that 15 minutes (or more) is the place to start.

Here at the farm we always put a great emphasis on relationships and our cornerstone of community. We build community with our homeowners, with fellow volunteers, with staff members, and with all those who have experienced the farm in any way. Having that importance of relationships in mind, reflect upon your relationship with God and how you might extend that relationship through prayer this Lent. We'll pray for all of you and that you can continue to grow closer to Christ!