Be Wise, And Ask For God's Guidance
We have a special jar in our home that we use for writing prayer intentions. The “prayer jar” contains appeals for our concerns, prayers of thanksgiving and hope for our needs. Periodically, I go through the folded pieces of paper and reflect on the progress of our requests. The stacks line up with a “prayers answered” pile, “need more time in prayer” pile and a “thank you, Lord, for your answer and not mine” pile.
God’s plan is perfect, so asking for His guidance is wise. I like this inspirational quote from 19th century author and lecturer Napoleon Hill: “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” Hill advised Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt during their presidencies. Before and during Hill’s lifespan from 1883 to 1904, our country accomplished greatness with considerable sacrifice for the sake of our freedoms, particularly Religious Freedom.
Today, those who uphold religious liberty are looked upon as intolerant. I wonder what social reformers like George Washington, Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who influenced society because of their faith, would feel about these attacks on freedom to express religious beliefs. In the 1963 “I have a dream” speech, Dr. King stated, “for America to be a great nation we need faith to be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”
As Catholics, we are blessed to participate in the celebration of Holy Mass any day of the week. If you listen intently to the readings from Scripture during the Liturgy of the Word, you can connect the message with current situations in our daily lives. On Oct. 2, we read from the Book of Habakkuk, which was composed in the 7th century BC. It is the eighth book of the 12 Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible. In the first chapter there is a dialogue between the Prophet Habakkuk and the Lord. “How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin, why must I look at misery? Then the LORD answered me and said: ‘Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.’” God goes on to tell Habakkuk, “your vision will press on to fulfillment, be patient and it will not disappoint, and it will not be late! The rash one has no integrity, but the just one, because of his faith, shall live!”
Leaders in salvation history and American history were called to make challenging decisions while seeking counsel from wise and educated people. In the Old Testament, King David of Israel advised his son Solomon before giving him the responsibility of the throne: “Acknowledge God in everything and serve Him with your whole heart.“ We need the Wisdom of God more than ever in our present culture! Write down your vision for your family and our country, and pray until you feel the presence of God providing his timely answer. Pray for His love and mercy because there really is no justice on earth! But remember, God’s love never fails! Amen!
