Prayer 101 — Connecting with the Lord

Throughout a person’s life journey, there may be many times when they disconnect from the Lord. This can happen unintentionally as life gets overwhelming, but it can also happen when people feel as though the Lord has let them down. This latter feeling can occur after losing a loved one. However, God is always there to welcome (or re-welcome) his children with open arms. Sometimes all it takes is a little reconnection.

Fellowship Square offers simple ways that seniors can connect with the Lord, starting with prayer.

Praying is a pure and simple way to reach God anytime, anywhere. There is no specific way that prayer must be done. Seniors can pray for loved ones, friends, and people they have never even met — and they can, and should, pray for themselves. 

During a prayer, seniors hoping to reconnect with God can ask for help, they can ask for forgiveness, they can ask for God’s will and they can share a confession. They can also give thanks. Beginning a prayer with thanking the Lord for the current gift’s in one’s life (the roof over one’s head or the meal in front of them at the dinner table, for example), is a good way to begin to feel gratitude. 

Sometimes the seemingly little things or the everyday gifts that people become accustomed to get unintentionally taken for granted. Giving thanks for each new day, each healthy breath, each year of life can help seniors begin to fill their hearts and souls with gratitude. This is a beautiful feeling that can help them feel more connected to the Lord and happier in every day simply by being grateful for the “little things.”

Reading the Bible and selecting meaningful scriptures to recite are also powerful ways to pray and to connect with the Lord. Attending mass and joining a Bible study group can also help seniors reconnect with the Lord and strengthen their faith.

Faith itself is a vital part of having a connection with God. Seniors may want or expect to hear from Him right away or to have their prayers answered exactly as they see fit. But the Lord works his miracles in various ways — and those that have faith will always see His grace. 

When praying, seniors should be sincere, honest and heartfelt. Praying is a very personal and very spiritual event. It should be done at a time and a place that feels right. Seniors that surrender themselves to prayer, to faith and to the hands of God are certain to fill their lives with a joy that can rarely be matched. Fellowship Square encourages seniors that are going through a hard time or that simply want to connect with the Lord to start with a simple prayer — and let their faith blossom.