Catechism: Prayer & Worship - RedirectedSample

Focus Your Thoughts. We live in a world that is constantly connected, constantly communicating. We are chatting, texting, talking, posting, sharing, and liking! We’re focusing on what we saw online or what we want to say or share … or even on what others think or what someone said or did.

And when our minds are fixed on these things—ourselves, others, or what might be—instead of feeling peace, our thoughts can easily lead us down a path of worry and anxiety. These worries might be that someone might not like us, concerns about whether or not we measure up, fears about the future or even the present!

Matthew’s gospel records an amazing story about professional fishermen out in a boat in the midst of a really bad storm. These men knew what to do; they had experience, but they were terrified about the "what if!" Meanwhile, the wind was howling, and the waves were crashing, and Jesus was asleep. He was asleep in the boat perfectly at peace.

The fishermen couldn’t understand it; their minds weren’t on God’s power or his never-ending faithfulness; they were fixated on the problems around them, afraid of the possibilities and failures.

Isaiah 26:3 is a promise of God’s peace to whomever will keep their mind and their thoughts focused on God himself. How do we do that? We do it through prayer and worship.

You see, Jesus was asleep in the boat, perfectly at peace, because he was constantly connecting to his Father through prayer and worship. Both fully God and fully human, Jesus kept his mind at perfect peace—completely at rest—because his faith was strong.

Ask yourself this one question: where do your thoughts usually go? Then take a moment to pray and ask God to teach you how to focus your thoughts back on who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s promised.

Consider: Jesus’ response revealed where he placed his trust. How do you respond in a difficult time, and what does that reveal about your faith?

Reflect: Jesus believed prayer and worship was an important practice to keep in order to maintain a connection to God the Father. Do you? What are some steps you could take to make prayer and worship a bigger part of your life?