Commissioned: Pray First: Unlocking Hearts Through PrayerSample

Praying for Five

When Jesus works powerfully in our lives it makes a difference to those around us. After Jesus called Levi (who was also named Matthew) to be his disciple, Jesus had dinner in Levi’s house with Levi’s friends. The religious leaders didn’t like that Jesus was spending time with a group of sinners, but for Jesus, this was a chance to influence a whole new group of people. In Mark’s Gospel, chapter 5, after Jesus had set a man free from unclean spirits, He told the man to go home and tell his family what God had done for him. Through this man, Jesus was able to touch another new group of people.

The Greek word translated as “house” or “home” is oikos, which means extended household. An oikos was not just a nuclear family, but an extended set of relationships. We see throughout the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles that when one person encountered Jesus or the Good News about Jesus, it made an impact on their entire oikos. Jesus wants to extend his love through each of us to the others in our network of close relationships, our oikos. Our family, our neighbors, those with whom we work or study, those with whom we share time or interests—all of these are people whom God greatly loves and with whom He wants to have a personal relationship. For many of them, we are likely to be one of the few people who are praying for them to come alive spiritually. What an exciting privilege this is!

Grapes grow in clusters, and so do disciples. Peter and Andrew were brothers—Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus. James and John were also brothers, and their mother Salome was one of the women who followed Jesus and was present at the crucifixion and resurrection. Most people who become followers of Jesus in today’s world were influenced to do so by someone close to them.

Our Commissioned video suggests that we choose five people from our oikos and begin to pray for them, show them God’s care, and share with them what God is doing in our lives. We will want to pray about which five to choose. When Jesus chose his twelve disciples, he spent an entire night in prayer, no doubt asking for wisdom and also praying for those he would choose. Of course, our decision is not as important as Jesus’s was! But, it may be life-changing for those we choose!

Stop, think and pray:

Let’s pray for all the people in our oikos—our network of relationships. It may be helpful to make a list of everyone with whom we have regular contact. Let’s ask God to help us identify the five on whom he wants us to focus. Learning to listen for God’s direction is an important part of prayer. One of the best ways to listen is by spending time in Eucharistic Adoration. Let’s spend some time this week before the Blessed Sacrament, praying for the people in our oikos, and listening for God’s direction. If Eucharistic Adoration is new to you, someone in your parish can help you get started.