Having given us free will, God does not force himself on any of us. He needs us to ask him to work in our lives before he intervenes. We must want his presence, be desperate for the inner food he can provide. Like the figures found on the walls of Roman catacombs, we must lift our eyes and arms to God, not merely waiting for him, but reaching upward to find him and to receive whatever he will give us. In this sense praying is much more than talking with God. Prayer gives us the opportunity to discern God’s will by coming into direct contact with him.

If I claim God as my father, I need to be able to talk to him when I am in trouble.