40 Days to Peace and Union with God: Introduction
Authentic Christian prayer is nothing less than a conversation with God — with the One who created us in love and for love. It is an ongoing interaction that gives us a chance to know God better and provides God with the invitation He desires to touch our souls with His healing grace. That’s the real source of inner strength and wisdom that we need so that we can find and follow God’s plan for our lives. And following His plan is the only way to find lasting peace and union with God, both here on earth and in Heaven.
The challenge we all face is that our lives are so noisy that this communion with God easily breaks down or falls by the wayside. This is why we created this forty-day challenge to deeper prayer, peace, and union with God. When you pray with 40 Days to Peace and Union with God, you are committing to do your part, and if you do your part, you can be assured that God will do His — because God is faithful. As the Holy Spirit beckons us through St. James, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Christians who take their faith seriously pray. Authentic disciples of Jesus pray. Their typical days, weeks, months, and years are seasoned with prayer: traditional prayers, liturgical prayers, spontaneous prayers, and the Rosary. Authentic disciples make prayer commitments, giving structure and consistency to their faith journey. These commitments and this dedication to prayer and relationship with God keep Christians united to the Vine, so their lives can bear the fruit both they and Christ long for.
Among the most foundational and powerful prayer commitments is one that can have more bearing on your life than any other because it is more personalized: daily mental prayer. There is no saint in Heaven who has failed to draw near to Jesus daily with this kind of prayer. Mental prayer is the prayer of saints — but it is not beyond those who desire to become saints. Instead, it is the pathway to our high calling to become saints. It is the way in which Jesus leads us to union with Him and to finding peace, passion, and purpose in life. 40 Days to Peace and Union with God is designed to help you engage more actively in the quest of daily mental prayer so you can reap more fruits of spiritual growth.
This series will help you in several key ways. First, it provides a simple structure for prayer that you may not yet have in place. Second, it provides daily inspirations to stir the thirsty heart to prayer. Finally, it provides a connection to thousands of others who will join in this beautiful symphony of love lifted by the hearts of God’s people — by your heart — to His eternal praise in Heaven.
We have no doubt that if you give your heart to this challenge, you will never be the same and will better know the peace and presence of God in your life. There is no doubt you can do this, and you are not alone!
YOUR THREE-STEP GUIDE TO DAILY MENTAL PRAYER
READY
Find a quiet place. Turn off and set aside your phone, computer — everything. Close your eyes or look at something beautiful in nature or religious art. Remind yourself that God is with you, within you, or right beside you, eager to have this conversation with you. Express your gratitude that He has called you to pray and that He is present with you now.
SET
Thank God for a blessing that He has given you. It could be a little one or a big one, from yesterday or from a long time ago.
Ask God for something that you or someone you care about really needs.
Open your heart to hear His Word: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10, NABRE).
GO
Read: Read each Gospel passage attentively, slowly — word by word. Reading out loud can help you to slow things down. Pay attention to every word.
KEY QUESTIONS: What does the Bible text say in itself? What did the author intend? What does the Church teach about this subject?
Reflect: Reflect prayerfully, engaging with the meaning of the passage and considering how it may apply to your life circumstances.
KEY QUESTIONS: What does this text say to me? How does it apply to my life? Where is God leading me? What is He revealing to me?
Respond: Converse with God about the passage.
KEY QUESTIONS: What can I say in response to God? Should I offer thanksgiving or praise, or should I ask for His help in any particular way? Should I ask for forgiveness?
Rest: Let yourself rest and remain absorbed in the words of God, allowing or inviting the Holy Spirit to draw you more deeply into His presence through what you’ve read. Whenever God touches our hearts in any way as we read, we should rest and allow His presence to wash over us until it fades; and then we can read the passage again. We repeat this cycle until the movement is completely gone.
KEY QUESTIONS: Am I being patient, attentive, and open to God’s movement in my soul as I rest in His self-revelation?
Resolve: Allow the encounter with God to permeate your day, causing you to draw ever nearer to Him through His self-revelation and His invitation to participate with Him in making His presence known in the world.
KEY QUESTIONS: What can I specifically do to respond to what God has revealed to me in this passage? How can I carry this encounter with me into the day to influence how I think and act? Write down your resolutions and conclude with a prayer of thanksgiving.
You can pray your own closing prayer of thanksgiving or use the one included2 below, but be sure to mean what you say as you pray it slowly and deliberately. Remember, this is a conversation with God.
We will remain united in prayer with you,
About the Author
Fr. John Bartunek was ordained in 2003. He has taught moral theology at various ecclesiastical institutions at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has authored many books, including the Gospel companion, The Better Part, and Inside the Passion, the only authorized behind-the-scenes look at the film, for which he provided on-set spiritual support. His online retreat guides are available in multiple formats at RCSpirituality.org. Fr. John currently resides in Atlanta, where he is serving as territorial vicar for the Legionaries of Christ.
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