The Patience of Prayer, submitted by Brianna Hoegermeyer ’22

Why is it so difficult to pray? We live in a world of instant gratification. If we need to know something, we Google it. If we are hungry, we go to the closest vending machine at school. We don’t really need to wait for anything. And then there’s God. The One with the plan, Infinite and Omnipotent, but He doesn’t function on the same premise of I-need-it-now like the world does. He wants us to be patient, to hear His words at just the right moment when our hearts and minds are open to receiving Him. That’s what prayer is for; that’s also why prayer is so difficult. It’s supposed to be a conversation, only with modern culture we think it should be like a telephone call. We speak and don’t have to wait long for an answer. However, prayer can be thought of as more of a letter-style of communication. It’s called snail-mail for a reason. But how excited we used to be to receive a letter from a loved one, after days or even weeks of waiting for a response! Certainly, a letter is received with more joy than a text message or email. It’s not easy to pray, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth doing. Just because we don’t receive an immediate response doesn’t mean God isn’t responding. Maybe what we want isn’t good for us right now. Maybe it won’t be good for us at all. That’s up to God. Although it sure is frustrating to wait to receive the letter back in the mail, when we finally receive His reply, I know it will spark great joy in our hearts.