What if God Doesn’t Answer My Prayers?
Explore the playlist below before your next small group meeting.
Read
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Scripture: Luke 11:1-10; 1 John 5:14-15
Main Ideas:
Jesus reveals that God is our loving Father, who only wants what is best for us, and reminds us that prayer unites our will to the will of the Father.
God always hears our prayers, but prayer is not simply making God do what we want; it is uniting our hearts and will with His heart and will.
Growing in our relationship with God helps us to remain hopeful, even if we feel discouraged in prayer or it feels like God never answers our prayers.
Watch
5.5 Minutes
Listen
3.5 Minutes
Also check out this music playlist on Spotify: “ES - Surge” (spotify:user:lifeteen)
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Introduction: When we pray, we seek to unite our will to the will of God and we work to unite our heart to God’s heart. We associate love with the heart, and it is only fitting that the love of Jesus is revealed to us through this image of His heart. On His Sacred Heart, we see the symbols of His death — the cross and the crown of thorns — that encircle it. Reminding us that the power of His love overcomes all sin, death, and darkness, and that He endured horrendous suffering out of love for each of us. The Sacred Heart also shows where His heart was pierced by a lance upon the cross, which is the moment that blood and water gushed forth from His heart. This symbol shows the love and mercy of God which comes to us through the waters of Baptism and the sacrifice of the Eucharist. The Sacred Heart is engulfed in flames which remind us of the sacrifices of the Old Testament and these flames point to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross which was the final sacrifice once and for all to save us from the slavery of sin. The flames also remind us of the ever-burning love that Jesus has for us. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is an image of God’s love and Jesus invites us to be submerged in His love by placing ourselves in His most Sacred Heart.
Instructions:
Get a blank sheet of paper and drawing utensils.
Draw a symbolic representation of what you think your own heart would look like. Put symbols or images on or around your heart that you feel represent you or how God has worked in your life. There is NO “right way” to do this!
If you are not comfortable drawing, write words in or around your heart instead.
Take a picture of your heart and email it to Mrs. Sheila, stullier@ourladyofangels.com.
Activity
15 Minutes
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you and will a lively sorrow for my sins. I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessings on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Within your heart I place my every care. In every need let me come to you with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus, help me. Amen.
Solidarity
"We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that “if you want peace, work for justice.” The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict."
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops