Prayer: More Than Words, A Relationship with God

Last Sunday evening, 26 April 2026, our Young Adult Formation gathered once again, and it was a powerful reminder that something meaningful is taking root in our community. With 22 young adults present, including some who came after the 6:00pm Mass, the evening carried both warmth and spiritual depth. This was our 5th Formation Session, concluding our first major theme: Belonging. While a few participants were new, many have been faithfully journeying with us from the beginning, a quiet but real sign of commitment.

We began at 7:00pm with welcome and registration, as we greeted everyone at the door. The room quickly filled with conversation and laughter over dinner and fellowship, and made even more special as we celebrated Ella’s birthday. Her generosity in preparing a delicious Filipino meal brought a sense of home and joy to the gathering. After some greetings and self-introductions, a prayer of blessing was led before we shared the meal.

At 7:20pm, we transitioned into prayer. Frances welcomed everyone and introduced the theme: “Prayer: A Personal Relationship with God.” Together, we sang “Lord, I Need You,” opening our hearts to God’s presence. Aaron then led us in invoking the Holy Spirit, asking for openness and a genuine encounter. Maria proclaimed Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray,” capturing the longing at the heart of the night.

The input talk invited us deeper. Fr. Roger began simply: “How is your prayer life, not how often you pray, but how real it is?” He reminded us that the disciples didn’t ask Jesus how to perform miracles, but how to pray, because they saw in Him a living relationship with the Father.

Prayer, he explained, is not just words or formulas, but a relationship of love and friendship with God. Echoing St. Teresa of Avila, he described prayer as “being with God who already desires to be with us.” Like any true friendship, prayer involves talking, listening, and simply being present.

Yet he spoke honestly about the struggle: distraction, busyness, tiredness, and even silence. Many young adults stop praying because they “feel nothing.” But silence, he reminded us, is not absence, it is often an invitation. God is never far; He is always the one who initiates. Our role is simply to respond with faithfulness.

He grounded this in the Eucharist, where Christ gives Himself as the Bread of Life. Just as we need daily food, our souls need daily prayer. Without it, we grow spiritually weak; with it, we find peace, clarity, and strength, even when life remains difficult.

Fr. Roger offered a simple and practical way to pray each day: Talk to God. Listen to God. Rest in God. Not perfection, but consistency is what matters. He also introduced four practical ways to deepen prayer: Lectio Divina, Adoration and Silence, The Examen, and Intercessory Prayer, reminding us that God meets each person uniquely.

Following this, small group sharing allowed participants to open up about their experiences of prayer: their struggles, desires, and moments of closeness to God. It was a time marked by honesty and mutual encouragement.

The evening then moved into a guided prayer experience led by Fr. Roger. In stillness, we became aware of God’s loving presence, spoke to Jesus personally, and rested in silence. It was simple, yet deeply moving.

We concluded with a gentle challenge: spend 10 minutes each day in real prayer: talking, listening, and resting in God. As we ended this first theme of Belonging, one truth stood out clearly: we belong not only to one another, but first and foremost to God. And it is in prayer that this relationship becomes real, personal, and alive.