Midweek Meditation: "Prayer is Not Overcoming God's Reluctance" (Julian of Norwich)

Julian of Norwich

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of his willingness. This is our Lord's will, ... that our prayer and our trust be, alike, large.

For if we do not trust as much as we pray, we fail in full worship to our Lord in our prayer;
and also we hinder and hurt ourselves.

The reason is that we do not know truly that our Lord is the ground from which our prayer springs;
nor do we know that it is given us by his grace and his love.

If we knew this, it would make us trust to have of our Lord's gifts all that we desire.

For I am sure that no man asks mercy and grace with sincerity, without mercy and grace being given to him first."

(Julian of Norwich, English Anchoress, 1342-1416)