In my morning drive to work I often try to turn the radio down, pray a rosary, and tell the Lord the who and the what of all the desires of my heart:

. . . for healing for a friend's little one—check.
. . . for family bonds to be restored—check.
. . . for my vocation to be realized—check.
. . . for all the others who have asked me to pray for them (even though I can't remember them all in that particular moment)—check, check, check.

I would love to say that I mention each one of these intentions with love and trust, confident that He'll hear me.

The truth is that sometimes I grow tired of praying for the same things, over and over again. I desire to be more like the widow in today's Gospel (see Luke 18:1-8) and I am truly willing to pray, but I want to see the results on my timeline. I am a painful product of our results-oriented culture that puts too much emphasis on the end goal and not nearly enough emphasis on the journey.

It's this widow, Sisters, who is keeping me motivated today. She's the one who isn't afraid to ask for big things, or difficult things, or impossible things. She trusts that justice and goodness will be done in her life. And, she's not afraid to be a bother. Don't I wish I could master that!

If you are feeling discouraged in prayer, look to the story of the widow today for encouragement. Take a deep breath, and ask the Holy Spirit for a newfound zeal and perseverance in prayer as you recount your heart's intentions. Ask Him for the courage to "be a bother," and stand in gratitude for the good He will do.

Not on our timeline, but on His.

[bctt tweet="If you are feeling discouraged in prayer, look to the story of the widow today for encouragement. // Karen Schultz" username="blessedisshe__"]

Select one of these gratitude prayers today.