Keep On Praying

This time the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God, and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both.
Tob.3:17

The wonderful story of Tobit is continued as today's first reading.  Two of the main characters, Tobit and Sarah, have reached the depths of their despair.  Tobit is crushed by the poverty his blindness has brought him and Sarah is similarly despairing through the curse over her that has killed her fiancées. Both have not given up on God but have given up hope.  Their final prayer is that God releases them of their distress by taking their lives. But this time, this time... the prayer of each of them found favour before the glory of God.

This is a wonderful story of the power in persistent, authentic prayer.  Both Tobit and Sarah, though crushed and defeated by their circumstance, never walked away from God.  They travailed and wept out raw emotion in their prayer.  Like Job, they were honest in their communication with God.  This raw, emotional, some would say unpious prayer found favour with God.

I have been travailing before God for the healing of a daughter for four months.  My daughter continues to be in pain.  My options?  Walk away from God?  Not an option.  Continue to trust in God by persistent, authentic prayer?  Tobit and Sarah would say yes.  I say yes...

Father in heaven, in Jesus' name I beg for healing for my daughter.  Lift the pain from her and give her back the fullness of life that Your Son has won for her.   
Little Flower, please pray for us.