Teresa of Ávila:Pray Constantly

Let us to this extent at least resemble our King. He had no home except the stable of Bethlehem where He was born, and the Cross where He died. Within these houses few luxuries could be found!

Pray constantly for the souls of those who maintain you. It is the will of God that, although all we have comes from Him, yet we should show gratitude to those through whom He gives it, and by no means must you neglect to do so.”

Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) in The Way of Perfection (London: Thomas Baker, 1919) 14-15. Download this classic work in PDF form freely here.

This is the second of seven posts exploring the counter-intuitive duties of saints desiring to make a generous impact for God. Find peace and more this week.

Let me start by saying thanks to those who prayed for me yesterday. The speaking went great, praise God. I will alert you when a video recording becomes available.

Like Paul prayed for the church in Philippi and expressed gratitude for their support, I pray constantly for you as readers around the world and give thanks to God for all those who have supported Generosity Monk over the last 17.5 years.

The way of perfection for each of us must include constant prayer for those who support us and who serve with us.

If you are a pastor, give thanks to God and pray constantly for the people in your church who, in the words of Teresa, maintain you. If you are a ministry administrator, give thanks to God and pray constantly for the people who serve with and support you.

And Teresa rightly couples her exhortation to pray constantly for those who supported her with an exhortation to live simply. She rightly cites the humble example of Jesus.

Yesterday we learned that having lots of things adds anxiety to life and tends to bring disorder to our affections.

Today we discover that poverty and simplicity protect our virtues, and when coupled with constant prayer with gratitude, God uses these conditions to form us into humble servants through which He can do His best work.