Father Rolheiser,
I have been an avid reader of your columns for some time.
I feel moved, not necessarily compelled, to comment on your views on prayer and intimacy with God.
I believe that many believers in the Body of Christ are not living by the grace of God, which Paul exhorts us to live by — see 1 Corinthians 15:10. They still feel compelled to work for the blessings which God wishes to freely give us, just as He freely gave us His Son (Romans 8:32)
Also, the faith that we live by is not even our own! It is the faith of the Son of God (see Galatians 2:20), his unshakeable trust lives and dwells in us when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, receive his Holy Spirit, which leads us into a life of complete, restful, righteousness.
The life of faith is a walk, not a work — Paul even comforts us with the knowledge that all the good words which God has for us are already preordained — we just have to let the Lord release them in us (Eph. 2:10)
Even the fruit of the Spirit are that, the product of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, not our striving to produce them on our own (Galatians 5:22-23)
Prayer is not a work, either; it is not something that we have to master. Prayer is life itself, and even the Holy Spirit makes intercession fo for us.
I believe now, more than ever, that many believers get bored with prayer because they are trying too hard. They are trying to get something which God is more than willing to give to us. Jesus comforts his hearers: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom [of heaven]." (Luke 12:32) Scripture is manifest: the Kingdom of Heaven is the Holy Spirit, who lives and reigns in us when we are born of the Spirit!
The reason why religious leaders like St. Teresa de Avila and Mother Teresa struggled with a deep loneliness is that they were trying to earn, to work for the presence of God in their lives. Yet even the writer of Hebrews boldy writes:
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." We sit in high places with Jesus Christ, who God the Father resurrected by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:6)
Rather than approaching prayer and intimacy with God as a work that we must strive for, every believer in the Kingdom of Heaven need only believe on Him, the one work Jesus told his disciples to do (John 6:29).
I would further submit in the case of Mother Teresa, whose private journals exposed the deep loneliness and dryness in her spiritual life, she struggled in prayer because she was focused on her works, on her piety, on herself. With God, it is all about receiving His Finished Work, His Holiness, His Sanctification (See 1 Corinthians 1:30)
We need to stop telling believers that they have to strive for something which God the Father has already given to his children, through the death of His Son and the never-ending ministration of the Holy Spirit. By grace we are saved, through faith, not by works, that no man may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Consider also Paul's joyful exhortation to the Philippians:
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure."
God has done everything! Our part as members of the Body of Christ is to let Him work through us, and that includes prayer.
We would do well to take Jesus Christ at his word:
"Come unto me, ye who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest [lit. "I will rest you] (Matt 11:28)
and
"Without me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Let us stop focusing on what we the believers must do. Let us rejoice in the Finished Work that Jesus has done, receive the blessing of His Holy Spirit, and release His power into a dying dark world, desperate to hear the Good News!