Prayer from the Parable of the Ten Virgins

Father, in Matthew 25:4 the wise ones took oil in their flasks along with their lamps. That was the whole difference. They did not have better lamps. They had reserves. The foolish virgins were not wicked. They were not ready. Their faith was enough for the big moment but not for the long wait. I see myself in them more than I want to. I have lived on borrowed oil for years. My parent's belief. A Sunday when I felt something. The high from last summer's retreat. When the long night came, I had nothing left of my own. Teach me to keep oil for the waiting. The reading I do early. The prayer I do quietly. The friends who refill me. Help me build these things into my life, not just enjoy them for a day. Then when the wait is longer than I thought, my lamp will still be burning when You open the door. Amen.