The Power of Prayer

*The intent of this blog is to briefly detail what prayer is and in a possible future blog to discuss how to pray.*

How many of us would agree that we have a strong and solid prayer life? If your answer is yes then congratulations! You are on your way to humble and holy saintliness! However, there are many of us that might sadly admit that our prayer life could be stronger or it may even be nearly non-existent. Many may struggle with the basic concept of prayer. What is prayer, exactly? The word prayer originates from the Latin word "precari" which means to plead, to beg, or ask earnestly. That may seem obvious since we ask God of many things amidst prayer. It's simply in our human nature to ask the Divine for intervention. We have been informed by our Lord and Savior to do as such, " Jesus answered, 'Have faith in God. In truth I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, "Be pulled up and thrown into the sea," with no doubt in his heart, but believing that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. I tell you therefore, everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already and it will be yours. " (Mark 11: 22-24)

Naturally our mind might gravitate to a more materialistic aspect and beg God for a million dollars. We did speak in a previous blog that God always wishes to give and only desires the very best for us. Jesus did say ask and you shall receive but God will not grant our prayers if those very things we ask for may be of great detriment to our eternal salvation. On the other hand, a prayer that is said with great doubt in the Lord or mistrust may deem our prayers null and void. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes prayer as a three fold means of attaining union with God. 

St. Therese of Lisieux described prayer very eloquently, " For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."  This details perfectly what the Catechism ( 2558- 2565) expounds upon relating to prayer : Prayer is first and foremost a gift from God, an act of commitment and love for God, and an act of attaining union with God.

Prayer as God's Gift (2559)

He who humbles himself shall be exalted. Humility is the foundation of building and executing a deep and meaningful prayer life. Jesus as the living example of humbleness lived a life dedicated for the reparation of God's sons and daughters (us) so much so that he paid the ultimate price by sacrificing himself for our salvation. Approaching God with the humblest of hearts shall be rewarded greatly by God as He dispenses grace to us so that we may remain strong in our faith. Prayer increases the amount of graces given by God when we are unable to attend Mass or Adoration (during the week), and that grace transforms our hearts and strengthens our spiritual life. 

Prayer as Covenant (2562)

We can utter words and pray from our minds but if we do not pray to God from our heart then our prayers are in vain. Scripture mentions praying from the heart more than a thousand times! If this doesn't stress the importance of praying and truly meaning it then we're not sure what does! Surrender is at the heart of Christianity. No human person is able to understand the human heart, not even their own like God can. Therefore, unifying yourself to God’s will through prayer and learning to trust the Lord will bring peace and contentment.

Prayer as Communion (2565)

Prayer is a way of attaining communion in God’s love with the unity of the Holy Trinity. The grace of the Kingdom is "the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit."( St. Gregory of Nazianzus) Therefore, prayer as a habit, is a way for us to remain in the presence of the Trinity and in communion with God. Communion is possible because through the Sacrament of Baptism we are united to Christ, as members of His Body, the holy Catholic Church. This union with Christ through Baptism bestows a great strength to our prayers. Our prayers united in communion with the Trinity through the union of God’s love and our Baptism extends through the Body that is the Church.

Hence, we must never underestimate the power of prayer. Just imagine the effect if we ALL prayed as Christ told us to, “as if our prayers have already been answered.” That doubtful premonition that lingers in the pit of our stomach could often be labeled as distrust. Imagine God, being all good, all merciful and loving, knowing this feeling remains in us, not trusting that He will do what is best for us. That should strike a cord of sorrow in you, because God can only do good. God wills everything for the advancement in our journey to eternal salvation. Never forget that the purpose of existing on this earth is to live as Christ, and to bring others to His all-encompassing Love and Mercy for their eternal salvation. We exist for the other, and our primary interest remains in the delight of us all sharing eternal bliss together. We must truly consider what great damage our inconsideration and sins against others do to Christ. In essence we are adding more wounds to His precious Holy Body.. both figuratively and literally. Through the mighty Grace and spiritual power that is received through the Sacraments and Adoration, to the weekly sustaining means that is prayer that unites us to Christ, let us learn what it really means to pray and reflect on what it truly means to live in Christ, as Christ lived…ALWAYS being considerate of others’ needs before our own.

Matthew 25: 40 “ Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you did to me.”