THE POWER OF FAITHFUL PRAYER

Prayer is communication between humankind and the Divine. Praying requires two forces, you and God. From the beginning, the human heart has always needed to search for and find God; and to do this, has used language and dialogue. The degree to which you have this relationship helps in living our lives with both Faith and Hope.

Many ask, “which prayer should I use to obtain this or that” in an attempt to find answers to their current need(s); because they believe that the way to get what they want is by repeating a recitation. Praying is much more than that. Praying is a world of shapes and dimensions of wonderful encounters in an intimate relationship with God, who provides answers in accordance with His Will.

The Gospel tells a beautiful story about the value of intercessory prayer, “when He went into Capernaum, a centurion came up and pleaded with Him. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in great pain.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will come myself and cure him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word, and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man, “Go,” and he goes; to another, “Come here,” and he comes; to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘In truth, I tell you, no one in Israel have I found Faith as great as this”. (Matthew 8:5-10). It is obvious that Jesus was totally surprised by this man’s Faith. Who was neither religious nor pertained to the people of Israel but fully understood the value and power of prayer, having put all his Faith in Jesus’ authority. Here is the wonderful key to seeing and enjoying the Glory of God show up in your life and obtaining what you desire. Who would have thought that this act of Faith in prayer expressed by the Roman centurion would end up being repeated by us at every Eucharistic celebration: “But only say the word and my soul shall be Healed.”

How can we achieve this kind of Faith? What are the components of this man’s Faith? Let us discuss some basic and practical points that we can apply to our lives today:

1. The first thing the centurion did was to encounter Jesus by seeking Him out and meeting with Him. We must understand that the need for healing the sick was the reason but the man recognized that Jesus alone could heal him. Therefore, making a special time every day to seek Jesus and meet with Him is important.
2. The Roman centurion put all his Faith in Jesus. He believed. He was convinced that Jesus had the authority to grant his request and meet his needs. The Bible teaches this,” only Faith can guarantee the Blessings that we Hope for, or prove the existence of realities that are unseen. ” (Hebrews 11:1).
3. Sometimes, God puts our Faith and resolve to the test. When we ask for something, God wants to see how far we are willing to Believe in Him and act upon true Faith or if we only resort to Him in search of a Miracle for our own gain. This is when we must keep our Faith and pray for the strength to remain Faithful to God in His Will for our lives.
4. Perseverance in prayer is essential. Many answers to prayer come soon; some may take long enough until the Will of the Lord is done. Let us remember the biblical story of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. (Read Mark 14:35-36)

Remember what the Bible says, “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). This should be the motto of every follower of Jesus Christ. Let us never stop praying, however dark and desperate the situation may seem. Let us pray with the same Faith at home, in our community, and parish. We can pray together, intercede for one another and witness the healing, deliverance, and abundant blessings received based on our solemn request(s).

At ESNE, we recognize that we are simply witnesses to the answers to your prayers over the past 39 years. Because of your Faith in God and the authority given to Jesus; together, we believed fervently in the promises of the Lord and have surrendered everything through prayer to the Will of the Father. God has responded affirmatively to our requests. Thanks to the power of prayer, together we are spreading Jesus’ Salvation message and touching thousands of hearts daily.

And you are part of The Sower family! Thanks to your participation, prayers, and faithful monthly contributions, we can take forward this beautiful mission entrusted to us by Jesus. For all that, thank you very much! May God boost your kindness and generosity and Bless you, your family, your work, and your life.

I also thank those who attended the last Metanoia Los Angeles for your generous response. And I extend an invitation to all who can participate in Metanoia Chicago on the 26th and 27th of this month. I also congratulate all those who are already part of I Am 73 through the Consecration to Jesus and those who registered during the last Metanoia event and are now part of the group currently in the process of Consecration. My best wishes to you. I encourage you to persevere to the end of this life-changing experience. If you want more guidance or information about the I Am 73 Project, please dial (818) 912-5842 or e-mail info@soy73.com.

I pray for you and your family. May God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, His Son, meet all your needs, multiply your generosity and encourage your hopes and projects. May the Virgin Mary protect you, intercede, and motherly care for you. Shalom!