Prayer's efficacy
Γεια σου, Δ.Α.!
In today's world, in essence pragmatic and dominated by technology, we are are accustomed to the immediate answers to our requests (e.g. when we search something on Google, on our mobile phones, we get a reply in less than a second!). 15 years ago that was something inconceivable in terms of speed, and now we get annoyed when we have to wait (e.g. Why isn't my text being sent right now!). In a world like this, it is not uncommon for me to find the real sense of prayer. Or at least, to question if my prayers are really effective.
Really, most of our life has been automated to the point where we interact with many things by just pressing some button and we're served instantaneously (e.g. microwave oven, elevator, thermostat, etc.). I have to admit that, in the case of prayer, I also have been tempted to expect the same thing. In occasions, I've seen that even if I prayed, I don't get to see any change (sometimes I do). And in concrete, whenever I pray for your happiness I also will probably never know when that will happen.
However, that doesn't mean, under any circumstance, that my prayer is not effective.
Prayer cannot be understood under the same criteria of a technology that constantly offer us replies or instant results to our requests.
No.
The Lord, through the Our Father prayer, taught us the essence of all prayer. 1.) To recognize God's supremacy. 2.) To ask that His will be done. 3.) To ask for the things that we need (our daily bread). 4.) To ask to forgive and to be forgiven and 5.) To be delivered from evil.
I believe that, if my prayer is made under the context of having good will/intentions (righteous intentions), that prayer will never be unheard and provide fruits.
Now, does that mean that the fruits will be the ones I've hoped for? Nope. In many occasions, they won't be.
How many times, in my human logic, I've said "Lord, please help!" with all of my good will only to apparently not be heard by Him... But then I remember (and I must never forget) that the Lord has a perspective on reality that I do not have. The Lord can see the consequences of each one of the things that I ask for... In the decades, centuries, and millennia that will follow me. But the fact that I don't see the fruits of those prayers, or that I see that the fruits are the total opposite to what I have asked for, or that I see that nothing changes when I've ask for change...
That doesn't mean that that my prayer is not profoundly effective. Or that it may not have abundant fruits.
I believe that those fruits, I may not be able to measure them at the moment. Those fruits, I might not be able to perceive them. But those same fruits, in a mysterious way, are maybe going to people that I love, because the Lord knows what are the things that are deep within my heart; He knows what I am worried about, and where to better place the Grace that my prayer generates.
All Prayer, I believe, is an act that generates Grace. And Grace is NEVER wasted within the mystery of our Church. The Lord always makes it fruitful. I can vouch for that...
The only thing to consider, is that through prayer, we are embarking on a completely different mystery from the pragmatism and the "immediate-ism" of our current culture. Where most (if not all) is immediate cause-effect and where there is no variable that may impede us from obtaining what we want, except in the case where something is not working properly.
That is how Grace is. Many of the goods that I receive, are goods that have to do with delivering me from evil. I simply don't have the slightest idea of how many bad things I have been spared by our Lord, even if I have had a tragic and very difficult moments in my lives .
I have to admit that in many occasions I have been ungrateful to the Lord for all those things that I have never seen but from which I have been saved.
So, what I wanted to get at is this:
You can ask anything through prayer if your prayer is made with faith, made with a real sense of abandonment in the hands of the Lord, and made with good will. You can ask with freedom as long as you maintain that spirit of openness to let His will be done.
And this also applies when we pray to forgive (myself and others)
Remember when El Señor Jesus was at the Cross? He said "Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are doing." It's a prayer that St. Esteban also made. It's a prayer that I've done for myself for all the pain I've cause and I also use it for those who have wronged me.
Prayer is so central to my faith, to my life, to the point that it makes the difference between making Christianity an ideology, or a train of thought, or making it life. That which connects what I believe with my life is prayer.
Prayer is the reference of what I believe. Through prayer, I live what I believe.
I've noticed that, through prayer, we attract towards us an immeasurable amount of Grace, which while they might not be visible, they are absolutely real. I've been lucky enough to have few occasions (like today) where I can see immediately the fruits of my prayer. It's not often or common, but it is something to be happy about. Maybe the day we meet our Lord, we might be able to see how abundant were the fruits of our prayers.
So yeah. Back to why I was feeling happy today. Today, through prayer, I was able to open up my heart to live what believe and what I am always seeking to do: To love to love's extreme. I wanted to share this with you, so that maybe one day you can also experience this too.
I don't know who said this, but I liked it so I'm going finish with it: "Prayer is the lifting of our hearts and minds to God. For no matter what we're saying, we're asking, "Do you love me?" And no matter how He answers, He's saying, "Yes, I do.""
My prayers are always with you. Wherever you may be, with whomever you may be. Please know that I will always love you even if you don't love me anymore. The hurt, the anger, and the sadness I had when you walked away from my life, they are not there anymore. Honestly. Only love and willingness to pray for your happiness. My prayers for you, is my way to say, say that Yes, after all this time, I still and will always love you. Always.
In today's world, in essence pragmatic and dominated by technology, we are are accustomed to the immediate answers to our requests (e.g. when we search something on Google, on our mobile phones, we get a reply in less than a second!). 15 years ago that was something inconceivable in terms of speed, and now we get annoyed when we have to wait (e.g. Why isn't my text being sent right now!). In a world like this, it is not uncommon for me to find the real sense of prayer. Or at least, to question if my prayers are really effective.
Really, most of our life has been automated to the point where we interact with many things by just pressing some button and we're served instantaneously (e.g. microwave oven, elevator, thermostat, etc.). I have to admit that, in the case of prayer, I also have been tempted to expect the same thing. In occasions, I've seen that even if I prayed, I don't get to see any change (sometimes I do). And in concrete, whenever I pray for your happiness I also will probably never know when that will happen.
However, that doesn't mean, under any circumstance, that my prayer is not effective.
Prayer cannot be understood under the same criteria of a technology that constantly offer us replies or instant results to our requests.
No.
The Lord, through the Our Father prayer, taught us the essence of all prayer. 1.) To recognize God's supremacy. 2.) To ask that His will be done. 3.) To ask for the things that we need (our daily bread). 4.) To ask to forgive and to be forgiven and 5.) To be delivered from evil.
I believe that, if my prayer is made under the context of having good will/intentions (righteous intentions), that prayer will never be unheard and provide fruits.
Now, does that mean that the fruits will be the ones I've hoped for? Nope. In many occasions, they won't be.
How many times, in my human logic, I've said "Lord, please help!" with all of my good will only to apparently not be heard by Him... But then I remember (and I must never forget) that the Lord has a perspective on reality that I do not have. The Lord can see the consequences of each one of the things that I ask for... In the decades, centuries, and millennia that will follow me. But the fact that I don't see the fruits of those prayers, or that I see that the fruits are the total opposite to what I have asked for, or that I see that nothing changes when I've ask for change...
That doesn't mean that that my prayer is not profoundly effective. Or that it may not have abundant fruits.
I believe that those fruits, I may not be able to measure them at the moment. Those fruits, I might not be able to perceive them. But those same fruits, in a mysterious way, are maybe going to people that I love, because the Lord knows what are the things that are deep within my heart; He knows what I am worried about, and where to better place the Grace that my prayer generates.
All Prayer, I believe, is an act that generates Grace. And Grace is NEVER wasted within the mystery of our Church. The Lord always makes it fruitful. I can vouch for that...
The only thing to consider, is that through prayer, we are embarking on a completely different mystery from the pragmatism and the "immediate-ism" of our current culture. Where most (if not all) is immediate cause-effect and where there is no variable that may impede us from obtaining what we want, except in the case where something is not working properly.
That is how Grace is. Many of the goods that I receive, are goods that have to do with delivering me from evil. I simply don't have the slightest idea of how many bad things I have been spared by our Lord, even if I have had a tragic and very difficult moments in my lives .
I have to admit that in many occasions I have been ungrateful to the Lord for all those things that I have never seen but from which I have been saved.
So, what I wanted to get at is this:
You can ask anything through prayer if your prayer is made with faith, made with a real sense of abandonment in the hands of the Lord, and made with good will. You can ask with freedom as long as you maintain that spirit of openness to let His will be done.
And this also applies when we pray to forgive (myself and others)
Remember when El Señor Jesus was at the Cross? He said "Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are doing." It's a prayer that St. Esteban also made. It's a prayer that I've done for myself for all the pain I've cause and I also use it for those who have wronged me.
Prayer is so central to my faith, to my life, to the point that it makes the difference between making Christianity an ideology, or a train of thought, or making it life. That which connects what I believe with my life is prayer.
Prayer is the reference of what I believe. Through prayer, I live what I believe.
I've noticed that, through prayer, we attract towards us an immeasurable amount of Grace, which while they might not be visible, they are absolutely real. I've been lucky enough to have few occasions (like today) where I can see immediately the fruits of my prayer. It's not often or common, but it is something to be happy about. Maybe the day we meet our Lord, we might be able to see how abundant were the fruits of our prayers.
So yeah. Back to why I was feeling happy today. Today, through prayer, I was able to open up my heart to live what believe and what I am always seeking to do: To love to love's extreme. I wanted to share this with you, so that maybe one day you can also experience this too.
I don't know who said this, but I liked it so I'm going finish with it: "Prayer is the lifting of our hearts and minds to God. For no matter what we're saying, we're asking, "Do you love me?" And no matter how He answers, He's saying, "Yes, I do.""
My prayers are always with you. Wherever you may be, with whomever you may be. Please know that I will always love you even if you don't love me anymore. The hurt, the anger, and the sadness I had when you walked away from my life, they are not there anymore. Honestly. Only love and willingness to pray for your happiness. My prayers for you, is my way to say, say that Yes, after all this time, I still and will always love you. Always.
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| "After all this time?" "Always." |
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