Fr. Longenecker on Understanding the Power of Prayer

"We're supposed to pray. In fact the New Testament says we're supposed to 'pray without ceasing.' (I Thess. 5:16-18) How do you do that and what do you mean by 'prayer' to start with? If you thought it was asking God for stuff you're not completely wrong. We're supposed to ask God for our needs, and I think it's just fine to ask God for the particular things like, 'Dear God, please heal my son.' or 'Please God we need money to pay the bills.'

"However, these sorts of prayers are really a means to an end rather than an end in themselves. When we pray for specific things we are putting it all into God's hands. We may say, 'Give us this day our daily bread' but we also say, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' When we do both together we join our will with God's will and great power can be the result. The power I'm talking about is the power to change the world, and even more miraculous - the power to change ourselves.

"Of course, when I say 'power to change ourselves' I really mean God's power is released through prayer for the transformation of our lives. The first thing that is transformed in our lives in this way, is our viewpoint. By prayer we gradually shift from judging everything according to how it impacts us to judging everything according to God's will."

In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Greenville, SC) reflected on our prayer and its relationship to the Scripture verse "All things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to his purpose."

To access Fr. Longenecker’s complete post, please visit: 

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Understanding the Power of Prayer (12 JAN 16)

Background information:

Dwight Longenecker - Catholic priest and author