prayer-power
"This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father in heaven...' " —Matthew 6:9
Elijah's "words were as a flaming furnace" (Sir 48:1). "By God's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire" (Sir 48:3). He "brought a dead man back to life" (Sir 48:5) and "sent kings down to destruction" (Sir 48:6). Elijah was awesome (Sir 48:4).
Nevertheless, "Elijah was only a man like us" (Jas 5:17). In fact, the least born into the kingdom of Jesus is greater than Elijah (Mt 11:11, 14). We can do greater by far than Elijah or even Jesus (Jn 14:12). Our prayer is "powerful indeed" (Jas 5:16) because in prayer we talk to our Father, Who loves His children more than any father ever loved his children. Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Mt 6:8) and loves us more than we love ourselves. Our Father even sent our older Brother Jesus to die for love of us.
So if we, with all our sins, know how to give our children what is good, how much more will our "heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks Him" (Mt 7:11).
Prayer: Father, may I expect my prayer to change the world.
Promise: "If you forgive the faults of others, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours. If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you." —Mt 6:14-15
Praise: St. Romuald discerned that he should offer his life to the Lord and enter the monastery to do penance for his father, who murdered a relative in a duel.
Reference: (You may wish to order our booklet, Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible, as an aid to praying or our tape How to Pray the Bible on audio AV 82-3 or video V-82.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 2, 2014
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