The Power of Prayer

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The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews said these words about faith:  "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith is a journey, often an adventure and, ultimately, a leap into trust, as we search our hearts, the Scriptures, and religious tradition to help us discover God's will for our lives, each and every day.

Prayer is how we commune with our Creator, seeking guidance, support, and strength from the One whom we, in the West, usually name God.  In Christian understanding, we acknowledge God is Spirit and great Mystery, in that our intellect cannot comprehend the infinity of who God is.  Jesus came to reveal the compassionate face of God to us, and the Holy Spirit continues to pour out God's wisdom, grace and love into our hearts.  Prayer can be as simple as sitting in silence.  When in great need, as we pour out our hearts in prayer, this movement of our spirit asks to be met with invisible support in coping with the difficulties of life.  Prayer is, above all, an invitation to simply be in the Presence of the Unseen God, loved as we are.   

St. Charles de Foucauld, pictured here, prayed this beautiful prayer:

"Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father."

This way of praying, simply pouring out one's heart in love, in trust and in need, is the essence of prayer.  We acknowledge God's loving Providence woven in and throughout every moment of our lives.