Chapter 2: The Power of Prayer, Section 1

Excellence of Prayer and its Power with God

Our prayers are so dear to God, that He has appointed the Angels to present them to Him as soon as they come forth from our mouths. "The Angels," says St. Hilary, "preside over the prayers of the faithful, and offer them daily to God." [In Matt. Can, 18] This is that smoke of the incense, which are the prayers of Saints, which St. John saw ascending to God from the hands of the Angels; [Apoc. 8: 3] and which he saw in another place represented by golden phials full of sweet odors, very acceptable to God. But in order to understand better the value of prayers in God's sight, it is sufficient to read both in the Old and New Testaments the innumerable promises which God makes to the man that prays. "Cry to Me, and I will here thee." [Ps. 49: 15] Call upon Me, and I will deliver thee. [Jer. 33: 3] Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. He shall give good things to them that ask Him. [Matt. 7: 7] Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth. [Luke 11: 10] Whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father. [John 15: 7] All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and they shall come unto you. [Matt. 18: 19] If you ask Me anything in My name, that will I do. [Mark 11: 24] You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. Amen, amen, I say unto you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you." [John 14: 14-16, 23] There are a thousand similar texts; but it would take too long to quote them.

  God wills us to be saved; but for our greater good, He wills us to be saved as conquerors. While, therefore, we remain here, we have to live in a continual warfare; and if we should be saved, we have to fight and conquer. "No one can be crowned without victory," says St. Chrysostom. We are very feeble, and our enemies are many and mighty; how shall we be able to stand against them, or to defeat them? Let us take courage, and say with the Apostle, "I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me." [Phil. 4: 13] By prayer we can do all things; for by this means God will give us that strength which we want. Theodoret says, that prayer is omnipotent; it is but one, yet it can do all things: "Though prayer is one, it can do all things." And St. Bonaventure asserts that by prayer we obtain every good, and escape every evil: "By it is obtained the gain of every good, and liberation from every evil," St. Laurence Justinian says, that by means of prayer we build for ourselves a strong tower, where we shall be secure from all the snares and assaults of our enemies: "By the exercise of prayer man is able to erect a citadel for himself." "The powers of Hell are mighty," says St. Bernard, "but prayer is stronger than all the devils."