poor prayer
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." —Proverbs 21:13
The Bible often speaks as if any prayer we say will almost automatically be answered. If we just ask, we receive (Mt 7:7). Whatever we ask in Jesus' name is given to us (Jn 14:14). "Is it possible that He Who did not spare His own Son but handed Him over for the sake of us all will not grant us all things besides?" (Rm 8:32)
Why is it that many of us don't experience this awesome power of prayer? We may even wonder if our prayers are doing any good. Part of the problem is our refusal to hear the cry of the poor (Prv 21:13). If we are so preoccupied with ourselves that we ignore the poor, the Lord would be harming us by answering our prayers the way we want them answered. He would be feeding into our selfishness. Therefore, the Lord answers our prayers by changing the subject and calling us to repentance.
If you want God to answer you directly, listen to the poor.
Prayer: Father, may I get my attention off myself so You don't have to change the subject.
Promise: "My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." —Lk 8:21
Praise: God gave St. Pio the gift of reading hearts, particularly when hearing Confessions.
Reference: (You may wish to order our tapes to help you pray: Daily Prayers on audio AV 62-3 or video V-62, Married Couples Praying Together, AV 116-1 or V-116, Family Prayer on audio AV 59-1 or video V-59, Praying the Our Father, audio AV 67-3 or video V-67, Liturgy of the Hours, on audio AV 89-3 or video V-89.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 25, 2008
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