The Merit of Prayer

An excerpt from "Heaven is for Real":

"But at that moment, my faith was hanging by a tattered thread and fraying fast. I thought of the times where the Scripture says that God answered the prayers, not of the sick or dying, but of the friends of the sick or dying - the paralytic, for example. It was when Jesus saw the faith of the man's friends that he told the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." At that moment, I needed to borrow the strength and faith of some other believers. After I hung up the phone with Terri, Sonja and I sat together and prayed, afraid to hope and afraid not to."

There are days I don't want to be in Inman, Kansas anymore. There are days where I still enjoy what I do and can make do with the community and fellowship I experience on the weekends. Ultimately, it is the prayers of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ that provide me with the strength to "forge on" to fulfill my contract through the month of May. I may or may not be here again next year, but that is another topic, blog, and decision not yet made with several facets to consider.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who have prayed for my requested intentions via text, facebook, e-mail, phone, or person to person. Your prayers provide me with strength, perseverance, patience, courage, balance, wisdom, understanding, peace, and many more of the virtues, gifts and fruits I've asked for since January. 

This blog is about my own prayers. I've realized the need to ask for the grace made available to us at the beginning of each day. But I've also witnessed the power of praying for someone else over the course of year, and watching God work in their life. It is these latter mentioned prayers that give me encouragement to keep praying. From time to time, my weaknesses get the best of me. "Why am I still attempting to pray a daily rosary? I'm struggling in prayer right now. I'm not getting anything out of it. I can't even stay awake or give Mary my all by kneeling instead of driving, walking or laying down to say what I can before falling asleep. I'm so distracted..."  The excuses could go on. However, praise God for grace.

I hope you attach an intention to every prayer or sacrifice or self-mortification that you say, pray, endure or inflict. Some one, some where, will benefit from the merits of your love for them. Maybe not instantly, but as I've recently read, the merits of your prayers may build up as a flood wall against a dam of resistance that will one day break.

"It is a much better thing to speak to God than of God." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

At NCYC recently, I heard Jason Evert speak on "Talking with Teens about Taboo Topics." He stresses first and foremost (the first of ten tips) the importance of praying for students and youth. A few tidbits from his first point: "Fast for your kids," he says. "The merits of which will equal your degree of love." "Offer up your suffering." "Jesus suffered so we would know how to suffer. He redeemed us with suffering. Don't waste your suffering."

Jason followed this point up with a short story about a cardinal who was faltering in his faith. One night, he dreamed about a sister, who through the merits of her prayers and sufferings, saved his faith. Awhile later, the cardinal was visiting Rome, and found himself saying mass for a group of sisters. While distributing Communion, he recognized the sister from his dream, though he had never seen any of them before. He caught the Mother after mass, asking permission to come and meet the sisters. When he arrived, she, the sister from his dream, was not there. Curious, he asked if this was all the sisters. Mother said, no, there is one other but she is very shy. He asked if he could meet her anyway. Mother allotted. Sure enough, this was the sister. The Cardinal asked the sister if she offered up prayers for priests. She responded indicating her morning chores as offered for priests, as well as how she offers the merits of her afternoon. He then asked if there were any she offered specifically for Cardinals. "Oh yes, the laundry, at the end of the day when I am most tired, I offer up for Cardinals," she replied. He thanked her for her prayers, encouraged her to continue to pray, but never mentioned his dream to her. 

I don't tell the story near as well, and have forgotten some of the details. The point remains the same: there is merit in what you do. There is merit in what you suffer, if you suffer with love.

Levels of merit:
speak about God = little,
speaking to God = much,
suffering with Christ = most.