Prayer at Difficult Moments of Life

Fr. Callistus Isara, MSP

Introduction

The Church is always at prayer. Prayer is the live-wire of the Church’s life. The highest form of prayer of the Church is the Holy Mass. The Church officially prays during the Holy Mass, when praying the Divine Office, administering the Sacraments, etc. However, the Church is always at prayer through its members. Prayer is the best way that Christians worship God. But prayer is also a pillar of strength, hope, and support for the Church and its members at moments of trial. This paper will use some scripture passages from the Acts of the Apostles to underscore the importance of prayer during the persecution of the early Church. It will then emphasize the need for Christians to pray constantly during moments of trial like the early Church. The paper concludes by urging all Christians to always resort to prayer at difficult moments of life.

The early Church at prayer during persecution

The apostles turned to prayer under persecution. The arrest of Peter and John (Acts 4:1-22) after they had healed a cripple at the beautiful gate of the Temple ushered in an era of persecution of the apostles and the early Christians which eventually lasted for centuries. Peter and John were released by the Sanhedrin after a stern warning never to preach the name of Jesus. Peter and John boldly disobeyed and ignored the warning by insisting, “You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Peter and John had a personal experience of Jesus. They were ready to stake their lives for the sake of Jesus whom they have experienced. The Christian should always strive to have a solid personal experience of Jesus Christ. This experience will help the Christian to go through the difficult moments of life. The faith of a Christian who has experienced Christ profoundly will be unshakeable during adversity.

The early Church spontaneously exploded in prayer once Peter and John joined them after their release. They gave thanks to God and invoked the scriptures; they recalled the salvation that God has brought in Christ Jesus. They knew how Jesus suffered but who at the end was victorious by his resurrection and triumph over his persecutors. They prayed to God for the strength and courage to preach the good news fearlessly. Their prayer was very practical as it reflected what they were experiencing. It is worth citing the entire prayer of the community:

• “….in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate plotted together with the gentile nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, to bring about the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined should happen. And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all fearlessness, by stretching out your hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked. From this time they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God fearlessly” (Acts 4:27-31).

The result of the prayer of the community was the gift of the Holy Spirit. They were consoled and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. They found the courage and strength they needed to witness to Jesus. They knew that their witness to Jesus could mean death but they were unperturbed. Such was the fruit of their prayer. Their prayer was answered not because they would not suffer but they were filled and comforted by the Holy Spirit to forge ahead and preach vociferously the good news of Jesus Christ despite the apparent consequences of preaching the name of Jesus. The apostles ignored the warning of the Sanhedrin and continued to preach the name of the Lord Jesus. This prompted the Sanhedrin to arrest all the apostles and once again warned them never to preach the name of Jesus. The apostles were flogged and then released. Instead of being depressed, frustrated, and despondent, the apostles were strengthened, emboldened, and rejoiced “to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name” (Acts 5:41).

Our Church today should constantly be in prayer. In these days of Boko Haram and other social, economic, and political ills in our country, the Nigerian Church should emulate the early Church and pray for our nation. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) organized a pilgrimage for all Catholics on June 1 and 2, 2012, at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, to pray for Nigeria. Catholics converged from all parts of the country to pray for God for peace in Nigeria and to protect the Church and all Christians from the scourge of Boko Haram.

The arrest of Peter and his miraculous escape (Acts 12:1-19)

After a moment of temporary relief which enabled the apostles and the early Christians to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, Herod resumed a new wave of persecution of the leaders of the Church. King Herod (Agrippa) began the persecution of the Church by having James the brother of John (sons of Zebedee) beheaded. King Herod proceeded to arrest Peter when he discovered that the martyrdom of James pleased the Jews. There was no sound fundamental reason for this new wave of persecution other than Herod’s quest for popularity among the orthodox Jews. This Herod was distinctly popular among the Jews because he meticulously kept the Law and all Jewish observances which endeared him to the orthodox Jews. King Herod decided to institute a new wave of persecution of the Church in order to further increase his popularity.

The arrest of Peter and the Church’s prayer for his release

Still basking in the euphoria of killing James, King Herod arrested Peter and had him thrown into prison with four soldiers dispatched to guard him. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that, “All the time Peter was under guard the church prayed to God for him unremittingly” (Acts 12:5). The Church prayed constantly for Peter while he was in prison. King Herod killed James instantly and the Church was worried that he could easily kill Peter too since he was blood thirsty and seeking cheap popularity from the orthodox Jews. Peter was arrested during the Passover week when no trial or execution could be carried out. That was the only reason why King Herod deferred the execution of Peter until the week of the Passover was over. God who writes straight on crooked lines prevented Peter from being executed by King Herod at that time.

King Herod ensured that Peter was firmly guarded to prevent his escape. Peter was chained on both hands to two guards while the other guards kept watch over him. Despite being firmly guarded, the angel of the Lord came and freed Peter from prison. In his catechesis on this passage, Pope Benedict XVI notes that “the power of the Church’s incessant prayer rose to God; the Lord listened and sent His angel to ensure the Apostle was freed by an inconceivable and unexpected act of liberation” (Vatican City, 9 May 2012, VIS). Although in chains, Peter was sleeping when the angel came to rescue him. Peter seemed to have had an inner peace despite the chains and the sword of death hanging over his head. Pope Benedict further points out: “Peter trusted in God, he knew he was surrounded by the solidarity and support of his followers and so abandoned himself entirely into the hands of the Lord. This is how our prayer must be: assiduous, united with others, an expression of complete trust in God Who knows us in our most intimate selves and looks after us” (Vatican City, 9 May 2012, VIS). Let us take to heart this inspiring exhortation of the Holy Father.

Once freed by an angel, Peter went straight to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12). The Church that gathered in the home of Mary was praying for Peter. They turned God in the midst of their affliction. Expectedly they were very happy and excited when they saw Peter. Peter narrated to them how the angel freed him and asked them to tell James and the brothers (Acts 12:17).

The imprisonment of Paul and Silas and their miraculous deliverance (Acts 16:16-40)

Paul suffered immensely in the course of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sufferings of Paul are there for everyone to see (2 Cor 11:21-29). Yet, despite his numerous suffering, Paul resolutely preached the good news of Jesus Christ. This passage narrates Paul and Silas imprisonment and their eventual rescue by the Lord. What is instructive is that while in prison, Paul and Silas prayed in the middle of the night and that captured the interest of other prisoners and their jailer. Though in chains, Paul and Silas prayed and sang the praises of the Lord: “In the middle of the night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened” (Acts 16:25).

It is also instructive that Paul and Silas could sing hymns and pray when they were in chains. It shows very clearly that no one can chain the Christian faith. One can never take away God and the presence of Jesus Christ from the Christian. With solid faith in God there is freedom even in prison. It was midnight but it was clearly daylight for Paul and Silas as they prayed and sang hymns to God. As St. Paul exhorts: “With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God” (Col 3:16). Paul and Silas used the occasion of their imprisonment to preach to their jailer; they preached to the man who had chained them. The jailer wanted to kill himself when he realized that the prison doors were wide open and thought that the prisoners had escaped. Under Roman law a guard under whose watch a prisoner escaped was meted the punishment the prisoner would have received including the death penalty.

Finally, Paul and Silas converted the jailer to the Christian faith. Under suffering and persecution, Paul and Silas were more preoccupied with preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. After his conversion, the jailer was hospitable to Paul and Silas as he “took them into his house and gave them a meal, and the whole household celebrated their conversion to belief in God” (Acts 16:34). For our part, whenever we suffer for the sake of the gospel, or suffer some form of adversity or undergo moments of trial, we should imitate Paul and Silas by praying fervently and always trusting in God. We should eschew the Pentecostal churches’ attitude of no suffering or sickness or adversity if one is a child of God. Those who serve God faithfully and fervently undergo trying moments in life. Hopefully, our faith should be our source of solace and comfort during moments of adversity.

In my ministry here at Gaudium Et Spes Institute, I have resorted to intense prayer for people in seemingly helpless situations. I have always encouraged such people to just keep praying and hand over their situation to God. Prayer is like money deposited in the bank which will be useful and needed some day down the road. Similarly, our prayers will bear fruit in our lives sometime down the road when we least expect it. Prayer gives meaning to any situation in life; through prayer Christians are intimately united with Christ and with one another.

Prayer in the Christian life

Prayer should be the way of life for all Christians. Prayer should be in our hearts and on our lips every time of the day. Prayer should be for the Christian what the air we breathe is to human life. Our Lord in the parable of the unscrupulous judge and the widow (Luke 18:1-8) urges us to “pray continually and never lose heart” (Luke 18:1). This parable does not mean that we should pester God in prayer until God answers; instead, it means that if this unjust judge could eventually grant this widow justice and her right, then our God who loves and cares so much for us will grant us even more than we ask. The parable is also about perseverance in prayer; it urges us to just keep praying and leave everything in God’s hands.

Brothers and sisters, it is always edifying and heartwarming to know that one is being prayed for; it feels consoling and comforting to know that one is not alone in difficult moments. The early Church resorted to prayer in their affliction. They prayed for God to strengthen them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. All in the Church, from the Pope to the least parishioner, needs the constant prayers of the Church. Our parishes should be supportive of one another in prayer. Pope Benedict XVI echoes this point during his general audience at St. Peter’s Square: “From the first moment of my election as Successor of St. Peter I have always felt supported by the prayers of the Church, by your prayers, especially at moments of greatest difficulty, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Constant choral prayer is also an important way to overcome any trials that may arise on life’s journey, because it is by being profoundly united to God that we can also be profoundly united to others” (Vatican City, 9 May 2012, VIS).

Prayer at difficult times

As we saw throughout this series, the early Church resorted to prayer in dealing with the difficulties, sufferings, and persecutions. Similarly, we should pray constantly in difficult times. We should learn to pour out our hearts and souls to God in prayer when in trouble. We easily become discouraged. Oftentimes, we wonder if God hears us at all. But we must never lose heart.

As Pope Benedict XVI has perceptively noted:

• “Many times we ask God to deliver us from physical and spiritual evil … however, we often have the impression that He doesn’t hear us and we run the risk of becoming discouraged and of not persevering. In reality, there is no human cry that God does not hear. … God the Father’s answer to His Son was not the immediate freedom from suffering, from the cross, or from death: through the cross and His death, God answered with the Resurrection” (VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2012, VIS).

• “In our own life of prayer we too may experience moments of particular intensity in which we feel the Lord’s presence more keenly. But it is important to remain constant and faithful in our relationship with God, especially in moments of aridity, difficulty and suffering. Only if we are seized by the love of Christ will we be able to face adversity, as Paul did, in the conviction that we can do all things through Him Who gives us strength” (VATICAN CITY, 13 June, 2012, VIS).

In his catechesis on prayer this past Wednesday (September 12, 2012), during his general audience, Pope Benedict XVI notes that there is no such thing as “useless or superfluous prayer.” The Holy Father continued: “No prayer is lost. … God is not oblivious to our prayers. … When faced with evil we often have the sensation that we can do nothing, but our prayers are in fact the first and most effective response we can give, they strengthen our daily commitment to goodness. The power of God makes weakness strong” (VATICAN CITY, 12 September, 2012, VIS).

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, as Christians, we are not immune from difficulties, confusion, sickness, pain and suffering. However, through our faith and prayer, we are able to face them with the strength from God. Let us continually turn to prayer like the early Church at our moments of trials and difficulties. Whatever our difficulties may be, whether being sick or feeling helpless at the sickness of a loved one, the death of a loved one, broken marriage and all kinds of family problems, problem children, divorce, terminal illness, failure in life, car accident, being a victim of armed robbery and kidnapping, being a victim of violence, oppression, and injustice, unemployment, financial difficulties, disappointments, anxiety, despair, etc., let us be fervent in our prayers as individuals and as a Church community. We should never give up on prayer even when we are too weak to pray because the Holy Spirit prays in us and for us “in groans that cannot be put into words; and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God’s holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

Let us continually entrust ourselves in fervent prayer to God at difficult moments and God willing, we shall overcome and can eventually do all things by the power of Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).

Thank you for listening and God bless you.