👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽The #Mystery & #Power of Prayer
Beloved brethren in Christ, let us reflect on the divine mystery of prayer, that sacred bridge between man and God, where the soul communes with its Creator, lifting up its supplications, praises, and adorations. Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian, the means by which we stand before God, seek His mercy, and offer Him the glory due to His name. It is not a mere utterance of words, but a profound engagement of the heart, the mind, and the soul.
The Meaning and Essence of Prayer
Prayer, in its purest sense, is an act of glorification. The Ge’ez root word zelaye signifies praise, exaltation, and supplication. Thus, to pray is to magnify the Lord, to lift our voices in thanksgiving, and to seek His grace with a heart full of reverence. As the Psalmist declares, "O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come." (Psalm 64:2)
Yet, prayer is also an expression of trust. We pray not because we see immediate results, but because we believe in the unseen. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, "Hope that is seen is not hope." (Romans 8:24-26) True prayer is an act of faith, rooted in the conviction that our Heavenly Father hears and answers according to His divine wisdom.
The Necessity of Prayer
The Lord Himself has commanded us to pray. When the disciples asked Him to teach them, He gave them the Lord’s Prayer, instructing them in the manner of supplication. "Give us this day our daily bread," (Matthew 6:11) He taught, showing us that our reliance must be on God for all things. Whether in times of peace or in times of distress, we are called to approach Him with boldness:
"Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me." (Psalm 49:15)
But let us not pray as those who doubt. Our petitions must be made with unwavering faith, free from hesitation, firm in trust. The Scriptures warn against the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways, for such a person will not receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8). Instead, we are exhorted to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
The Proper Manner of Prayer
Prayer is not confined to a specific time or place—it is the unceasing language of the faithful. Yet, the Church, in her wisdom, has taught us the proper manner in which prayer should be offered, that we may approach God with due reverence.
1. Standing in Readiness
When we stand in prayer, we must prepare both our inner and outer selves. Just as the priest stands before the altar with dignity, so must we present ourselves before the Lord with reverence. The Psalmist says, "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before You and watch." (Psalm 5:3)
The patriarchs understood the necessity of such preparation. When Abraham’s servant sought the Lord’s guidance, he stood in prayer before making his petition (Genesis 24:12-14). We, too, must stand in a spirit of reverence, for in prayer we stand before the King of kings.
2. Girding Ourselves and Facing East (Qenite Haqe)
It is fitting that we pray with our loins girded and our faces turned toward the east, for the Lord Himself has commanded, "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning." (Luke 12:35) This is a posture of readiness, an acknowledgment that we stand as servants prepared to receive the Master.
Throughout Scripture, we see the faithful lifting their eyes to the heavens, their faces turned toward the place of divine glory. Our Lord Himself, when blessing the loaves, lifted His eyes toward heaven (Matthew 14:19; Mark 7:34; John 11:41). Thus, when we pray, let us do so with the same devotion.
3. Making the Sign of the Cross
To cross ourselves is not a mere gesture but a declaration of faith. It is an act of protection, a sign of the Lord’s authority over us. The Scriptures testify that the righteous bear the mark of God upon them (Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 7:3), and so we make the sign of the cross to proclaim our deliverance from sin and death.
Continues 👇🏽