A child once asked his grandfather, “How did you grow up without the internet, without cellular phones, without technology, without video games, and without tablets?” The grandfather answered the question with another question to the grandson: “How is this generation growing up without God, without prayer, without values, without morals, without family and friends?”

The Gospel often talks about prayer. The apostles saw prayer in the life of Jesus, and how it gave him strength. They saw also the strength of prayer.

Three of the many things about prayer:

1. God is a personal God. We are not praying to a higher being; we are not praying to an energy; we are not praying to an unknown God. We are praying to God who is a Father. Hence, a personal God. God, who knows what we are going through in life. God, who knows us. God, who cares like a real father.
2. A Clean Heart. When one goes to God it is required to have a clean heart. This clean heart can be achieved through forgiveness. We cannot pray with anger and a lack of forgiveness in our hearts. We have to forgive, just as God has forgiven us.
3. God is always present. As people, we are both soul and body. The Lord does care about our soul and body. “Give us each day our daily bread” means that God is ever present always providing for our needs.

Now more than ever, we need prayer. We pray for peace in the world, we pray for our country regardless of political affiliation, we pray for our Church, we pray for our family and the people around us. We pray for ourselves. We may not see the effects of prayer, but like any other form of energy, it is very real and powerful. Remember, with God nothing is impossible.