Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual
and the community must enter every day.
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
and the community must enter every day.
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Before You Ask
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8)
Many people think their prayers won’t work if they don’t utter them clearly enough, or fail to explain to God exactly what they mean, or don’t speak loudly enough to him with sufficient earnestness. But when this happens, prayer becomes so exaggerated that our Savior even forbids it.
Obviously Jesus does not want to discourage us from praying. His point is that when we pray we must have a sense of proportion. Once we have prayed, we must be quiet. We need to be like the farmer who has sown his seed. Help will come only when you are quiet in faith. Also in your sickness or with other needs, learn to be still and look to the Kingdom of God.
We can share our needs with the Father in a few words, without making a fuss, and rest assured that God already knows what we need and what he will do to help us. We don’t have to explain our requests in great detail to God, or try and make quite sure that he knows our needs. God knows about even the smallest matters and takes them straight into his heart. We can turn to him by glancing Heavenward, with no words at all. We can do this even when we pray about something concrete and tangible, or about something that specifically troubles us. We may realize that what we thought we needed is actually not necessary and that we can find a way right in the midst of how things are now.
This doesn’t mean that we just let things happen – as if everything will come of its own accord without our longing for it. Nor should we just cast a brief and hurried request at God’s feet. When this happens, we too easily lose sight of God, assume that everything comes to us without his help, and we forget to thank him. Then we cease to have a believing heart and are consequently not true children of God.
Jesus said, “Before you ask him.” Therefore we do need to make our requests known to him, otherwise many things will not be given that could have been given. It never displeases God when we come to him with our heartfelt requests. A real child asks for everything, knowing God has an ear for him. We should bring all our burdens and needs to him, for at the very least this helps to make us ever more aware that in all things God is the giver.
God always has our interest in mind. He carries our various needs with fatherly concern, eagerly waiting for us to come to him. He has not forgotten us. And when we feel tempted to think so, then all the more we should remember that he knows it all and cares for us. In fact, he knows much more about us and our needs than we do. Simple, childlike prayer is enough to move his heart, give you something out of the fullness of his compassion, and save you from all sorts of fear and trouble.
(Johann Christoph Blumhardt)
(The God Who Heals, Words of Hope for a Time of Sickness)
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ASIA/PAKISTAN - Archbishop Shaw: "We will join Asia Bibi in prayers and fasting.”
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - "Our hope and our hearts are with her: on 27 April we will be united in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting with Asia Bibi, praying to God for her freedom and peace ": Fides was told this by the Archbishop of Lahore Sebastian Shaw, welcoming the appeal launched by Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi, sentenced to death on false charges of blasphemy and detained in the prison of Multan. The appeal was launched through her family.
Fides informed Joseph Nadeem, head of the Renaissance Education Foundation in Lahore and guardian of Asia’s family, that Asia calls on all Christians and all men and women of good will all over the world to live with her a special day of prayer and fasting Friday 27 April.
Asia told her family that she was deeply touched to hear that the Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court Saqib Nisar recently declared that he will assume personal responsibility for the case and as soon as possible will establish the date of the next hearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Bishop Khadim Bhutto, chairman of the Pakistan Bishops Council, told Fides: "I appreciate the decision taken by the Supreme Court Judge, it was a necessary step. The poor woman has suffered for so long". He added:" The Judge should also consider similar cases of innocent persons in prison calling for justice ".
The Pakistan Bishops Council comprises some 40 Bishops of various Protestant denominations including Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Adventists, Methodists and others, and works with the local Catholic Church to promote unity among all Pakistan’s Christians. Bishop Khadim Bhutto said that Judge Sadiq "is working hard to render justice to the people of Pakistan".
Last week in a meeting with Asia Bibi’s lawyer Saiful Malook, Pakistan’s Supreme Court Judge said as soon as possible he will call a hearing for Asia Bibi. He also gave orders to reconfirm previously revoked security measures and protection for Saiful Malook who is following four other cases of reported blasphemy.
Asia Bibi has been detained since 2009 on false charges of Blasphemy reported by Muslim women and an Imam, following an argument. In November 2010 she was given the death sentence by the lower court in Nanka district and four years later the verdict was confirmed by Lahore High Court . The case now rests before the Supreme Court. There have been many postponements also due to the delicacy of the case and threats and pressure from radical Islamic groups. Sabir Michael, Catholic activist and human rights activist commented to Fides: "Delayed justice is no justice. Rule of Law must prevail over fundamentalist groups ". (Agenzia Fides 25/4/2018)