Are Prayer Useless?

During WWII, the Germans prayed for victory over the allied forces; the americans, on the other hand, prayed for the defeat of the germans.  we believe that God always answers our prayer.  whose pryers seems to be useless?  the Lord tells us to keep on asking to receive what we ask for; to keep on seeking to find what we are searching for; to keep on knocking, to have the door opened for us (Mt.7:7).  "whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Jn 14:13)

how then do we make sense of prayers offered by people with contrdictory needs?  whose prayers will God answer?  or take the case of our situation during the Martial Law years.  many prayed that the martial law government would stay because there seems to less conflicts and disorder.  others prayed for the end of the Marcos dictatorship.  whose prayer was heard by the Lord?

to understand the meaning that "prayer is always answered", we must first presume that the prayer's life is intent on fnding the will of God in all things, the presumption that he is close to the Lord and in the state of frienship (sanctifying grace) with Him.  for such a person's prayer is always answered for he would not dare ask what i contrary to God's will.  " and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing to his sight...if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you" (1 Jn.3:21,22; Jn 15:7).

hence, Augustine' famous qoute is fitting:  "love God and do what you like."  the love of God determines one's choices in life.  the german's prayer for victory over the enemy is not according to God's will (viewed by hndsight).  what is more in line with God's will are the end of the Nazi regime and the restoration of the country.  this is a victory but not the kind wanted by the Germans.

in the case of the Marcos goverment, prayers were answered not according to what people wanted.  the deepest desires of the filipinos were answered.  although not articulated in prayer, these deepest desires were for the restoration of freedom and peace theough respect of human dignity and humn rights were achieved through people power.  in these intances, God answered the prayer of the people according to what is best for the country concerned, not what the people needed at the moment.

needless to say, we need the Spirit to enable us to ask what we really need in line with the purpose for which God made us.  we know that, weaks as we are, our not-so-sure motives force us to ask what we like and not what is best for our good and that of others.

we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  and he who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit inercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will (Rom.8:26-34).

Bishop Honesto Pacana, SJ.