# Preparation for death/XXX. OF PRAYER

CONSIDERATION XXX
Of Prayer
"Ask, and it shall be given you; .... for every one that asketh receiveth." S. Luke xi. 9, 10.
First Point.
NOT only in this, but in many other places in the Old and New Testaments, God promises to hear those who pray to Him. " Then call thou, and I will answer." (Job xiii. 22.) " He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him." (Ps. xci. 15.) Call upon Me, and I will deliver thee from danger. " If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it." (S. John xiv. 14.) Whatsoever shall be asked through My merits I will grant. " Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (S. John xv. 7.) Seek what you will, it is enough that you seek, and it shall be granted to you. And so in many other passages. Therefore Theodoret says, that "Prayer, although it is one thing, can obtain all things." S. Bernard says, that when we pray He "will give us either what we desire, or what He knows to be more profitable for us." Therefore, the prophet encourages us to pray, assuring us that God is all compassion towards those who call upon Him for help. "For Thou, Lord, art good and gracious, and of great mercy unto all them that call upon Thee." (Ps. lxxxvi. 5.) And still more does S. James encourage us, by saying, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." (S. James i. 5.) This same ​Apostle says, that when the Lord is supplicated, He opens His hand and gives us more than we ask of Him. " Who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." Neither does He reprove us for the displeasure we have caused Him; for when we pray to Him, He seems to forget all the offences we have committed against Him.
S. John Climacus says, that prayer in a certain way forces God to grant us what we seek. " Prayer is a holy violence done to God." But it is a violence which is dear to Him, and desired by Him of us. " This violence is pleasing to God," as Tertullian wrote. Yes, because, as S. Augustine remarks, God " desires more to bestow His benefits than we desire to receive them." And the reason of this is, that God of His own nature is infinite goodness, as writes S. Leo; and therefore He desires most ardently to impart to us His blessings. Thence it is that S. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi says, that God is almost under an obligation to that soul which prays to Him, since in this manner the way is open to Him to gratify the desire which He has of bestowing His favours upon us. And David says that this kindness of the Lord, in listening directly to those who pray to Him, proved to him that He was his true God. " Whensoever I call upon Thee, then shall my enemies be put to flight: this I know; for God is on my side." (Ps. lvi. 9.) Some people unjustly complain, observes S. Bernard, that the Lord is failing them; much more justly might the Lord complain that many are failing Him, ceasing to come and seek His grace. " And it seems to have been exactly of this that the Redeemer one day complained to His disciples, " Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name; ask, and ye shall receive." (S. John xvi. 24.) Do not complain of Me. He seems to have said, if you have not been fully happy, complain of yourselves for not having asked Me for My favours; from henceforth ask Me for them and you shall be satisfied.
From this the monks of old concluded, in their conferences, that there was no exercise more profitable to the salvation of their souls than ever to be praying, and saying, " Lord, help me." The venerable Father Paul Segneri said of himself, that in his meditations he at first cultivated emotion; but afterwards, knowing the great efficacy of prayer, he tried as much as he ​could, to occupy himself in prayer. May we ever do the same. We have a God Who loves us so much, and Who is so anxious for our salvation, and Who is for this reason ever ready to hear those who pray to Him. The princes of the world, says S. Chrysostom, give audience to few; but God is pleased to grant audience to every one who desires it
Affections and Prayers.
Eternal God, I adore Thee, and thank Thee for the many benefits which Thou has granted to me; for having created and redeemed me through Jesus Christ; for having made me a Christian; for having waited for me when I remained in sin; and for having so often forgiven me. Ah, my God, I should never have offended Thee, if in the time of temptation I had prayed to Thee for help. I thank Thee for the light by which Thou makest me now to understand, that my salvation depends entirely upon my praying to Thee, and upon my asking for Thy help. Behold, I now ask of Thee, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to make me very sorry for my sins; to give me strength to persevere in Thy grace; to give me a peaceful death, and afterwards to make me a partaker of Paradise; but, above all, I entreat Thee for the highest gift of Thy love, and for a most complete submission to Thy most holy will. I know, indeed, that I am unworthy of these Thy mercies, but Thou hast promised them to those who seek them through the merits of Jesus Christ, and through the merits of Jesus Christ I entreat and I hope for these Thy mercies.
Second Point.
Let us consider, moreover, the necessity of prayer. S. Chrysostom says, that, as the body is dead without the soul, even so is the soul dead, without prayer. He says likewise, that as water is necessary to plants to prevent them from being dried up, even so is prayer necessary to prevent us from being lost. " We need prayer not less than the trees do water." God desires that we should all be saved. " Who will have all men to be saved." (i S. Tim. ii. 4.) He does not will that any should be ​lost. " The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 S. Peter iii. 9.) But He wishes us to ask Hun for the grace which is necessary for our salvation, seeing that, on the one hand, we are not able to keep the Divine commands, and to save ourselves, without the actual help of the Lord; and, on the other hand, He will not, ordinarily speaking, give us His grace unless we ask for it. Therefore the Fathers of old said,that God does not impose impossible precepts upon us, seeing that He either gives us relative and efficient grace to observe them, or else He gives us the grace to ask Him for that efficient grace. S. Augustine teaches, that, excepting the primary graces, such as the call to faith or to repentance, the other graces, and especially the grace of final perseverance, God does not grant, except to those who pray for them. " It holds good that some things God grants without prayer, as the beginning of faith; whilst others have been prepared only for those who pray, such as final perseverance."
From this, theologians conclude, with S. Basil, S. Augustine, S. Chrysostom, S. Clement of Alexandria, and others, that prayer is absolutely necessary as a means for adults; therefore, without prayer it is impossible for any one to be saved. And this, says the most learned Lessius, ought to be held as an article of faith, " That prayer is necessary for the salvation of adults,, as is gathered from the Scriptures."
Holy Scripture is plain upon this subject: " Men ought always to pray." (S. Luke xviii. i.) " Pray that ye enter not into temptation." (S. Luke xxii. 40.) "Ask, and ye shall receive." (S. John xvi. 24.) " Pray without ceasing." (i Thess. v. 17.) Now these words, "men ought," "to pray," "ask," according to the general opinion of divines, with that of S. Thomas also, imply a precept which is binding under pain of grievous sin, particularly in three cases: I. When a man is living in a state of sin; 2. When he is in danger of death; and 3. When he is in great danger of sinning. And divines then generally teach, that he who has not prayed for one month, or two months at the most, cannot be excused from having committed ​mortal sin. The reason is, because prayer is a means without which we are not able to obtain that assistance which is necessary for our salvation.
" Ask, and ye shall receive." He who seeks obtains, therefore, as S. Teresa says, he who does not seek, does not obtain. And before her, S. James had said, " Ye have not, because ye ask not." (S. James iv. 3.) And especially is prayer necessary to obtain the virtue of continence. " Nevertheless when I perceived that I could not otherwise obtain her except God gave her me I prayed unto the Lord and besought Him."
(Wisd. viii. 21.) Let us conclude this point. He who prays will certainly be saved, and he who does not pray will certainly be condemned. All those who are saved, were saved by prayer, and all those who are lost were lost through not having prayed; and the knowing that they might so easily have saved themselves by prayer, and that now there is no more time in which to pray, is, and always will be, the great cause of their despair in hell.
Affections and Prayers.
Ah, my Redeemer, and how have I been able to live so forgetful of Thee during the time that is passed? Thou wast prepared to grant me all the favours which I ought to have asked of Thee, expecting only that I should ask for them; but I have thought of gratifying my senses alone, esteeming it of no moment to live without Thy love and Thy favour. O Lord, forget my great ingratitude, and take pity on me; forgive the many times I have sinned against Thee, and give me strength to persevere in well-doing; grant me the grace ever to ask Thee for Thy help, so that I may never more offend Thee, O God of my soul. Do not allow me to be negligent in this respect, as I have been during the time that is passed. Give me light and strength ever to commend myself to Thee, and especially when my enemies again tempt me to offend Thee. Grant me this grace, O my God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, and through the love which Thou bearest for Him. O my Lord, I have offended Thee so often, I would wish to love Thee during the remainder of my life. Give me Thy holy love, and may it ever remind me ​to seek Thy aid, whenever I may find myself in danger of losing Thee through sin.
Third Point.
Let us consider, lastly, the conditions of prayer. Many pray and do not obtain, because they do not pray aright. " Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." (S. James iv. 3.) For our prayers to be heard, in the first place, it is necessary, to pray with humility. " God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (S. James iv. 6.) God does not grant the prayers of the proud, but, on the contrary, He ever listens favourably to the prayers of the humble. " The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds: and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted: he will not depart till the Most High shall behold." (Ecclus. xxxv. 17.) And this although they may have been sinners during the years that are passed. " A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." (Ps. li. 17.) In the second place, it is necessary to pray with confidence. " Did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded." (Ecclus. ii. 10.) For this cause Jesus Christ taught us, that when asking God for His grace we should call Him by no other name than that of Father. " Our Father." Therefore we should pray to Him with that confidence with which a child seeks his father. He therefore who asks with confidence, obtains all that he asks. " What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (S. Mark xi. 24.) And who can fear, says S. Augustine, that what is promised to him by that Truth itself, which Truth is God, can ever come to fail him? "Who can fear to be deceived when Truth promises." Holy Scripture tells us that God is not like unto men, who promise, and then fail in their promise, either because they lie when they make the promise, or else because they afterwards change their minds. " God is not a man, that He should lie. Hath He said, and shall He not do it?" (Num. xxiii. 19.) And wherefore, adds the same S. Augustine, should the Lord so exhort us to ask for His grace, if He does not intend to grant it to us? "He would not exhort us to ask except He willed to ​give." With the promise He obliges Himself to grant the favours which we ask of Him. " By promising He made Himself a debtor."
But some one will say: I am a sinner, and on that account do not deserve to be heard. But S. Thomas makes answer that for prayer to obtain the favours which it seeks, it does not depend upon our merits, but upon the Divine compassion, " For every one that asketh receiveth." (S. Luke xi. 10.) The author of the Imperfect Work comments on this, " Every one, be he righteous, or a sinner." But in this our Redeemer Himself releases us from every fear, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you." (S. John xvi. 23.) As if He had said, " Sinners, if you have no merits of your own, I have in my Father's sight; ask them in My Name, and I promise you shall have what you ask." This promise must not, however, be understood to be made concerning temporal favours, such as health, riches, fortune, and the like; because the Lord very often denies these favours to us, seeing, as He does, that they would do hurt to our eternal salvation. S. Augustine says, that "what is profitable for the sick, the physician knows, rather than the patient;" and he also adds, that God " denies to some men in mercy that which He grants to others in wrath." Therefore temporal blessings ought ever to be sought by us on the condition that they may assist our souls. But, on the contrary, spiritual graces, such as forgiveness, perseverance, Divine love, and the like, should be sought for unconditionally by us, with a firm confidence that we shall obtain them, for Jesus Christ says, " If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." (S. Luke xi. 13.)
Perseverance in prayer is necessary before all things. Cornelius a Lapide says, that " the Lord wishes us to be persevering in prayer, even to importunity." And the following passages from Holy Scripture signify the same truth, " Men ought always to pray." (S. Luke xviii. i.) " Watch ye therefore, and pray always." (S. Luke xxi. 36.) " Pray without ceasing." (i Thess. v. 17.) These oft-repeated words also signify the same, "Ask, ​and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (S. Luke xi. 9.) It would have sufficed to say, "Ask;" but no, the Lord wished to make us understand that we ought to become as mendicants who cease not to ask, to urge, and to knock at the door until they receive some charity. And final perseverance is especially a grace which cannot be obtained without continual prayer. This perseverance, says S. Augustine, cannot be merited by us, but by prayer, which, in a certain way, does merit it. Let us then ever pray, and let us never cease to pray, if we wish to be saved. And who is that confessor or preacher who will ever cease to exhort us to prayer, if he desires that our souls should be saved?
Affections and Prayers.
My God, I hope that Thou hast already pardoned me, but my enemies will never cease to fight against me until my death; if Thou dost not help me, I shall be lost. But through the merits of Jesus Christ, I entreat Thee for holy perseverance. "Suffer me not to be separated from Thee." And I entreat the same grace for all those who are now living in Thy love; I am certain that trusting in Thy promise Thou wilt give me the strength to persevere if I continue to ask Thee for it. But I greatly fear lest in temptation I should fail to fly to Thee, and so fall again. I ask Thee, therefore, for grace, so that I may never cease to pray. Grant that in all occasions of falling again into sin I may ever commend myself to Thee, and may call to my aid the most holy Name of Jesus. My God, I purpose and hope to do this if Thou wilt help me with Thy grace. Hear me for the love of Jesus Christ.