Prayer Changes Us

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irst Point: Prayer as an Act of Faith

Let me begin with a question: Have you ever prayed repeatedly but felt as if God wasn’t listening? There are moments when heaven seems silent—no response, no change, only quiet tears. Then doubt creeps in: “Is He still listening? Does prayer still matter?”

Yet true faith begins here. Persevering prayer doesn’t change God’s will; it changes the heart of the one who prays. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, who prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Mt 26:39).

The Father did not spare Him from suffering, but His heart was transformed—from resistance to surrender.

When God seems silent, He is not absent but forming us. Prayer softens and aligns our hearts with His. The person who prays learns to trust not because prayers are answered, but because God’s goodness remains sure. Prayer, then, is not only asking—it is joining God’s desire that goodness and justice reign on earth.

Second Point: Prayer and Justice for the Poor

The parable exposes systems that block justice. The judge feared neither God nor man, while the widow had no power except persistence. Her voice mirrors that of the poor who struggle to be heard in a corrupt society.

In our own nation, corruption often silences the weak. Those in power serve themselves while the poor suffer in hunger and injustice. Jesus calls us, like the widow, to persevere in prayer and action—to defend truth and rebuild justice.

Prayer is never apart from compassion. To pray is to enter the heart of Christ who suffers with the oppressed. Thus, when Jesus says, “pray always,” He means to live prayerfully—to let prayer bear fruit in works of love and justice. Pope Francis reminds us: “One who loves cannot remain idle.”

Prayer that is true becomes a prayer that walks—with and for others.

Third Point: Prayer as Courage and Communion

In Exodus 17:8–13, as Moses raised his hands during battle, Israel prevailed; when he lowered them, they faltered. Aaron and Hur held up his hands until sunset—a striking image of prayer as strength in unity.

Prayer is not a solitary act but a shared perseverance. Like Moses, we face many modern “Amalekites”—injustice, poverty, despair. Prayer gives courage not to escape the fight but to strengthen others within it.

Every sincere Our Father, every silent tear, every prayer for others becomes a pillar of hope and peace.

Prayer transforms the heart into surrender,

leads us to share in others’ suffering,

and strengthens us to lift one another in hope.

It is faith in motion—love that listens, acts, and endures. Amen. Fr JM Manzano SJ