Suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many people to their knees, begging for divine protection for themselves, their families, and loved ones. Such prayer forges a link between our everyday life and God’s presence. But aren’t we also called to evangelizing prayer? Prayer that lifts someone into the arms of Jesus, who is our final destiny and our greatest need. Therese, often and literally, raises a photo of a loved one up to heaven as she prays. For her this is an act of faith, instead of worry.
Evangelizing prayer helps us slow down and focus on the needs of one person at a time. Our neighbor Joe was petrified about what would happen to his mother in a nursing home as the COVID-19 pandemic deepened. He was also anxious because he was not allowed to visit her. We asked Jesus to show us one specific thing that we might pray for. As we did so, we realized we could help him explore and implement options like writing a letter, sending small gifts, or learning how to make a video call.
Evangelizing prayer begins with asking God for the eyes to see a person from Jesus’ point of view. Here are the steps. Choose someone with an immediate need. Describe his or her situation to Jesus. Ask God what one thing this person might need first: physical or emotional healing, a new job, a successful surgery… Then allow this need to act as a doorway for even deeper prayer, that surrenders the person’s most spiritual needs.
When we intercede for a person’s needs, we join ourselves to Jesus, the great High Priest, who stands before the throne of God (Hebrews 4:14-16). We also open ourselves to the charisms and gifts that God wants to give us to help that person. Our prayer is transformed from just asking for what we think they need, to allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into a vision of God’s unending, concrete love for someone.
Pope Francis points out the way that God can move our hearts and minds as we pray. “May prayer and action always be deeply united. A prayer that does not lead you to practical action for your brother — the poor, the sick, those in need of help, a brother in difficulty — is a sterile and incomplete prayer.” (“Angelus,” St Peter’s Square, Sunday, July 21, 2013).