Prayer is so powerful indeed particularly when it comes from a good heart.

By: Danny S. Villanueva

I am reminded of our recent recollection topic that prayer without self-denial (self-sacrifice, mortification, etc.) and/ or charity does not work at all in our spiritual life; and vice versa. It was illustrated as a simple 3-legged coffee table where the 3 legs as prayer, self-denial and charity. If one is broken, the table (spiritual life) falls to the ground. I rather look at it as the heart of the person with 3 big arteries since this also illustrates the good condition of heart a person should have.

This brings to mind the way my best friend prayed 2 years ago that he asked God that he should get all my afflictions, when he learned that I was a candidate for a heart bypass. He plainly reasoned out that he's single, and unlike me -head of a family and who cannot afford to suffer this early for too many people are relying on me. When he told me this, I could see the real love in his prayer with self-denial and the charity in his heart. I retorted that he should not pray that way, that it was unfair, and the good Lord will not allow that kind of compromise to happen.

However, I am sure with that prayer, I got healed instantly while my friend remained in the constant care of the Lord. His prayer was a manifestation of a perfect love, agape, the Christ's love or self-sacrificial love. And I believe that our ever-loving God would not allow such a compromise that my friend gets sick and I get healed, for He preserves what is always good. He does not look into a lot of things we do to please Him, but He prefers to see the good condition of our hearts. That was my belief and response to God for my best friend's prayer.

I could recall that Nanay prayed that way for Tatay, too, and then Tatay got well. Sabrie and I prayed that way, too, when our children were sick …..out of our love and concern. Maybe Dodje prayed the same way when Nanay had to be operated on and she got healed instantly. Can we pray the same for our sick neighbor? Why not? #DSV