Power of Prayer: Sharing Faith with Others

Over the past few weeks I have really noticed the power of prayer and how God will grant us opportunities in our daily lives to speak to people about our faith. It is evident that God wants us to share our faith through our actions so that others might see our good works and lives as a witness and example. St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." So we are called to be examples, a light to the nations. This can be challenging for us, especially as the world continues to subside to a culture that tells us to do the opposite. We must not fall captive to this culture, but instead rise up and place our trust and hope in God who can carry us through all things. Through prayer we receive a gift in being able to communicate with God.

Furthermore, prayer is the gateway to a relationship with the Lord. Having a relationship with Christ is something that takes work just like any relationship requires. Therefore, we have to set aside time daily to pray. Through this prayer we will come to realize that it will benefit us to listen to what God has to say. By conversing and listening, we will undoubtedly grow in our faith. Prayer is powerful because God answers our prayers. For scripture tells us, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) God knows what we need and what is best for us, so at times our prayers may not always be answered as quickly as we had hoped for our not in the same way we were thinking they would be answered. All in all, when we pray we communicate with God and build our relationship with him.

Over time, prayer will lead us to a stronger faith conviction and living out the Gospel message. I have recently been praying about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others and let me tell you how amazing this has been. For the past week or so I have asked God daily to have the opportunity to share my faith and the Gospel with those around me. During this time I have been blessed with talking to a freshman at Le Moyne while working at the athletic center, a woman on the janitorial staff at my college, a parent at an open house at the school I am student teaching at, my girlfriend, and a student that I ate lunch with who I did not know before. What has been most incredible about the conversations that we had is that all of these people mentioned something with regard to wanting something more, being a good person, or asking a question about how to be happier in life. I had no intention or idea that our conversation would go that way. However, I was really excited when it did and I realized that this was the opportunity to share Christ's message of Love with them. It is a beautiful thing when one can share his or her faith with others, especially with strangers because it breaks down walls or any barriers immediately. The conversations were so rich and life giving to the people I talked to as well as to me. For God blesses those who share his love with others and provides us with the words to speak.

In closing, prayer is powerful and can lead to great opportunities if we ask. God has great plans for us all and for some of us that is sharing his word with others when the opportunities arise. For all of us Christians, it is sharing the Gospel through our actions. So I urge you to keep up your good work and strong faith. Journey On! God bless you.