I greet you with joy. I thank you for being there.

Today I decided to talk about language. And more

specifically, about the language of the soul. And this
is because prayer is a language of the soul which
connects man with God, with the divine. Prayer is a
miracle of faith. It is the opportunity to communicate
with God, who is man's creator. The first text in the
Bible that speaks about a prayer we meet in the first
book of the Bible in chapter 4, "At that time people
began to call upon the name of the Lord." What is
prayer? But let's start with what prayer is not.
Prayer is not a tool that we use whenever we have
problems and then we abandon the rest of the time.
Prayer is not a religious practice. It is not an
emotional desire. It is not a tool with which we refuse
to do what we are able to do ourselves. Prayer is not
the method through which we inform God about what is
happening with us or about what we desire. Prayer is
not a method to display our spirituality. But what is
prayer? Most of the time we imagine prayer as a request
and a reply to the request. But this is an
opportunistic understanding. Prayer, in fact, is the
call of faith with God; it is the breath of the soul.
The definition of the Presbyterian catechism is the

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sacrifice of our desires for God in favor of things that
are conforming to the will of Jesus Christ together with
the confession of sins and full recognition of His
mercy. Prayer offers God a legal argument to act in our
favor. But why do we need to pray? We need to pray
because any relationship between two or more persons is
formed, maintained, and made stronger through
communication. Prayer is the communication with God.
Because the Bible encourages us to pray to God. "Seek
the Lord while he may be found," Isaiah writes in
chapter 55. Because the help and resources of the
Church are found with God. Because in this way, we
invite God to solve the problems that are impossible to
solve, from our point of view. "Seek the Lord and his
strength," said David in the Psalms. "Watch and pray
that you may not enter into temptation," says the
evangelist Matthew. To have a fulfilling life full of
joy, to receive spiritual power in your personal life
and life of ministry. "But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you," said Jesus, replying
to the disciples in Acts chapter 1. For a worker of God
to have success in his ministry. For supernatural
healing of incurable diseases. "And the prayer of faith
will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise

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him up," says James in chapter 5. For the release of
spirits, this type of demons does not leave except with
prayer and fasting. Are there conditions to have prayer
heard? Most things in the lives of people are
conditioned. In the same way, prayer is conditioned by
a series of factors. For example, prayer must be done
with faith. Whoever approaches God must believe. This
is what Paul says in Hebrews chapter 11. Prayer must be
done with hope. James says in chapter 5, "See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being
patient about it, until it receives the early and the
late rains." Prayer must be done with resolve. Prayer
must also be done with faith. "Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have
received it, and it will be yours." Mark chapter 11.
Prayer must be done in conformity to the will of God.
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him,"
John teaches us in his first epistle, chapter 5, "that
if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."
We should not be surprised that God does not answer our
prayers that represent our own will, which is in
conflict, in opposition to His will. Prayer must be
done with a clean heart. In the book of Hebrews chapter
10, the Bible says to draw to God with a clean heart.

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Those with a dirty heart will not receive an answer for
their prayer. A prayer must address the Father. Jesus
Christ taught us, "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in
heaven.'" Prayer must be inspired, led by the Spirit of
God. Paul says in Ephesians 6, "Praying at all times in
the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Prayer
must be done with the desire to not continue to sin,
because our sins hide his face and prevents him from
hearing us, Isaiah 59. Prayer must be done from the
heart. "The prayer of a righteous person has great
power as it is working," says James in chapter 5.
Prayer must be done after we forgave everyone who
wronged us. "And whenever you stand praying, forgive,
if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father
also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Prayer must be done having good relationships between
husband and wife. "Husbands ..." and the
recommendations follow; "Wives ..." and the
recommendations follow. Prayer must be done with an
unselfish spirit. "You ask and do not receive, because
you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." So this
is what prayer is and is not. Prayer must be done
obeying the Word of God. Prayer must be done with
interest for the kingdom of God. "Your kingdom come ...

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on earth as it is in heaven." Prayer must be done in a
state of righteousness. "But seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you." So this is the priority of the kingdom.
Prayer must be done through the Holy Spirit. "Praying
at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supply
indication." Ephesians 6. When we pray with
perseverance, "All these with one accord were devoting
themselves to prayer." Acts chapter 1. This means that
prayer is a very complex phenomenon. Yes, the
complexity of prayer. Prayer is complex also due to its
scope which a man has when he prays. It can be a prayer
of adoration, of worship; this sort of prayer expresses
admiration, appreciation, and adoration addressed to
God. It can be a prayer of confession. This sort of
prayer expresses man's guilt, imploring mercy and divine
forgiveness, on the virtue of the intercession of the
savior Jesus Christ. It can be a prayer of contentment.
This sort of prayer expresses gratitude and thanksgiving
for the undeserved abundance received from God. It can
be a prayer of supplication, when people's needs and
limitations are expressed while they await mercy and
grace from God. Or it can be a prayer of intercession,
which expresses care towards the needs of others, family

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members, friends, or acquaintances. Prayer is not just
complex; it is also varied. Prayer is varied from the
point of view of the body position, the volume of the
voice, duration, and the place where prayer is done.
For example, the position of the body in prayer. The
Bible talks about standing. "And whenever you stand
praying ..." Mark 11. With hands raised to the sky.
"Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy ... when I lift up
my hands." Psalm 28. Kneeling. A leper came to Him,
throwing himself to his knees before him and implored
him. Lying on the bed. "When I remember you upon my
bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night."
Here, then, this man went to sleep -- actually, he lied
down in bed and meditated upon God. Lying down facing
the wall. Or the prophet Elijah had at least three
prayers that the Bible remarks, full of power, to which
he received replies. The first on the mountain, the
second among unbelievers, and the third in the cave.
Daniel prayed in the den with lions. Jonah prayed in
the belly of a fish. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, prayed in the garden, prayed in the field, prayed
in a boat. The early Christians prayed in prison. The
intensity of the voice volume in prayer. The volume of
prayer varies depending on the state of the heart, the

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reason for which the person is praying, and the context
in which he finds himself. For example, the Bible
presents the prayer of Eliezer from Genesis 24 as a
prayer in silence. But it can be a prayer with the
spirit, 1 Corinthians 14; namely, a prayer in other
tongues in which the spirit is praying, or the
conscience. It can be a prayer with groanings,
Romans 8, where the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit
who prays with groanings for the believers. A prayer in
which Hannah from 1 Samuel 1 was just moving her lips,
but no sound was heard. A prayer that is loud. Ezekiel
at the death of Pelatiah, Ezekiel 11, prayed in this
manner. We see, then, when a trouble or crisis comes
along, a person prays louder because emotions express
themselves through a more powerful voice. Singing
prayer, Psalm 92. And prayer with loud cries. In
Hebrews 5, it talks about Jesus praying with loud cries.
Generally speaking, a prayer with loud cries is a prayer
in a moment of desperation, and usually this type of
prayer is done with your face to the ground because this
prostration and these cries are the manifestation of
desperation. It is a manifestation that a person has in
moments of great crises. Time of prayer. Prayer being
the communication of the heart with God, it must be

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permanent. That is why anytime is ideal for prayer.
Daniel prayed three times a day. The Lord Jesus prayed
at night or early in the morning or in the daytime.
Peter and John had an hour of prayer at 3:00 o'clock in
the afternoon. The Bible urges us to pray without
ceasing, at any moment, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
Not just the time but the place. What is the place for
prayer? The physical place where a person prays is not
important, we understand from the scriptures, because
the people of God prayed anywhere. It is true that the
house of God has priority. Yet the Lord Jesus prayed in
the garden, he prayed in the field, he prayed on the
mountain. The Bible teaches us to pray anywhere, in any
place. John chapter 4, where the Savior meets the
Samaritan woman. Peter and John went up together to the
temple during the time of prayer. Paul prayed on a boat
during a storm. Ways to pray. There is the personal
prayer. The Lord Jesus teaches the disciples and the
people who were around him, in Matthew chapter 6, in the
famous sermon on the mount, towards its end, "But when
you pray, go into your room." Do not pray so that
people can see you, for spiritual or religious
reputation. Pray in your room. Unfortunately, our
public prayers have become very long because these

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strengthen our public value, but our personal prayer, if
it even exists, is very short. This is evidence of the
spiritual mediocrity of our time. Prayer in the family,
prayer in the church. Prayer in the church can be
individual or communal. The communal prayer is delicate
because it must be done by people who have sensitivity
for others. Pray as loud as others, not much louder
than them; ideally, not even much softer than them,
despite the fact that loud prayers disturb others and
soft prayers do not. What are the reasons for which
sometimes prayers are not heard? Even if prayers depend
on the mercy and grace of God, there are situations when
prayers are not heard. Why? What are the reasons, the
possible reasons? The first of them is living in sin.
Isaiah tells us that as much as you would pray, I will
not hear you because your hands are full of blood. A
man that lives in sin cannot be heard. I am not talking
about slipping once into sin but living in sin, the
permanence of sinning. Unbelief is another reason.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting," says James
in chapter 1. Or unforgiveness. Jesus teaches us in
Matthew 6, "But if you do not forgive others their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." Wickedness and indifference. "Whoever

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closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call
out and not be answered." If you do not want to listen
to the poor person when he seeks you, God will also not
hear you when you seek Him. Dirty thoughts. David
said, "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord
would not have listened." God knows our thoughts.
Rejecting Christ's reign. "But there shall be a king
over us, that we also may be like alternations." This
was prayed in the presence of Samuel. The lack of
praying. "You do not have, because you do not ask." Of
course God does not hear the prayer that is not prayed.
Self love. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask
wrongly, to spend it on your own passions." These are
bad thoughts. Spiritual balance. Paul said, "So to
keep me from becoming conceited because of the
surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was
given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass
me, to keep me from becoming conceited." We see, then,
conceited men are not heard by God when they pray. A
different plan of God. Before the passion of Jesus
Christ, he prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass
unless I drink it, your will be done." I ask you,
didn't Jesus pray according to the will of God? Yes, he
did. But then why did he say "as you will"? Because as

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well as we would know the will of God, we can never
fully know the will of God. God is not like us. He is
infinite. Most of the time, what we say we know is just
an anticipation, just a suspicion; is just us saying,
"I'd like this to be this way; I'd like to think that
this is true." The lack of time, the wrong time.
Contempt and pride, like the example of the Pharisee in
Luke 17, and so forth. Dear friends, prayer is the
highest activity of the human soul. It is the sublime
symbol of the friendship between man and God. It is the
evidence of subordination and obedience to the Creator.
Prayer is the expression of human helplessness, but also
of His unlimited love and resources. A man who is not
convinced of God's existence, does not pray, does not
believe in his love, does not rely on His mercy. But a
man who is convinced of God's existence is of course
convinced of God's resources, which he tries to benefit
from in a sincere way, drawing close to God with
humility. Prayer done through faith in the name of
Jesus Christ, prayed in the direction of the will of
God, prayed with a modest and humble heart, this sort of
prayer touches heaven, opens up heaven, touches the
heart of God, opens the heart of God. This is the
prayer that we need to pray. According to popular

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tradition, God hears all prayers. The Bible says, "And
when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases," meaning do
not speak words while thinking about your own business,
but think about what you are praying. Create a prayer.
For example, pray what you have in your heart. When you
are in trouble, pray a prayer for trouble. When you are
happy, pray a prayer for happiness. Do not repeat poems
to God. God does not come to listen to our poems. He
comes to hear our prayer, a prayer that expresses
ourselves, a prayer that expresses our situation, our
thoughts, our state of being. God is good. God is
better than we can say or even understand. God is
loving and seeks us. He wants our good. He died for us
through Jesus Christ, His Son, and he hears our prayer
much more than a father hears the prayers of his
children. Yet, even as we are upset with our children
when they do not behave, especially repeatedly, and even
more so when they are older, in the same way God does
not give us the impression that it is okay this way just
to hear our prayer this way, meaning just anyhow. God
is holy, and the Bible says you too must be holy. If we
want to have access to God, then we must be compatible
with God. Dear friends, you know there are places in
this world, certain receptions or meetings where you

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cannot enter unless you have a certain dress code. In
the same way, we cannot enter before God just anyhow,
but only by using a certain ethical code, a certain
lifestyle, a pure heart, a correct motivation, a request
in the name of Jesus, a request according to the will of
God, a request through faith. The person requesting,
meaning the person who is praying, should be born again
in the kingdom of God, thinking about the kingdom, with
interest for the kingdom. God is not a sack into which
we reach our hands and take because he is good. It is
true that God is good, but there is a lock on the sack
because God is also just. What I want to encourage you
to do, dear friends, is to pray. I dare to say that it
is better to pray when perhaps you made a mistake, your
conscience rebukes you, and you remember that God does
not hear those with a dirty heart. It is better to pray
at that time than to never pray because you never feel
worthy. You will never be worthy enough because the one
whom we call God is absolute, is infinite, is eternal,
is boundless. We cannot be like Him because that way
there would be many gods, or there would not be a God at
all because he would be a man like us. Yet we must draw
close to His throne of grace with the power that he
gives us, and to allow His mercy to change us, transform

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us, confront us. We must sit before God, running away
from pride, arrogance, madness, the pleasures that
transform us into ugly people in our souls, and to pray
because God loves us. Find a place where you can be
alone, kneel, and tell Him what you feel, with the
simplest words possible, as to your mother, your father,
or your closest friend. Tell Him what you need, but
don't forget that He deserves your appreciation,
admiration, gratitude. Start and end with this. Do not
start with, "God, please." God is not a neighbor that
you go to, to borrow a cup of rice or oil. First of
all, look at Him and tell Him what you see. Look at
what He did, and thank Him for what he did. And then
tell Him in a few words, if you tell Him, what you want,
because He knows anyhow. But start and end with Him.
This is the sandwich method. You will be somewhere in
the middle. Do not begin with yourself because you
don't deserve being in first place. The first place is
reserved from eternity to eternity for the only one who
is eternal, the only one who has all immortality, honor,
praise, and glory. I would like take the words that
were spoken and put them into practice, to stand before
God and pray. It is true that we don't know how to pray
well. Even the disciples went to the Lord Jesus and

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said, Teach us how to pray, even as John, meaning his
cousin John, taught his own disciples. And Christ
taught them the Lord's Prayer. Yet this is only a model
of prayer that can be prayed at any time, but it is not
mandatory that only this prayer can be prayed. Because
there are also situations that are not captured in this
prayer. That is why, say where you are, how you are,
what you feel, what you want, what hurts, what you want
to say. Let's pray together to God, dear friends. We
bow respectfully before You, our God who sits on Your
throne. We realize that we cannot comprehend You. You
are infinite; we are limited. You are eternal; we are
temporary. You are God; we are people. We are made of
dirt, helpless. We have so many limitations. We are so
fragile. But we know You, and we want to thank You for
stopping in our place. We don't understand why You
stopped, because we don't have anything that forced You
to stop. You stopped because of You, not because of us.
You stopped because You are good, not because we are
good. You stopped because You want to give us, not to
ask from us. Lord, we thank You. When we feel Your
presence, we don't want to ask You for anything, because
what we need more than bread and water is Your presence,
it is this assurance that we are embraced by God,

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protected by Him, and neither people nor demons have
access to our souls, which, being saved and sanctified,
are in the pierced hands of the One who stood on the
cross and prayed for us. We worship before You with all
the adoration that a person is capable of, and we
dedicate our life to You, the moments that we live now,
and all the rest until the end. We only ask You now to
give us grace according to Your mercy, to us and our
family, discovering to us and to them more of who You
are, our infinite God. We thank You for Your love, for
your patience, for bearing with us until now and because
you will not tire to bear with us until the end. Help
us, Lord, to sanctify ourselves and to fulfill, through
our sanctification, your great pleasure to have a people
that will be consecrated for you and for righteousness.
May your name be blessed forever. Amen. Dear friends,
I bless you as we say good-bye. I thank you for being
together with me and for allowing me to be with you.
Until next time.

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