| February 27, 2012 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! At this time, in a special way I call you: 'pray with the heart'. Little children, you speak much and pray little. Read and meditate on Sacred Scripture, and may the words written in it be life for you. I encourage and love you, so that in God you may find your peace and the joy of living. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2012) In the list from Ivan, shared in his talk on January 31, 2012 in Kalamazoo, we have discussed the first two main messages: Peace and Conversion. Our Lady, in this new message, brings up the next main message on Ivan's list: Prayer of the Heart! She must be reading our list! (Just kidding!) Writing about prayer of the heart is a challenge. We know that Our Lady has asked for it, over and over. We know that it is essential for our relationship with God. But what can we say?? Our Lady's words may be our best resource in this matter. Here are a few of the things she has said about prayer with the heart: "Pray with the heart and surrender yourselves to Jesus in prayer." (August 11, 1984)
Comment: Prayer with the heart happens when we surrender ourselves to Jesus, letting go of all our fears, concerns, ideas, and plans and seeking only Him. "In prayer you shall perceive the greatest joy and the way out of every situation that has no exit." (March 28, 1985) Comment: Prayer with the heart produces joy. We will know we are praying with our hearts when the fruit of that prayer is joy. And prayer with the heart means that we take all our practical, real life problems to God and receive answers to our problems through that prayer. These are two ways to look back and see if we are praying with the heart, joy and answers to our difficulties! "Dear children! Today I call you to prayer with the heart, and not just from habit. Some are coming but do not wish to move ahead in prayer. Therefore, I wish to warn you like a Mother: pray that prayer prevails in your hearts in every moment. Thank you for having responded to my call." (May 2, 1985) Comment: Prayer from habit is probably the kind of prayer in which our mind is completely elsewhere while we pray. It's the kind of prayer in which we don't even realize we are talking to God, but instead we are ruminating inside our heads about something or other, while we say the prayers with our lips. It is the kind of prayer that expects nothing, and is done because everyone else is doing it. On the contrary, prayer of the heart is a turning to God all day long, in every situation, in a private and precious conversation with Him. It is the moment by moment dialogue we have with the Lord, as we move through our daily duties. In this case, our work is habitual, but our prayer is anything but! "Your hearts are turned toward the things of earth and they preoccupy you. Turn your hearts toward prayer and seek the Holy Spirit to be poured out on you." (May 9, 1985) Comment: Prayer with the heart seeks the Holy Spirit and the things that are above - in the Spirit!
"Dear children! I call you again to prayer with the heart. Let prayer, dear children, be your every day food in a special way when your work in the fields is so wearing you out that you cannot pray with the heart. Pray, and then you shall overcome even every weariness. Prayer will be your joy and your rest. Thank you for having responded to my call." (May 30, 1985) Comment: When prayer is our first recourse when we are tired or anxious, and prayer is what feeds our souls, then we will know we are living prayer with the heart. "Dear children! I want to thank everyone for all you have done for me, especially the youth. I beseech you, dear children, come to prayer with awareness. In prayer you shall come to know the greatness of God. Thank you for having responded to my call." (November 28, 1985) Comment: Awareness! If we are not aware of the presence of God, of His power and majesty, of His Kingship and His love, our prayer will be empty and blind. Awareness happens when we look deep in our own hearts and discover there how very much we need God. Then we will begin to understand who He is. He is our Creator and Redeemer, the One who can heal all our wounds, solve all our problems and show us the way to life. Such an awareness will make prayer with the heart a reality. Well, we have only gotten into 1985, and there are many, many messages yet to be examined to uncover the way to prayer with the heart! But this is a good start. We have some things with which to begin in our search for prayer with the heart! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2012
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