Nothing is possible without prayer, all is possible with prayer and faith. With their lack of faith the people of Nazareth even prevented the Lord from working miracles (Luke: 4, 21 - 30). When they didn't pray and fast, the disciples themselves were non able to cure people; Prayer overcomes the helplessness of men. It goes beyond what is believed impossible and allows God to intervene in this world with his infinite power.
James writes in his letter:" And when you ask, you do not receive because your motives are wrong; you ask for things to use for your own pleasure " ( James: 4: 3 ). While taking care of the poor and the weak, the Community learns from them to turn to God with their trust and persistence, and each of us finds himself or herself a beggar for love and peace. Thus, with greater awareness, we can stretch out our hands to the Lord, and the Lord, gracious Father and friend of humankind, will answer with generosity beyond all expectations.
Prayer appears weak to the eyes of people. But, when it is full of faith in the Lord, prayer is strong indeed. It can break down walls, fill voids, uproot violence and increase mercy. Praying together is indeed holy and blessed; it is necessary for the life of every disciple and for the life of the Community, but it is also necessary for the very life of the world. It is written: "Whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you my Father in heaven" (Mt 18; 19;). That is why the disciple must persevere in common prayer and together be audacious. Prayer, in fact, is a powerful weapon in the hand of believers: it destroys evil and increases love.
In the Prayer of Sant'Egidio, the pleas of those near and far, of the poor and the weak, of our brothers and sisters are united almost as though they are part of a "virtual" but real cathedral which gathers everyone in a single invocation to God. By praying together, we can make ours the words of the apostle Peter: "Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by man as worthless but chosen by God as valuable. Come as living stones and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as Holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ "(1 Peter 2, 4 - 5).
