Renew your Life through
Prayer
Bishop Jacob Manathodath
It is only through prayer
that our life can be renewed. Man's consciousness is inclined towards sin.
As St Paul makes it clear in the epistle to the Romans, man does not do
what he desires, but what he abhors. What inclines him to act thus is the
sin that dwells within him. Man can desire to do what is good. But he cannot
act accordingly. His condition is very unfortunate. But there is a great
truth that man has not understood. It is true that sin reigns in man. But
within him also dwells the Spirit of the one who has conquered sin. Every
man is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who gives him
the strength to do the good he wants to do. When the Holy Spirit strengthens
a man there is nothing that he cannot do. To the angel who brought the
message of the annunciation to Mary, she asked, "How can this happen?"
The angel replied thus, "The power of the Most High will overshadow you.
And through you the incarnation of God will take place."
Wonders will take place
within us too through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can make us new
people. He will strengthen us to conquer temptation. It is enough if we
pray to the Holy Spirit who dwells constantly within us, whom God has given
to us to help us. We must pray earnestly.Pray with all our heart. Fast
and pray.
The Lord said, "The Spirit
indeed is willing. But the flesh is weak; therefore watch and pray." Let
us pray to the Holy Spirit that in our weakness he may give us strength...help
us ....purify us... make us a new creation ...give us the fruits and gifts
of the Holy Spirit....and enable us to grow spiritually in order to be
empowered. Let us make the prayer St Paul prayed for the Christians of
Ephesus, our own. He prayed that God our Father may strengthen the inner
man through his Holy Spirit, and that through faith Jesus Christ may dwell
in the heart of every believer who should be rooted and grounded in his
love.