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Jesus said, This sort of demon can only be driven out by prayer (Mk 9:29). Those
who do not pray and are not prayed over may suffer intractable demonic attacks.
Jesus said, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation (Matt 26:41).
Deadly temptations will certainly assail us if we do not pray. How can we expect to
avoid serious temptations and Hell if we do not pray?
Jesus said that we must always pray and not lose heart (Lk 18:1). We must pray,
we must not give way to discouragement.
James said, You have not because you ask not (James 4:3). How many gifts are
lacking for us and others because we do not pray? Some gifts are only unlocked and
sent forth by prayer.
John Chrysostom said, As the body without the soul is dead, so the soul is dead
without prayer (Homily lxxvii). We are dead without prayer!
Augustine said, God gives, without prayer, the first graces such as the vocation
to faith and to repentance; but all other graces, and particularly the gift of
perseverance, he gives only to those who ask them (De Dono Persev, xvi). Notice
that it is only to those who ask!
Thomas Aquinas said, Now after baptism man needs to pray continually, in order
to enter heaven: for though sins are remitted through baptism, there still remain the
fomes of sin assailing us from within, and the world and the devils assailing us from
without. And therefore it is said pointedly (Luke 3:21) that Jesus being baptized and
praying, heaven was opened: because, to wit, the faithful after baptism stand in need
of prayer (Summa Theologica, III, q. 39 art. 5).
St Teresa of Avila reasoned, Ask and you shall receive then he who does not
ask will not receive. Now that is some straightforward wisdom!
Alphonsus said, He who prays is certainly saved; he who does not pray is
certainly lost (Considerations on the Eternal Maxims 13.2). Prayer is necessary! It is
the sinequa non.
Pray, my brethren; pray. Pray for the gift of prayer. Pray for the desire to pray. Pray!
Prayer is necessary; it is essential.
We do not always know everything we should pray for; we do not always remember to
pray for everything. God knows our weakness. But failing to pray as a general norm is
deadly to our life and our salvation.
Did I mention that we ought to pray?