“We are a people of prayer and action. I have seen the power of prayer and the good it can bring about,” Bishop Edward Malesic told those gathered for Prayer at the Heart.
The movement’s mission is “To ignite a great awakening through a national movement of humble, unified, desperate prayer and action.” The national prayer and action movement involves “Christians from all tribes, tongues and ages,” according to its organizers. They came together the afternoon of June 17 on Cleveland’s Public Square “to give thanks to God and to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”
The bishop’s topic was “Return to God in Prayer and Action.”
“We are the Church in prayer. But our prayer leads us to action, to do good, to seek justice, but also to walk humbly with our God,” he said, noting that Jesus is our example. “Out of love for us, he emptied himself of his divinity to walk with us in humanity. We walk with each other, especially those who are in need.”
Often, after a tragedy, people tell someone they “are in their thoughts and prayers.” However, some are critical and say they want action, the bishop said. “But prayer proves a strong wind to the sails of the good we all want to bring about. For with God, all things are possible.”
However, he said prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, but he sometimes requires us to ask in order to receive.
Even though prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, it changes us, Bishop Malesic said, noting, “Prayer makes our hearts larger to receive God’s great love for us. And the larger our hearts, the more love God can pour into our hearts and then the more love we can share with those around us.”
He said we ask and work for healing in the community, peace in the midst of violence, harmony in the midst of racism, justice for all from the unborn to the oldest among us. We also ask for the addicted to be released from their bondage and for unity in the midst of division because when we are divided, we fail. Referring to the Bible story of Cain and Abel in which Cain asked God after killing Abel, “Am I my brother’s keeper? And we know the answer. Yes, we are,” he said.
The bishop said he’s seen prayer bring about healing of body, soul and spirit. Prayer is a powerful tool, he said, reflecting on how the prayer of Monica, a third century saint, caused God to open the heart of her son, August – the sinner turned saint. God expanded Augustine’s heart and caused him to search for the peace that only God can give.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” St. Augustine of Hippo wrote.” He also said God made us and we are not accidents, we are the children of a mighty God. He also reminds us that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. “We are hard-wired for God and we make our journey back to him in faith.”
Our hearts can be restless because of financial troubles, setbacks, relationship problems and more. Conversely, we might have had success in life, but our heart aches for more because it is made for more than material success.
“Let’s never replace God with an idolatrous desire for power, honor, wealth or pleasure,” the bishop said. Any time we put something else in our hearts to attempt to fulfill the desire only God can fulfill, we turn our backs on him, he added.
“The great news about Christianity is that God loves sinners. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why the Father sent him to us. Not to condemn us, but to save us. Jesus wants to have a real and personal relationship with us. Let us return to him and give him our hearts to love him and our hands to serve him,” Bishop Malesic said. “And, if we become disciples of Jesus, we begin to take on the characteristics of our Lord and master,” he added.
“We are blessed and we must share our blessing. We must not hide behind the walls of our churches. We must bring the Gospel to life outside our churches … Start with your homes. Start with your marriages. Start with your families and close friends and take your faith into the world,” the bishop told the gathering.
In addition to the bishop, Father Bob Stec, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Brunswick, Father Damian Ference, vicar for evangelization, and Father Mike Gurnick, pastor of St. Patrick (Bridge Avenue) and St. Malachi parishes in Cleveland, also spoke to the group.
The event also included testimony, song, praise and witness from attendees and organizers.