Prayerfulness – No Longer an Option

by: Ame-phil O. Saquiban

​A well-known Proverb encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This timeless wisdom from Scriptures reminds us of the value of being prayerful, which is synonymous to pleading, beseeching and imploring. It emphasizes our reliance on God rather than just on our own abilities, skills, and talents. While our efforts play a part in our success, committing our tasks to divine providence acknowledges that we are unable to achieve anything without God. Without the blessing of God Almighty, we believe that all our toils will be in vain.
 
The same theme can be seen in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which states, “We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of the Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.”  The first line emphasizes the importance of working together with the help of God in building our country.
 
The term “implore” is defined by Britannica as “to make a very serious or emotional request” or “to ask or beg in a very serious or emotional way”. In Filipino, it is translated into “magmakaawa, makiusap, at magsumamo.” It conveys an earnest, sincere and heartfelt request with a sense of necessity and urgency. It invites us then to be in a posture of humility consistently before our Creator, who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. In effect, grace and mercy will continue to be rendered in our country rather than judgment. Healing from ills of society will also our land for God has promised, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
 
This makes us wonder whether we have truly implored the aid of Almighty God in our homes, workplaces, communities, and nation. Considering the things that we hear and see daily around us in our immediate community, in different parts of the Philippines and even the neighboring countries, may it compel each of us, irrespective of our religious affiliations, to sincerely and genuinely seek the help of God - not just for our personal needs but more so for the well-being of others and for the betterment of our nation.
 
Let us make prayerfulness, not as a last resort, but a daily priority that comes with an assurance of breakthroughs, blessings, and the abiding divine guidance.