The most prominent characteristic of a prophet is to convey God’s messages. All the prophecy books in the Bible detail how God chooses and sends His messengers, instructing them to “Go and tell.” In turn, the prophets address the People of God, saying, “Hear the words of God.” For instance, the prophet Jeremiah describes his mission with these words: “The word of God came to me, saying, Go and shout this in Jerusalem’s ears!” (2.1).
Those who heed the word of God are cleansed by the righteousness it brings, for the word of God is truth, and truth saves (1 Peter 1:22). Through the power of the sacrament of Baptism, Christians are born as children of God and become God’s word and messenger. Therefore, we must all learn to speak this word and understand God’s language so that we can faithfully convey the Lord’s message to our audience.
Prayer, the most effective school for learning the language of God, is often misunderstood. We typically associate it with standing before God, seeking His graces and blessings. However, our list of wishes can be quite extensive, even though our Lord has instructed us to keep it concise and avoid excessive words (Matthew 6:7). Interestingly, in His own teachings, He identified only three things to ask for from the Heavenly Father: our daily sustenance, forgiveness of our sins, and protection from temptation to prevent us from succumbing to evil.
It is, therefore, of utmost importance to ensure that our understanding of prayer is accurate and correct. Prayer is an act of listening to God, hearing the voice of the Heavenly Father, and comprehending the significance of His word and message. We must accept and share these messages with the world around us. Understanding the word of God is crucial because it forms the foundation of our core identity. If we are to be the true images of the Heavenly Father, we must embody the likeness of Jesus, His only begotten Son, as Jesus is the Word of the Heavenly Father.
Now, we will truly comprehend the meaning of that word when our actions are genuinely worthy of God, faithful to the identity we received, and a testament to the immense grace bestowed upon us. The sanctifying grace of faith, hope, and love, the Word in the likeness of which we were formed during our Baptism, must radiate brightly in every aspect of our expressions and actions. We must be proficient in this divine language, possessing an innate understanding of this language of grace to communicate it effortlessly. We must pray in this language to ensure that our messages faithfully convey the Word of God to all who have the privilege of engaging in conversation with us.
Every time we open our mouths, we will be able to comfort those who carry hearts broken by suffering. All our actions will then contribute to the creation of the new kingdom, empowered by the authority of our Heavenly Father. We will build the magnificent temple of His dwelling, the Church.
