In all Christian generations, the Saints have always know that it is only through prayer that man can rise above sin and grow in Holiness and hence the saying, "A prayerful Christian is a powerful Christian."
What does it mean to be holy? What does holiness imply? I see it as a state of being filled with thoughts, words and deeds that are entirely focused on goodness or the will of God. Yes, it is a state of being without sin and being close to the almighty God in spirit.
Prayer is the key to a holy life and the reason why a lot of people are not Holy as they ought to be is simply because they don't pray as they ought to. Prayer is a spiritual activity connects man's spirit to God using words and thoughts.
Prayer is the only power man has to connect with God. It is through prayer that man can ask God first of all for forgiveness. Through prayer that man can ask for graces and through prayer that man can get eternal life. The Truth is that God can do everything but would not force himself on us. The only thing he has given us is the ability to pray and it is always within our power.
It is through prayer that we can beg God for his help and it is a gift which he has freely bestowed on us. Yes, prayer is a gift and he hears us when we call him in faith.
The more you pray, the more holy you will become and the less you pray, the less holy you'll become. The Son of God doesn't just ask us to be holy but he asks us to be holy, just as God is Holy.
If you ask me, that is a tall order - to be holy just as God is. It shows that we have a duty to aim not just to be holy but to be just as God is.
How does one achieve holiness through prayer?
It is quite simple. Just pray and pray and pray as if it's the only job you have on earth.
Some people pray only in the morning. Some pray only in the afternoon and some at night. However the Lord urges us to pray at all times and this means that prayer should be a primary activity you should so.
When you pray, ask God for forgiveness because he loves a humble person. Don't come to God as if you are alike when you are a sinner. God avoids being close to sinners except when they are humble. So one of the ways you can easily call God's attention is to recognize your faults and constantly ask for mercy.
If you've been spending 10 mins in prayer everyday, I bet it's time you start spending at least 1hr. 1 hr everyday in prayer would certainly make a difference in your life than if you have spent only 10 mins.
If you feel unsatisfied with your level of holiness, the only thing you need to do is spend more time in prayer. It may not be at a stretch, you can spend 15 mins every 1 hr or 5 mins every 30 mins. Some people even spend 6 hrs in prayer every day and that's why they are more holy.
Holiness is simply a function of prayer and the more time you spend in prayer, the more holy you will become. If you are still living in mortal sin on a daily or weekly basis, then you should increase the amount of time you spend in prayer. The more holy you become, the easier it will be for you to overcome sin. If only sinners would recognize that all they need is God's constant touch.
First analyze how much time you spend in prayer and increase the time spent. You will be surprised to see that you holiness would improve over a short period of time.
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