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"Prayer Changes"
By Devin Boucree
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Youth Article Index

We've Come This Far By Faith: St. Augustine Parish Youth Ministry About St. Lawrence Abstinence Education Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist: Two Sacred Sacraments and Blessed Acts Who Am I My life serving in the African American Catholic Community African American Young Adult Ministry is an act of Social Justice It's Time to Walk the Walk Your talents: Gifts from God and a call to action. A Purpose-Driven Life Not My Own Abstinence Saves Lives Our Forgotten Children "Prayer Changes" Pro-Life Pilgrimage If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Take You There Transitioning from High School to College Examination of Conscience PRE-CANA Archdiocese of New Orleans's IMANI Team

Youth Article Index

"In your son's Holy name we PRAY, AMEN." For many Christians, Catholics and Protestants alike, this is usually the way we end our prayers. But what is PRAYER, and how do we PRAY? According to Webster's dictionary prayer is defined as: (n) and address to God or a god in word or thought. While pray is defined as: (vb) to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving.

But the true definitions can be varied according to each individual and their personal relationship with God. One thing that is constant is there cannot be PRAYER without GOD!! The question then becomes when, where, and why should we pray?

Growing up in the heart of New Orleans, in the midst of poverty, abuse, failing schools, corruption and turmoil all around, I questioned what prayer really did for anyone or anything. Being the son of a Catholic school principal and the Director of Religious Education for the church, I was often in or around my home church of St. Peter Claver. I lived in the choir, was a faithful altar server, member of the youth council and numerous archdiocesan organizations etc. I would go around at the tender age of 6 pretending to be a priest giving blessings throughout my grandmother's house. Being the oldest of four children I was often under a lot of pressure from my family and friends, pressure that would sometimes get me down and out, and asking "GOD why me?"

Trying to fit in with the cool kids at school or church, I was faced with pressures that left me asking "LORD please forgive me?" There has been occasion after occasion in my 22 years of life where I have prayed, but it was not until recently did I truly understand what prayer really is.

For myself, to pray is to have a ONE on ONE conversation with God, whether it is in the car, at school, church, or home. It is that time where you can let go of all of your trials and tribulations without concentrating about what someone has to say or think. To be in prayer is to understand and acknowledge that God is there and he hears your earnest plea.

Often I found myself only having that conversation when I had a problem I needed him to solve, or when I found myself in a situation I couldn't get out of. I was using prayer as my roll of paper towels to wipe up and throw away the mess that I made for myself. However wrong that may sound, God was still there wiping away my burdens and giving me a new start.

Too many times, we as Christians, use God as our paper towel. We don't truly understand the power that prayer can hold. There are times where we use prayer as a way to show everyone that we are Christians and that we simply believe in God. But do we truly believe in the prayer? We turn on the TV and see the world in turmoil, we see our family members struggling just to get buy. We see our closest friends lose everything they have, and can easily question God on why all of this could be happening, instead of simply praying "Lord Thank You."

It is important to understand that there is no right or wrong way to pray. There is no set time or day to be in prayer. In Luke (11: 9-10) it states,

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Whether we are neck deep in our troubled waters or sky high in our blessings he has given us, we must know that God is always there to hear our calls. Knowing we serve an awesome and merciful God we must keep the faith no matter what test life puts us through. He will never give us more than we can bear. Only through prayer can we develop the true relationship God calls us to have with him. "In faith we pray, through prayer we believe and surrender ourselves to his works." Only when we surrender our entire self to him fully, we can understand that He may not come when we want but He will ALWAYS BE ON TIME.

We are all called to spread His news of resurrection and eternal life and that in prayer lives can be changed. I Devin Albert Boucree a 22 year old Black Catholic from New Orleans Louisiana can truly say that "PRAYER can CHANGE your LIFE & GOD will give you that LIFE."

Devin Boucree is a student at Holy Cross College in New Orleans, LA, and a musician for various parishes around the city. He is also an alumnus of St. Augustine High School and a member of the R.O.C.K. Black Catholic Young Adult Ministry group for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

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