Dear Phil:

I praise God that our Site has been useful and a blessing to you. All glory goes to Him.

In terms of your friend, we must remember that it is our job to pray for others regardless of whether or not we see any sign of positive change. We pray for them anyway. Do not let yourself get caught by Pride and bring you to discouragment because you do not see any changes. Who are you, afterall to expect any changes? That is God's business, not ours. He will take care of the one for whom you are praying according to His timetable.

Also, whenever we pray for others we must understand that God will never force anyone to do anything. If a person wishes to remain demonized God will not interfere.  One cannot be helped by you, us, or even God if he does not wish to be helped.

He must ask for help. Your prayers may open up a crack in his wall whereby the Holy Spirit can work with him to effect change, but again, God does not force anyone.

All you can do for your friend is to love him, pray for him, answer his questions according to your faith, suggest he call me perhaps, or a priest, or whomever, and lovingly remind him of the danger he is in. Do not nag him, however.

There is a story told about a professor who prayed for three of his students. While still in college, before graduation, the first student made a profession of faith. About five years after graduation the second student made a profession of faith. The third student, however, never professed a faith in Christ.

Many years later the professor died. Since he was such a beloved professor by these three students they came to his funeral. The first two students that have professed their faith in Christ explained to the third student mother professor had done, praying for them all these years. They explained that the professor's prayers let them to their faith.

Upon hearing this story, while at the funeral, the third student broken down and made a profession of faith.

The professor never failed to pray for the students. He persevered. He only saw the fruits of his prayers with the first student, and then much later with the second student. He never saw the fruits of his prayers with the third student during his lifetime.

The motto of this story is to persevere in prayer as the Bible instructs us. We are never to stop, regardless of never knowing the fruits of our prayers, because the fruit may not grow until after we are long gone and dead.

St. Monica shows us the fruit of perseverance. She prayed long and hard for her son to return to the Church. If I remember correctly, it was only about three months before her death that her son returned to the Church. Her son, of course, was the great St. Augustine, one of the greatest saint the Church as ever know. Think of what the Church and her faithful would have missed had St. Monica not persevered in prayer for her son.

Continue praying for your friend. Never stop. God may not grant you the privilege of seeing your prayers come to fruit. Except that graciously and know that should your friend come to be in God's friendship you will meet him in heaven.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary