There are many who pray and are not heard. Our Lord tells the Apostles that their prayers have not been heard yet because they have not yet asked. How often men move their lips but their hearts are far from God. And yet, these will be the loudest to proclaim that they pray always or very frequently. It does not help us if we multiply our prayers as so many who boast of the many rosaries they say every day, if they are only words. Nor, will it avail us any if we do not truly believe in Christ and all that He has taught us. Nor, yet is it enough to say the words and to believe, we must still be motivated by love. Remember that the Father will hear our prayers because we have loved the Son. The Father will love us because we have loved His Son.
We must ask.
We must ask in the name of Jesus Christ.
We must believe in Jesus Christ and all that He has taught us
We must love Jesus Christ.
To love means that we obey. "If you love Me, you will keep My word." How have we kept the commandments of God? How have we kept the commandments of His Church which speaks in His name? If we do not keep these laws we cannot truly say that we love God. If we do not love God, why should He hear our prayers?
We have been taught that if we bring our offering to God and there we remember that our brother has something against us, that we must leave our gift and first go and reconcile ourselves with our brother and then come back and make our offering. If our prayers are hindered by the lack of Charity between ourselves, it is all the more so when there is a lack of love for God. So before we even begin to ask we must first examine our consciences. If indeed we see there any rebellion or disobedience to God and His Church, we must first begin with true repentance. For as long as our conscience is burdened our love of God is likewise burdened. And as long as our love is burdened then so must our prayers be burdened. We must remember that God's love for us is conditioned by our love of Jesus Christ. "For the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loved Me ..." And the Father hears the prayers of those whom He loves.
Prayer is the lifting up of our hearts and minds to God, and those who truly love God are constantly praying. All that they do they do for the love of God. As St. Paul says: it does not matter, if we work or play; sleep or keep vigil; feast or fast; etc., as long as we do it for the love of God. Our prayers should become frequent and familiar because God is constantly in our hearts and minds because we love Him. And the more that we love Him the more we think of Him. Yet, we must likewise guard against contempt. Familiarity breeds contempt. Our prayers must be frequent but never without respect and reverence. We must never forget to Whom we are speaking when we pray.
As long as we pray with fervour and devotion we lead a good life. The temptations which assail us inwardly and outwardly may be numerous and continuous; we stand firm, for as the stake supports the little tree, so prayer supports us. But if we become careless in prayer, and neglect it altogether, or perform it only hastily and without devotion, we totter and fall, and it is a terrible fall. We will fall into the dangerous state of lukewarmness, which is the precursor of sin and the loss of grace. If we fall, prayer is even more necessary. Every sinner is only converted by prayer. And yet, how many sinners refuse to pray? How many cannot even find the time to say one Our Father? How many neglect public worship on Sundays and holidays, or attend it without any devotion and prayer, and even scoff at those who love to pray? Those who remain in sin and despise prayer will most certainly perish, unless they change their minds and begin to pray.