Praying for the World February 2, 2026 Issue

The beatific presence that moves the heart

Spirit compels our prayer to advance beyond repeating feel-good statements.

Richard Schaberg

Christ Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount with what have become known as the Beatitudes. And we can be so grateful that he gave us beatitudes instead of platitudes. While a platitude may give one momentarily positive feelings, applying Jesus’ Beatitudes in our thoughts and lives brings a deep spiritual understanding that stirs the heart and results in permanent and meaningful change. When we allow them to change our thoughts and actions, they bring inspired, fresh, and sometimes unexpected blessings.

A Bible commentary suggests that the Beatitudes are not “advice for successful living, but prophetic declarations made on the conviction of the . . . kingdom of God” (Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 7, The Gospels and Narrative Literature, Jesus and the Gospels, Matthew, Mark)—the kingdom that Jesus said is right at hand here and now.

How can our prayers more consistently be not mere repetitions of feel-good statements but fresh convictions that bring genuine healing and reformation? Inspired prayer includes an accurate understanding of God and man’s likeness to Him and focuses on increasingly imbibing and being moved by the fresh spirit of this understanding.

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