I promised Linda that I'd write a blog post about this preacher's words. Because his words are absolute nonsense. This preacher made the false claim that he could pray more effectively than his congregation could because he had an "in" with God that they didn't have. And the congregation bought it. They applauded wildly. As if they thought that he was worthy and they were unworthy to personally pray to God.
That congregation's response reminds me of some Catholics who I've heard tell a priest, deacon, or sister "Please pray to God for me - I'm sure God will hear your prayers better than He'll hear mine." And I want to ask "Why?!"
Our deepest awareness of ourselves should be that we are deeply loved by Jesus Christ, even though we've done nothing to earn it or deserve it. And Jesus, his Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit are One, and One in loving us. If that's true for all of us, then preachers, ministers, priests, deacons, sisters, and ordinary congregations ("laity") are all on the same equal footing in God's sight. God loves all of us even though none of us deserve it! God listens to everyone's prayers, without reservation. Our personal prayers are enough for God to listen to us, to understand and communicate with us.
Another dimension of prayer is "communal" or "community" prayer. That's when we connect in a public way with that immense force or energy field that is the Body of Christ. When we attend Mass or some other Prayer Service, the community prays to God together, strengthening each others' faith, praying to God for one another and for the needs of the community and the needs of the world.
Every organization has leadership, and at Mass or Prayer Services, our priests, deacons, pastors, and ministers become God's representatives for us, leading us in prayer. For Catholics, when a priest celebrates a sacrament, he becomes "another Christ," a stand-in for Christ, speaking His Words especially over the bread and wine at the Consecration during the Mass. Then, through Jesus' words and the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to us, body, blood, soul and Divinity, in Jesus' Real, True Presence in the Eucharist.
So our priests, deacons, ministers and pastors have definite, irreplaceable roles in our communities' lives. They lead us in community prayer. They are wonderful friends to ask to join their prayers to ours when we have need.
But their prayers cannot replace our prayers, any more than a sibling's words can replace our words to our human fathers.
Your prayers are enough for God to love you and listen to you. Sure, you're not worthy of God's love or attention. None of us are. God's love and attention are always ours, but we have to let God know we want and accept His precious Gift of Himself to us. God is always saying "I love you" to us. God wants and needs to hear us say "Thank you, and I love You too."
"I wait for You, O Lord, I lift up my soul to my God. In You I trust..." Psalm 25, 1&2.