A READER wnats to know how, aside from sending his monthly remittance to the Philippines, can
he help the Philippines in its time of financial crisis. I told him that the first help that he can extend is to include the
Philippines in his morning prayers.
As the only Christian country in Asia, the Philippines has been known to have been delivered from
natural or man-made calamities through its faith in Divine Providence. The miraqcle that was EDSA was believed to have happened
because of the Filipinos' collective prayers. Recently, th ePhilippines was spared while other countries suffered devastations
and sufferings brought in by storms and flooding. We also saw on TV how thousands of Pinoys knelt in prayer for Angelo de
la Cruz's freedom from his captors. After setting a date for Angelo's beheading, the captors eventually set him free.
So I was surprised, therfore, when Philippine leaders forgot the importance of looking up to Heaven
for deliverance when they reacted to Pres. Arroyo's announcement of the country's being in a fiscal crisis. Instead, aside
from finger-pointing, most of them from senators to bishops, suggested various solutions to the crisis.
Ordinary citizens like us suggest and should initiate a morning-prayer movement which will make
it a habit for us to pray for the Philippines every morning we wake up. As a saying goes, "PRAY IT WORKS!" so will not God
intervene when eight million OFWs all over the world pray everyday for the Philippines' deliverance?
Will not our daily prayers also touch the hearts of those who cause not only the fiscal crisis
but the daily exodus if His children from their homeland? Will they not repent and change their ways?
Will our prayers stop the mud-throwing between our government leaders and instead begin multilateral
moves towards reconciliation and concerted and united effor to solve the problems of fiscal deficit and fast-growing national
debt?
Will our daily prayers, aside from reconciling and uniting our leaders, lessen the selfishness
from and increase the goodness in the hearts of people so that harmony, peace and order reign in the country?
Will our prayers, aside from bringing peace and order to our country, also bring tourists and
investors to our beautiful and naturally blessed country?
Will our prayers, aside from increasing the volume of tourists and investors, also help in developing
businesses and jobs?
Will our prayers, aside from developing businesses and jobs, help in bringing food, shelter and
education to the family?
IT WILL, SO PRAY IT WORKS!
