Friday, November 7, 2025
Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Welcome to week forty-five of BMW, Be My Witnesses. This week’s prayer session is vitally important for any witness to Jesus, that we ask God’s help to overcome any obstacles placed in our way by the devil. After all, he does not like us to be witnesses.
Prayer: Satan’s Obstacles to the Witnesses of Jesus
Paul wrote to one of his favorite disciples, Timothy. It seems that Timothy did not have the kind of gumption that Paul felt he needed. So, he wrote: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord” (II Tim1:7-8). This is the major obstacle that the devil places before us, that we are not up to the task.
Obviously, there are many other obstacles as well, including the temptations to sin, but here let us focus on the fear that keeps us from going out as witnesses. As Jesus tells us, in one of his longer statements on the devil, “When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). So, our first response is to recognize the lie and as James tells us, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
The devil would have us believe that God cannot use us, yet we really do believe that with God all things are possible (Mt 19:26). This, of course, acknowledges that our witnessing to Jesus is God’s grace, the power of his Holy Spirit at work in us. As St. Paul wrote to the Philippians (4:13): “I have the strength for everything through him who empower me.” We really do believe that his grace is sufficient and that, even in our apparent weaknesses, we are strong with the power of God (II Cor 12:9-10).
So, how do we oppose this obstacle? As we have seen, first, we must believe that God can do all through us. But, second, let us do this week what we always do, pray, “Pray without ceasing” (I Thess 5:17). This places us always before the Lord who is our source. Next, know that what Paul wrote is true, “Do not be overcome by evil but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The good which we seek to do is proclaiming the Good News by our words and deeds.
At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three time before he was to march off to his death. He asked the Father to remove the cup that was being presented to him, but in the end, he accepted the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). Our prayer should be a daily opening our lives to the will of God, knowing that we will go forth that day with the power of God to achieve that holy will.
My Weekly Challenge
For our challenge this week, let us pray over Matthew 4:1-11, the Temptations of Jesus OR Luke 22:39-46, the Agony in the Garden, with our small group and find there the courage that only God can provide.
Until next week, may God Bless you.
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. Here is a video version of this week's Be My Witnesses. Please do share with friends and family. Thank you.