29. How can I guarantee that God will hear my prayer? .. ....... 39
26. What about non-believers?
St. Augustine speaks primarily about praying for all those people who are parts of our lives. But he does not limit prayer's range of action to them. He also counsels prayer for the enemies of the faith and those who are outside the Church.
"And if any of you are not yet called, we should pray for them that they indeed be called. It might be that they are so predestined to be included in our prayers and thereby receive the grace by which they are counted amongst the elect." For God, who has fulfilled all that he predestines, wants us to pray for the enemies of the faith, too, so that we would in turn see that it is he who gives to the unbelievers, too, the gift of faith. And it is he who makes men who formerly were unwilling, to become men who do will it.,,,,
27. How does our prayer play a part in predestination?
The concept of predestination ruffles all sorts of feathers. Augustine treats the theme differently according to the audience he is addressing. In a simple but convincing passage, he holds that our prayer is part of God's plan of salvation for others. In other words, God wants to incorporate our prayer into his saving plan. The only way to know whether our prayer cooperates in the salvation of others is to pray and trust.
"God has so desired it that we ask him that we not be led into temptation ... He might have given us this even if we had never prayed for it, but it is precisely by our prayer that he wants to remind us from whom we receive such benefits. For from whom do we receive but from him who it is fitting to ask? Therefore, the Church should not seek onerous disputations, but tend to its daily prayers. She prays that the incredulous might believe; hence, God converts them to the faith. She prays that believers persevere; hence, God grants them final perseverance. God foreknew that he would do all of this. And this is the predestination of the saints, whom he has chosen in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth. In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will (Eph. 1:4-11). Against a trumpet of truth as clear as that, what man of sober and vigilant faith could accept dispute?"94
28. Does this mean that Augustine counts himself among "the elect," and therefore not in need of prayer?
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Given prayer's singular role in the order of salvation, St. Augustine humbly entrusts himself to his readers' prayers.
"When you find me in these books, pray that I might not fail, but reach perfection. Pray, my son, pray. I feel what I say and understand what I ask. Do not let it seem something unbecoming or too elevated for you. You would cheat me of great help if you were not to do so. But not only you, but anyone who by your witness should come to love me, let him pray for me, too. Read Sacred Scriptures, and you will discover that the Apostles, shepherds of Christ's flock, asked it of their hearers. And since you ask it of me, I will most certainly do so for you to the best of my ability. He who sees this is the Hearer of all prayer, and it was he who saw that I had already prayed for you even before you asked it of me. We have been placed over you, for you are of God's flock. Take note that our dangers are graver than yours - so pray for us; this is most becoming of us and you, that, in this way, we might be able to render good accounts of you to the Chief Shepherd and Head over us all. Thus we might escape the tribulations and the seductions of this world, which are more dangerous, except when the peace of this world has the effect for which the apostle enjoins us to pray, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and hon . . . Ask, then, for us what we ask for you, that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. Let's ask this for each other wherever you may be or I, for he to whom we belong is ever present."95