The Power of Prayer — Editorial by President Melva A Cackler

01Welcome to the November issue of the Herald of the Second Invitation! It is the desire of the General Authorities that readers will feel blessed and challenged by this month’s articles and that you will find opportunities to share these articles with your friends around the world.

There is a very important addition to this month’s Herald: an enlightening article by Prophet Berger has become available for inclusion in this issue: The evening of the fullness of time — Prophet Maurício Artur Berger. It will be important for readers to not only read, but to carefully study this information that has been written for this very time.

In the “Announcements”, there is updated information about the online conference that is being held later this month. Everyone is invited to reserve Saturday, November 30, for the conference sessions that will begin at 10am in Brazil. For some international members, this conference will be continuing for several hours past midnight and, for others, it will not even begin until midnight. We sincerely regret this situation. However, after the conference, recordings will be available on the website.

The other announcement relates to a decision that has recently been made by the General Authorities regarding a new word formed by Prophet Mauricio Berger.

There have been various spellings and translations for this new word. To create consistency in our published materials we, the General Authorities, have unanimously agreed to use the recommendations that were recently presented to us by our prophet. We request that everyone follow this decision:

Portuguese: Antroposinaistima — English: Anthroposynaisthima

As explained by Prophet Berger: “The main objective of ANTROPOSINAISTIMA [Anthroposynaisthima] is to provide effectively to the student who is dedicated to the understanding of ANTROPOSINAISTIMA [Anthroposynaisthima] his [an] education system, [with the] means that elevate him to levels of understanding, in which he begins to gradually assume conscious command of his emotions and feelings, coming to take control of himself in all aspects, both ontological and synaystics” (para. 3, February 18, 2024 School of the Prophets, translated from Portuguese).

According to the text of Moses 3:70 in The Sealed Book, faith is nothing more than the sum of feelings of reliability exercised together in the hearts of men. Faith, therefore, in the comprehensive sphere of Antroposinaistima [Anthroposynaisthima], requires in the first instance that we see, or in other words, perceive the things and events that occur around us, not with natural eyes, whose essence programmed by the system tends to lead us by negative perceptions and emotions, such as complaints and irritability. Antroposinaistima [Anthroposynaisthima], however, is the principle that now needs to be perceived, whose worldview, which has been imprinted on us by a sick, petty and selfish system, needs to be illuminated with this new knowledge, like rays of sunlight entering the dark alleys of our soul, so that our vision of the whole is purified and revived by conscious emotions and feelings that all things, whether good or apparently bad, happen for a positive reason, although at the moment it may seem infinitely negative, but in the end, it will prove itself which was a necessary and beneficial process for the maturation and progress of the being (para. 1 of Lesson 1, March 15, 2024, translated from Portuguese).

English: Anthroposynaisthima — Portuguese: Antroposinaistima

The power of prayer: in the Christian faith, lighthouses symbolize many things. For one person, it may be safety, stability, and direction; for another, it may be perseverance and hope; for others, it may be guidance and strength. In my experience, all of these characteristics of a lighthouse point to a simple but all-embracing statement: the power of prayer and faith!

In addition to the symbolism of the lighthouse, we cannot ignore its foundation — it is crucial that the foundation provide stability for a lighthouse. It must be built on solid rock or a very deep and sturdy foundation. When we build our beliefs, our faith, our lives, on a solid foundation — on this Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ — our lives will be built on unshakable ground that will carry us through the challenges and storms of life. It will also provide the foundation for effective prayer.

Sister Carla Batista, Second Counselor in the Fountain of Living Waters, in her article, writes that “there is no foundation more solid than that established on the Rock, which is the Lord Jesus and His Word.”

In Australia, during my preteen years, my family started attending church and became involved in various evangelical groups. We had many good experiences, and it was during this time that I learned a hymn that ended with the words: “Are you living where God answers prayer?” Throughout my life, these words have come to my mind, sometimes as a challenge, other times giving reassurance that, yes, I am living where God answers prayer!  Of course, answering our prayers does not mean that the Lord will save us from life’s challenges, but we have the assurance that He will help us through our difficulties.

Sister Carla states: “We must carry with us the spirit of prayer during every task we have to accomplish in life, through simple and daily conversations with the Father.” Yes, living a life of prayer needs to be a vital part of daily living, and it needs to become part of family life. Sister Carla counsels that “we must teach our children to constantly talk to the Lord. He must be our children’s best friend….” 

Hope, faith, sincerity, compassion, and good feelings are all components of a healthy and effective prayer life. In The Sealed Book of Moses 4:24, we are assured of the following:

And if you have only hope, so that your feelings can not be shaken, then you will have faith, and if you have this faith, then you have in yourself the keys to open and close all situations.

I am very grateful that faith and prayer have been part of my experience for most of my life. My husband and I have been very blessed with our two sons and their families. In this Herald, readers can catch a glimpse of these blessings as you read our oldest grandson’s testimony. You will discover where some of Zachary’s faith comes from. However, I also want to assure the reader that the seeds for that faith were planted very early in his childhood!

When you read “The Night of November 26, 2019”, I hope you will enjoy getting to know Zachary through his testimony! I’m sure that you will appreciate his desire for accurate details and that you will sense his valiant spirit. And, yes, he does have a strong faith!

The power of prayer! And the effectiveness of faith! Yes, we are challenged, and blessed, to be “living where God answers prayer”!