Letters to our Shepherd

Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Do I have to be a Christian to request a prayer?	Absolutely not! Anyone can request a prayer. Just note that the prayer will be prayed to Jesus and in the name of Jesus Christ.
Does this cost anything?	Nope! This is 100% completely free. I’m offering my personal time to pray for you and your intention voluntarily.
Do you pray for any and all prayers that are requested?	While I will try to pray for all the requests and intentions that come in, I do reserve the right to refuse prayer requests. There are some prayers which I will not pray, for example: prayers asking for God to wish harm or death on someone, prayers that are blasphemous or heretical, prayers that intentionally and maliciously go against the teachings of the Catholic Church, prayers that involve politics, and generally any prayers that are not sincere or of good will.
What are the teachings of the Catholic Church?	The Catholic Church has existed for over 2000 years and is built on thousands of writings and teachings of the most devout and holy people who have had a deep love for Jesus and His Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a book containing all the teachings of the Catholic Church and how it has come to be: https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/ You may also want to consider listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz’s “Catechism in a Year” podcast!
Why should I ask you to pray for me?	This is completely your choice, you truly do not have to ask me to pray for you. This is just something I am offering because I know that my own life has been greatly helped by other people praying for me in my time of need.
Why do you pray in the name of Jesus?	Because Jesus said himself in John 14: 12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” I also make the sign of the cross in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit before and after my prayers.
Are you a Religious? (clergy, pastor, priest, brother/sister, etc.)	No, I’m literally just an ordinary, 31-year old person working a 9-5 job, lol.
Were you always a Catholic?	I was baptized as a baby into the Catholic Church and received Holy Communion, but upon entering high school, I dreaded going to church, started having doubts about religion and faith, and became a teetering atheist/agnostic for about 10 years until Jesus left the 99 to bring me back to Him in 2018. Even after that, I lived a life I am not proud of and wandered for a couple years more, until 2021 when I decided I can’t live like this anymore. In 2022 I decided to take RCIA classes, and I officially (re)became a Catholic after receiving Confirmation at the Easter Vigil in 2023. I’m still not perfect, but I’m just out here trying my best.
My prayer wasn’t answered even though I submitted a request and you prayed for me. What does this mean?	I know that an unanswered prayer can cause you to lose hope, be even more confused than you originally were, or even become angry at God. Please know that you ARE NOT ALONE in feeling this way. I have had SO many prayers of my own that felt like they were “unanswered” or “ignored” by God, and then I would get angry at Him. However, I know that God hears us even though it SEEMS like He doesn’t listen or answer, He is our FATHER and He is the Creator of the universe. He is the Alpha and the Omega and He created YOU. He loves You. And because He has such a perfect love for us and understands us at the deepest core of ourselves, ultimately (and even though it might not feel like it at the moment), He knows exactly what we need, when we need it. In Matthew 26: 36-46, Jesus prays so hard and so desperately for the cup to pass from Him, yet that God’s will be done. It must’ve seemed like God ignored Jesus’ prayer for the cup to pass from Him because ultimately Jesus ends up going through unimaginable torture, suffering, Crucifixion and death. But, God knows all things and knows how to give good gifts because He is our Good, Good Father. Things may seem like it’s all going wrong, that nothing is working and that you’ve been abandoned by God, but be not afraid and have hope. God loves You and wants the best for You and it will all work out in the end in a way you probably didn’t expect, just as Jesus’ prayers seemed to be ignored, God gave the entire world ultimate salvation through Jesus’ death AND resurrection.
Where are the images from?	Site logo: Image by freepik Main page prayer hands: Photo by Deb Dowd on Unsplash About page pink sky: Photo by Andrea Ferrario on Unsplash Services page bible: Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash Services page rosary: Photo by Vitor Monthay on Unsplash Services page monstrance: Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash