Dear Brothers and Sisters, in our continuing catechesis on Christian prayer, we now turn to the prayer of petition. The Catechism explains that in every prayer we ask for the coming of God’s Kingdom in our lives and in our world. Jesus taught us to pray to our heavenly Father, acknowledging our total dependence on him and trusting entirely in his providential care, even at the darkest moments in our lives. Prayer of petition arises naturally in human hearts. In the Bible we see countless prayers to God to intervene in the face of our helplessness before situations of sickness, injustice, betrayal and despair. Even the simple cry, “Lord, help me!” is itself a powerful prayer. God always hears the cry of those who call upon him. Saint Paul tells us that our prayers echo the yearning of all creation for the coming of the Kingdom (cf. Rom 8:22-24) and the fulfilment of God’s saving plan. We make our prayers of petition with confidence in him who has triumphed over all evil through the cross and resurrection of his Son and the sending of the Holy Spirit, who intercedes on our behalf and quietly works to transform all things.