Introduction

Our Triune God and our Blessed Mother Mary are calling us to pray the Rosary daily. The Rosary is a powerful invocation to the Mother of the Saviour of the world to pray with us to her Son, Jesus Christ, for our special petitions while we meditate on his mysteries and salvation plan for each one of us without exception.

The Rosary is the weapon of our times [2], with which we can conquer the world [3]. No one moves the heart of God like his Mother, so why not ask her to intercede for you to her Son? In the words of Father God to Fernanda de Sequeira, Jesus Christ’s End of Times messenger [4]:

“You can’t come to my Son’s Heart and not to his Mother’s Immaculate Heart because they are always inseparable.” (Father God to Fernanda de Sequeira, 2012)

Which loving child will refuse the call of his mother? Jesus certainly didn’t when his Mother asked him to turn the water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana, even though it was not yet his time to perform miracles [5].

Jesus Christ instructs us to honour our father and mother as he does. He perfectly aligned his will to his Father’s. He also honoured his Mother by gifting her to us as our Mother and he crowned her as the Queen of Heaven after she was assumed into heaven [6]. Mother Mary is our Mother, the Mother of Jesus and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. This makes her the most powerful intercessor to God. She moves the Sacred Heart of Jesus like no other and indeed, all generations have called her “Blessed” as prophesied in Luke 1:48. In the words of Jesus Christ to Alan Ames [7]:

“The Mother of Jesus is such a special mother. Sweet Mother, who devoted all her life to God, sweet Mother who gave all to God. My Mother, giving birth to the Son of God placed herself above all others. When God chose Mary he chose her before she was born, he chose her to be immaculate. He chose her to be the new Eve, he chose her because she was pure.

“Mary who was free from sin unlike any of mankind before her and unlike any of mankind since. Mary, my Mother, so innocent, so pure, so free from sin. The act of giving birth to the Son of God lifts my Mother above all others. The act of nurturing, caring for and giving herself completely to me as I grew lifts Mary, my Mother, above all others. The act of walking the way of the cross with me without begging for my freedom, without complaining and without blaming God for my suffering, lifts my mother above all others. The act of laying my body in the tomb and trusting in God that I would return lifts my mother above all others. The act of comforting and strengthening my disciples as they waited uncertain of their future after I ascended into heaven lifted my mother above all others.

“When I assumed my Mother into heaven, this lifted my Mother above all others. When my Mother is ignored it hurts me as it would hurt man if his mother is ignored. Imagine a friend was visiting and your mother welcomed him into your house but he totally ignored her and came straight to you, wouldn't you be offended? Imagine if your friends came to your house injured and your mother offered them care and comfort but they ignored her and only asked for your help, wouldn't you be offended?

“It is the same with my Mother; when she is ignored I am offended. When she is turned away, I am offended. When she is spurned, I am offended. My Mother was chosen by God and my Mother favoured by God, so show her the respect she deserves; the respect the Mother of God deserves. When you pray through my mother you pray to ask for her help, her intercession, her asking God to help you. God, who asked so much from Mary longs to give so much through her. Mary, a favoured human, not God, but oh so special!” (Jesus Christ to Alan Ames, 1995)

Throughout the ages, our Triune God and Mother Mary have confirmed the importance of praying the Rosary through their messengers. More recently:

“The angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son finds joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly imagine. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as much as the Rosary.” (Mother Mary to Blessed Alan de La Roche, c.1460)

“A Rosary of love is a powerful petition through my Mother to God. A Rosary of love is a powerful gift that is given to help overcome evil. A Rosary of love comes from God through my Mother as a gift that will be listened to and answered in love. My Mother’s Rosary, a joyful gift from God to his children.” (Jesus Christ to Alan Ames [8], 1996)

“My children should have a strong teaching from their birth about praying the Rosary as a family, infusing in their little hearts about God, my Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit, going to Mass, Confession at a young age and as soon as they make their First Holy Communion, never failing to receive my Son’s Precious Body and Blood in purity of heart.” (Mother Mary to Fernanda de Sequeira [9], 2010)

“My Beloved Mother Mary is asking you all to pray the Rosary as a family. Oh, fasting is also the key against the enemy. Oh, the enemy hates my Mother Mary because he knows the Hail Mary is the strongest (prayer) weapon against the adversary.” (Jesus Christ to Fernanda de Sequeira [10], 2012)

“I, your Mother, I ask you in this new year of 2017, I repeat the same many times and in all my apparitions all over the world: pray the holy Rosary, pray as a family because the family that prays together stays together. The enemy, he hates my Hail Mary. He prowls the world so fiercely to destroy my children, causing havoc and confusion in families. His aim, which is becoming stronger and stronger, is to destroy families and marriages, but my children, the power of the holy Rosary can combat his evil tricks. Oh, if only my children would listen and practise praying as a family, it is the strongest weapon against the enemy’s tricks. My dear children, pray as my Son Jesus asked you.” (Mother Mary to Fernanda de Sequeira [11], 2017)

Our Lady of Fatima visionary, Sister Lucia dos Santos, says, “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”

Our Lady of Fatima told Sister Lucia that we must pray the Rosary daily, and the same call continues today through Jesus’ messengers and Mother Mary’s visionaries. There are two outcomes in praying the Rosary daily: either evil goes in flight or the person gives up praying the Rosary. In our healing ministry, we have yet to meet a person who has not been healed by persistently praying the Rosary − and, of course, by making a conscious decision to do God’s will. This includes the most hardened of sinners, ranging from criminal drug addicts to those who have sold their souls to the devil in Satanism.

In addition to witnessing miracles through the Rosary, I have noticed that whenever we pray the Hail Mary in deliverance prayer, demons become particularly enraged and deliverance in the name of Jesus is more effective. One day, a prayer-team member held up a statue of Mother Mary in front of someone who was heavily possessed and the demon, which was fighting to stay in its victim, stared at the statue and cried out, “We underestimated you!” On another occasion a demon screamed at the statue of Mother Mary, “No, no not her − keep her away!” The Hail Mary is the prayer that is most hated by Satan because he is powerless over our Blessed Mother Mary. Unlike Eve, he could never entice her [12], a creature like him, to sin. This is a blow to his pride, enrages him and is the reason he is at war with her and her offspring. The devil knows that Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) defeated him on the cross but, in his pride, he cannot bear the fact that he is powerless over a woman created by God, whom, as prophesied in the book of Genesis, will crush his head:

“I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Jesus Christ confirms through his End of Times Messenger, Fernanda de Sequeira, that this prophesy will soon come to fruition [13]:

“My child, I want to convey to you, my hand is getting tired. I have been trying very hard to keep my hand up. My Beloved Mother watches these crimes and atrocities with me. I say and I repeat, it is very cruel, it is a crown of thorns into my heart and my Mother’s heart. My child, you were trembling: that’s only a bit of what we feel. My child, your mission is almost done. Write everything down for you to convey to the world what my pains are, and my dear Mother’s. Keep praying for the youth. Oh my child, very soon you are going to start your mission, then you must go to prayer groups. Prayer groups joined together will make an impact on this satanic work. My Mother will crush the serpent’s head in the end, but for this we need intense prayers. My child, I your Jesus, had to convey my pain. You are my messenger to the world... Yes, my child, only prayers and Rosaries will combat Satan” (Jesus Christ to Fernanda de Sequeira, 2010)

By making a daily commitment to pray the Rosary for the salvation of souls, the living and the dead, you can and will make a positive difference: not only for you and your family but also for the whole of humankind.

Why should we pray?

God has made us in his image, and Jesus Christ confirmed that we will be able to do greater works than him − and it all starts with prayer. Prayer includes meditating on God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, talking to him, thinking about him, asking him and praising him. Prayer involves building a relationship with each person in the Holy Trinity:

“I, your Father God, my Son, Jesus of Nazareth and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete: we are called the Triune God, the Holy Trinity. We are the Three-in-One Persons inseparable, undivided. I, your Father God, I created you all with so much love. I love you, each one of you, equally in my own image. My Son Jesus Christ, he is your Saviour, the redeemer of all of your sins. His love is unconditional to each one of you. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, he is your breath of life. Since you were conceived, he lives within you, in every instant of your life. Without the Holy Spirit there is no life. The Holy Spirit is your guidance at your cross roads, your teacher in conjunction with Mother Mary. But you my people, you forget to ask the Holy Spirit to help you, to show you with clarity where the darkness is, what is being hidden in the dark to bring into the light. Do not fear to ask us, the Holy Trinity, for help, for guidance. When it seems like the boat is sinking, my Son Jesus Christ is there to rescue you, to bring you safely ashore. He is the captain of your boat, your ship. If you call him (us), we will never let you sink into the deep seas. My Son Jesus is your anchor at all times.” (Father God to Fernanda de Sequeira [14], 2017)

Prayer also includes adoring our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, in the Blessed Sacrament [15], sharing in his holy sacrifice in Mass with him [16], and repenting contritely of our sins in the Sacrament of Confession [17].

The first step in a building a relationship with God is to make the choice to obey and to pray to him. As St John Chrysostom said, “God governs the world, but prayer governs God himself.” Prayer is a partnership with God: his power and graces are delivered to the world through our prayers. We can change the world through our prayers. Jesus never said it would come without sacrifice, but he did say that his kingdom will come and his Holy Spirit will strengthen in our hearts. He also said that we would reap a big reward in heaven as a result of our love of God and neighbour, the cornerstone of which is prayer to God for the salvation of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The more we become part of God’s salvation plan, the less sin there will be in the world, the more we will alleviate Jesus’ pains and the more souls will be saved.

For whom must I pray?

When praying for particular petitions, for prayers to be more effective always include the victims and the perpetrators of evil. This sends evil in flight from both parties. Those who do evil need God’s graces delivered to them through our sacrificial love and prayers, so that they can become better people and reach salvation. It is only Satan who wants us to not pray for them, not forgive them and to curse our enemies because that is how he leads us into darkness too. We must not forget that the angels and saints in heaven, our friends in Christ, are ready to help us in prayer and in combatting evil in Jesus’ name, if we just ask [18]. We also have the souls in purgatory, who are purifying to get into heaven, who desperately need our prayers to release them into heaven − they too will pray for you in return [19].

In your Rosary petitions, pray Rosaries for whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to petition to our Lord, together with our Blessed Mother Mary, our most gracious advocate. Pray for your loved ones and family, friends and enemies, believers and non-believers, employers and employees, business and civil leaders, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the free and the imprisoned, the sick and the dying, the living and the dead, your community, your country and the whole world. Pray for the perpetrators and the victims of Satanism, satanic music, witchcraft, false religions, drug addictions, alcoholism, abortions, divorce, child abuse, exploitation, cruelty, euthanasia and war. Pray for the conversions of producers and the consumers of evil in the media and entertainment industries, which is widespread today [20]. Pray for God’s way to be reinstated in homes, schools, businesses, society and government. Pray for the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the gift of chastity in our youth, unity in families and for the youth who are under attack today, being lured into alcoholism, drugs, promiscuity, and all kinds of evil. Pray for the Church: the pope, bishops, priests, nuns and clergy, and for more vocations. The Catholic Church is under intense attack from the devil: he is doing everything he can to tarnish it because without the Body of Christ (our daily bread) offered in daily Masses around the world, there will be no more living sacrifice of Christ and his graces will stop flowing to earth. Priests, in particular, need prayers because they can either shepherd God’s people through their holiness or they can scatter and put people off the Church if they go astray.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring the light of Christ into people, to help them to understand the truth, and for many conversions while we still have time. God will thank you and reward you for this act of love when you encounter him. The prayer list is endless [21]. Never stop praying: pray without ceasing and, most importantly, pray with love and compassion in your heart.

God loves us all equally and he needs our prayers for his people. He is empowering us by making us part of his salvation plan, in his image. God wants to give us more graces, which he will if we open our hearts to him. True love involves a two-way relationship, and the foundation of this relationship is built through prayer and doing God’s will. What better way than to start this relationship with the Mother of Jesus at your side, praying for you to her Son, asking him through her Tears of Blood to hear your petitions.

God’s call to prayer today is the same as always:

“Do not despair in times of tribulations and hardships. Pray, pray your prayers. They will be answered: if it is not for what you prayed for, they will be used for the right things in your life. My children forget that prayers move mountains. If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, the mountains will be moved in my holy name. With me, your Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. This power was given to me by my Father God.” (Jesus Christ to Fernanda de Sequeira [22], 2016)

“Oh my dear people, make time to save your souls. Do not say, ‘My time does not permit me to pray.’  Oh no, you can pray without ceasing in your heart. That means when your heart is constantly in tune, in love with my Son Jesus Christ, when your heart yearns for Jesus Christ. This is a beautiful prayer that my Son Jesus takes into the abode of his heart.” (Father God to Fernanda de Sequeira [23], 2016)

And Mother Mary teaches the same:

“The souls in purgatory suffer there for many years without having anyone to pray for them. These souls yearn to see the face of God. My children, you do not understand how these souls thirst for your prayers. My dear ones, pray for the souls of purgatory and the most abandoned ones, for your families and loved ones. The souls of some of them stay there for all eternity. They also sometimes call me Mother of Mercy. They know that I go to my Son Jesus asking him for mercy and compassion for their poor souls. Oh, my heart breaks in pain when I see my children there for all eternity with nothing to save them, unless you pray for them. Your prayers are their hope of salvation...

“My dear little ones, there is so much need of your help in this entire world. Prayers are very essential. Pray for your country South Africa with all of your hearts. If each one of you offers a prayer for your country and all the countries all over the world, for good governments, leaders, peace, love, unity and understanding, then every prayer would turn the negativeness to positiveness. The power of prayer, my dear little ones, can move mountains. Focus on your prayers, Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets. Leave the earthly things. Focus on my Son Jesus Christ’s heart, his ocean of mercy, his fount of life. Drink this water of mercy that he is waiting for you to drink to purify your brokenness, your pains, your sorrows, your soul, mind, body and spirit, which is much more important in your lives...

“I am your Mother of Mercy. I am constantly at the foot of the cross of Jesus, pleading for mercy and compassion on all of your sins. Come, pray for the conversions of sinners, especially for your loved ones and family. I bless you all with my love. My Virginal Mantle will be your shield of protection. Amen.” (Mother Mary to Fernanda de Sequeira [24], 2016)

Mother Mary’s promises to those who pray the Rosary

The rewards for praying the Rosary are many. The fifteen promises of Our Lady made to St Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche are:

1. To all those who shall recite my Rosary devoutly, I promise my special protection and very great graces.
2. Those who shall persevere in the recitation of my Rosary, shall receive some signal graces.
3. The Rosary shall be a very powerful armour against hell; it will destroy vice, deliver from sin and dispel heresy.
4. The Rosary will make virtue and good works flourish, and will obtain for souls the most abundant divine mercies; it will substitute in hearts love of God for love of the world, and will lift them to the desire of heavenly and eternal things. How many souls shall sanctify themselves by this means!
5. Those who trust themselves to me through the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Those who shall recite my Rosary devoutly, meditating on its mysteries, shall not be overwhelmed by misfortune. The sinner shall be converted; the just shall grow in grace and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Those truly devoted to my Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who recite my Rosary shall find during their life and at their death the light of God, the fullness of his graces and shall share in the merits of the blessed.
9. I shall deliver very promptly from purgatory the souls devoted to my Rosary.
10. The true children of my Rosary shall enjoy great glory in heaven.
11. What you ask through my Rosary, you shall obtain.
12. Those who propagate my Rosary shall be aided by me in all their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Son that all the members of the Rosary Confraternity shall have for their brethren the saints of heaven during their life and at the hour of death.
14. Those who recite my Rosary faithfully are all my beloved children, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Getting started

When you first start praying the Rosary, keep a Rosary guide [25] handy while committing the prayers and all twenty mysteries to your mind. While in prayer, try to visualise the particular mystery on which you are meditating. If you are new to praying the Rosary and are feeling overwhelmed, say your normal prayers followed by a decade of the Rosary for your petitions. When comfortable with this, start meditating on the mysteries and try to say more than one decade. In no time you will be reciting a complete Rosary every day.

If you have a busy schedule, break up your Rosary during the day. Try a decade in the morning, another on the way to work, at lunch time, on the way back from work and in the evening. Instead of watching television, which is often filled with sin, pray more. Pray with your loved ones and your family. When going for a walk, a run or a ride, say the Rosary. When relaxing, say the Rosary. There is never “no time” for praying and talking to God: all we have is the gift of time to get closer to him. You will be surprised how the Holy Spirit will enlighten you with this powerful meditative prayer and how God will talk to you as you go deeper into the joys and comforts of the Rosary. Persist in it, do not give up, and you will bear the fruits.

Teach your children how to pray the Rosary. If they are still young, try saying a condensed Rosary with them, where instead of a full decade for each meditation, say one, two or three Hail Marys instead. Blend the mystery stories with lessons and bring them alive with your prayers to keep them engaged. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you lead in prayer. It will not be long before they will be able to recite all the traditional Catholic prayers, will know the twenty important mysteries of Christ’s life, will want to read further in the Gospels and try other prayers and novenas. Young children have an amazing ability to absorb information and learn prayers, even if they cannot yet read or write. Use this time with them to plant the seeds for a loving relationship with God, so that when they are confronted with evil later on in their lives, they will see it for what it is and be properly equipped to deal with it.

When saying the Rosary, try to let go of worldly distractions – focus on God, submit yourself to him, meditate on him and let him comfort you in the process. Do not be too concerned about how many Hail Marys you are saying or the time: rather let God touch the depths of your heart, mind and soul so that he can gently talk to you, enlighten you and fill you with his divine love. If you do not have a Rosary, do not let that stop you: use your fingers to count – God gave us ten fingers for a reason.

As you purify through God’s sacraments in his Church [26], in particular through regular Confession and having the Body of Christ [27] worthily, so you will be moved on a deeper level by the Rosary. You will find comfort and solace in it and, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you will be drawn into the Sacred Heart of Jesus and your love of God and neighbour will keep growing. The peace of Christ will start to enter your heart, he will heal you, his Holy Spirit will make a home in you and he will reveal himself to you [28].