Spiritual Warfare: The Masculine Biblical Theology of Prayer, by Jesse Romero

By Jesse Romero, Catholic Exchange, February 18, 2025

Jesse Romero is a full-time, bilingual Catholic Lay Evangelist who is nationally recognized for his dynamic, upbeat Christ-centered preaching. A resident of Phoenix, AZ, and a retired Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff, he was a three-time world Police Boxing Champion and a two-time USA Kickboxing Champion. Jesse makes the sometimes-complex teachings of the Faith understandable with his straight-talk approach. His messages are delivered with energy and conviction which have become his trademark ….

The Church is suffering from a lack of male participation, while Islam has an abundance of men within its ranks. Have you ever wondered why that is?

If you ask the average American male to come to Church and join in prayer, he will yawn like a lion and say, “Boring! That’s what my Mom and Grandma do . . .” Arguably, most guys associate prayer with being pusillanimous, meaning “lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid; frightened and fearful.” Unspiritual men might describe men that pray with the “abbreviated form” of pusillanimous.

I understand the power of prayer because I have had giants in the Catholic Faith mentor me. Now it is my goal to bring a whole army of men, who are currently only spectators, into the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. How? By showing them that “praying” is the most masculine thing a man can do. It’s harder than lifting weights, jogging, punching a bag—all that’s easy. Praying requires complete control and discipline of the soul and the body—now that’s difficult. …