Introduction  Parallel between illness and sin: the puer paraliticus is the sinful soul lying in domo, i.e. in the body, which is despicable as a worldly element; therefore the soul asks God for help, which one can obtain above all by praying.
Divisio (see above) 1) First part: prayer has its origins in the human intellect and manifests itself through the voice (reference to Thomas Aquinas; exemplum: the human heart as an organ, the human will as the organist, prayer as the sound). Prayer can have three different purposes, and consequently three different recipients: 1. Pray for a wish to be granted = prayer to God; 2. Pray to ask for intercession with God = prayer to the saints; 3. Pray for both reasons = prayer to Christ crucified. 2) Second part: four conditions are necessary for prayer: 1. Innocence and purity; 2. Reverence and humility; 3. Faith and hope; 4. Perseverance. 3) Third part: the virtue of prayer is great and has five powers: 1. Ask God for forgiveness and mercy; 2. Increase grace; 3. Win over enemies; 4. Give consolation from worries; 5. Gain access to heaven.