What is the power of prayer?

I've had friends before ask me about what I believe prayers to be, or not be, and in the case of some skeptical friends, if prayer even works.

What prayer is not: A direct line to a cosmic genie or Santa Claus. The purpose of prayer is not to try and wheedle unnecessary material wealth out of God, or attempt to manipulate Him, or bribe Him with promises of good behavior in the future for rewards in the present. It reminds me of the old "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today" bit in the cartoons. But it is amazing how many people I talk with that use prayer exactly for that, and then wonder why it is not answered in the manner they want.

Prayer is a conversation between you and God. A time of communion and communication; where you spend time laying your burdens at the feet of the Lord, thanking Him for the innumerable blessings you already have, and opening yourself up to discern the messages He has for you in your life. The Bible tells us we can ask things of God, but they have to be in accordance with His will and purposes.

Does prayer work? I was once diagnosed with cancer, and the doctors were very concerned as it was located in the lymph-nodes and they thought it would spread quickly. So surgery was only a few weeks later (very fast in medical time.) We had gone home after the initial diagnosis and cried, and then prayed, and then praised. Because whatever was going to happen could be used for God's glory, and we turned it over to Him. My parents prayed, our friends prayed, our church prayed. And when the surgery was done, there was nothing found but a blood sac. The doctors were baffled; they hadn't counted on prayer as an effective aid to treatment.

Now, does God remove all illness every time? No. Sometimes we are given conditions that aren't curable, and must be shouldered with good grace. Sometimes those conditions bring us closer to God, which is a blessing. Sometimes they enable us to minister to others in like circumstances, which is a blessing. Sometimes though, even with the most desperate of prayers, the conditions or illnesses are fatal- God calls us home. That is when even in grief we have trust, even in grief, we hold onto God. Because everyone will die someday, and from the time we are born, the Lord knows when we will be called home.

Does prayer work in emergencies? I have seen people have funds for emergency bills come through. I have seen the poor greeted with unexpected bags of food when their pantries are bare. I have seen the kindness of strangers do the work of God amongst the needy in urban and rural regions. I have seen things I can't explain, and been moved many times by seeing the hand of God through His people reaching the masses. I've also seen people survive accidents that they never should have (been in one myself)...

We can always also pray for those we love; it is a gift and a blessing to bring them before the Lord. He hears the love in our prayers, and is delighted that we bring those we care about to Him in prayer. I have friends who regularly pray for the sick, it is a ministry in and of itself, and the Lord hears those prayers, and always answers with grace and mercy- though not always with the results desired. Sometimes the answer to a prayer is still "No"...no matter how much love goes into the prayer. But if asked for, God will still give peace, comfort and the strength to carry on, day by day.

But if you really want to see prayer transform, then pray for God to work in your life. Just be prepared for the consequences. If you pray for patience, then God will put you in positions where you learn patience. If you pray for self control, He will place you in a position to learn self control.

I, this last year, prayed such a prayer. I asked God to give me a greater sense of His compassion and love for other people. Since then, my heart has been softened, my eyes see more, I am less apt to jump to judgement and more prone to be sympathetic. I always thought I was a fairly soft hearted person before, but now the Lord breaks my heart over people and situations that never moved me before. I see people so differently now...

I saw an even greater demonstration of praying that sort of prayer in my husband, when he prayed to the God he loves, "Make me a man of God, Lord." Our whole lives turned upside at that point; God took him at his word, rearranged our lives, moved us across country and said, "Here....now work." God was just waiting for Charles, who was already a believer, to offer himself up, and pounced. Fr-Charles Butler likes to say, "I had always felt there was a call, but the noise of the world drowned it out. So when I prayed that prayer, God removed the noise so I could hear that still, small voice."

If you ask the Lord to do something in your life for His glory, be it better patience, better parenting, being a better friend/spouse/child., whether it is to be more compassionate, loving and gentle...or whether it is to let the Lord make you a "man or woman of God," He will do it. Prayer is mighty, and it is effective, but we have to pray for the right reasons, and for God's purposes.

-Be blessed my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else. Know that I lift you all up in prayer, asking God's peace and hand to be upon you,

Beth