Does Prayer Make A Difference?

To answer that question, I have to say YES. Prayer does make a difference. You may not get the answer you want and you might not even get an answer at all (at least in your lifetime), but whether either one of those situations has happened to you or not, I can almost guarantee that for me, praying made a difference.

I know that sounds a little strange, but when I take the time to bow my head, bend my knee or look up while enjoying the outdoors and talk to the God that created this fantastic, amazing and awe-inspiring universe, trust me…my life is better for it. Here are a few things that prayer does for me:

1. Calms me down
2. Takes my mind off of me
3. Opens my heart and mind to a different perspective
4. Challenges me to trust
5. Lets me know that I’ve talked to the one person that can handle EVERYTHING.

So, hands down, I am better for it even BEFORE the answer comes.

Now I don’t know about you, but my prayer life can always use a tune-up. I’m grateful that my parents taught us as young children, that when you pray, you are talking to God, which means you can do that at any time, in any situation whether driving to work (I do a lot of praying while in my car) or buying groceries or working out. There is never a time when you cannot call out to God in prayer. I find that incredibly comforting.

He’s always there; always listening and always ready to lead you and guide you because He wants the very best for you and me.

I have challenges in my prayer life (or lack thereof). Here are a few:

1. Consistency – I’m either constantly praying or having to put up a sticky note to remind myself to.
2. Doubt – That little nagging voice that tells you that since God knows everything, why do I still need to ask? Or maybe He’s got better things to do than listen to me…
3. Style – I tend to pray the way I talk and write. For me, that’s the only way I know how. Yet when I hear others pray (example: church, meals, etc…) I am blown away at how many are so eloquent and just seem to use words that seem “holier” than mine.

I read a quote from Max Lucado once a very long time ago that helped me. It goes like this:

“Our prayers may be awkward and our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not the one who says it, (we can rest assured that) our prayers do make a difference.”

Just thinking out loud,

Pam