Why do we pray?  It has often been said there is no point in praying because God is going to do what he wants anyway.  God is in control of our histories and he directs individual lives so what purpose does prayer serve?

For some, prayer is simply a means of taking some kind of control of your life, or so you might think.  If that is what you believe, you will be saddened by what seems to be unanswered prayers. God will answer your prayers, but maybe not how or when you want. I know I have experienced those times and then, somewhere down the road the way the prayer was answered certainly made sense.  The ways some prayers are answered may never make sense in your lifetime, but in God’s big scheme of things they do.

If prayer is first and foremost a conversation between you and God, then His promise to always listen may be the answer your heart needs most.  I equate this with discussing a concern I may have.  If I talk things out with someone (and they don’t even have to answer me), but just serve as a sounding board, I can usually arrive at some place that helps me feel better and more able to deal with my situation. 

This story reminds me of the importance of praying to God.

“Once a man was asked, ‘What did you gain by praying to God?’ The man replied, “Nothing…but let me tell you what I lost: Anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity and fear of death.’  Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not gaining by losing; which ultimately is gain,”

I have one more thing to add to the above list. I feel peace when I pray.  Through God’s unconditional love and through his gift of Jesus, I feel “a peace that passes all understanding”. It is not a peace that the world gives, but a peace that comes for God. And that is a wonderful feeling my friends!  Thanks be to God!

Patty