DOES PRAYER WORK?
By Alan Scott
© 2020 Alan Scott
Yes. It always does. It always deepens our relationship with the Father! So often we measure the impact of prayer by the result we see on the circumstances or person for whom we prayed. If we don’t see the desired outcome, we are tempted to conclude that prayer must not work. We think that for our prayer to work, we must be able to convince, manipulate, or bargain with the Father to change His mind. We judge the effectiveness of prayer by whether we get what we asked for. Prayer becomes a spiritual chore that we never quite master or enjoy.
What if we were to measure the effectiveness of our prayers by how we have been changed? Prayer always leads us into a deeper relationship of submission and dependence upon the Father. As we pray for a particular need, we surrender to the Father’s purpose and will for that need. If we don’t see the desired change in that wayward grandchild or have that unpaid bill miraculously paid, we still trust Him. In our conversations with the Father about these needs, we gain confidence in His deep love for that grandchild. As we pray about that unpaid bill, our surrender and trust to the Father’s wisdom and power will result in our experiencing His peace. Peace always accompanies His presence and assures us that He is with us even when our circumstances seem unchanged.
The purpose of prayer is to deepen our relationship of trust and surrender to the Father’s will, not cajole or manipulate the Father to do our will. Prayer is a privilege and opportunity of intimate fellowship that builds deeper trust in the goodness and faithfulness of the Father. Jesus, who generously taught us to pray, modeled this relationship building prayer life in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He faced death on the cross, He prayed, “…My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39, NIV)
When Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them to pray, He gave them what we have often called The Lord’s Prayer. In our worship services, we have often made these words a ritual of closing our extemporary prayer time by repeating together this prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, (for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.)” Matthew 6:9-13, NIV
What if we were to pray this model prayer at the start of our personal prayer time with the Father instead? It would remind us and lead us to affirm that the foundation of our prayer is our surrender to His will. As we bring our burdens, by name, in fresh surrender, we trust Him in deeper ways. Imagine how this will change your testimony to your grandchild: “I have been praying for you and it has so deepened my relationship and trust in God for you.”
Yes, prayer works. It’s not a chore or duty. It’s an opportunity for a richer relationship with the Father that leads to our comfort through His presence and peace!
