Does Prayer Even Matter?

What role does prayer play in my life? I have had to ask that question because my own heart is so prone to wander. When I say that, I mean my heart would rather sleep in, skip the prayer request time, or simply say vague, “God bless…..” kind of prayers. I’ve always struggled with making prayer a priority. Although I’ve made positive steps, I still struggle with this spiritual discipline. I think my perfectionist tendencies sees prayer as an “I could do better….” So when I think about prayer I’m tempted to get discouraged rather than get to work.

Yes, developing a prayer life takes WORK. I created a whole course on prayer. I know the work involved, but getting to work is harder than ever. With life so busy, kids, homeschool, being a missionary, the COVID crisis, the weariness of racism, and the heartache of sickness – prayer often takes a back seat when it should be driving the car!

So recently I’ve stepped back into the why. Why pray? Why do I need to work at this? Why do I need to put this as more of a priority? The question, “does prayer even matter” is the root of these questions. Today I’m going to show you (through scripture) why prayer matters more than you could ever imagine.

Prayer matters more than you could ever imagine.

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Prayer…..

Reminds our hearts to rejoice. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Helps us remember that God hears us. (I John 5:14)
Restores our sinful friends. (James 5:16)
Reveals God’s riches to us. (Ephesians 1:18)
Keeps us from temptation. (Matthew 26:41)
Makes God move. (Psalm 102:17; Psalm 17:6)
Reminds us God is near. (Psalm 145:18)
Provides peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Brings forgiveness of our sins. (I John 1:9)
Draws our hearts too close to Christ. (Romans 8)

You might feel like your prayers matter, but they do. If you are a Christian, God hears your prayers. He is moving and working. Many times we might feel like the prayers are hitting the ceiling, but they are bouncing back into the heart of God, who sits with us in the dark.

Prayer matters because God has commanded us to pray. And He would not ask us to do something useless. Every command from God has a purpose. To further our good and give Him glory. How can God be sovereign and in control of everything and still be moved by our prayers? I don’t have the answer to that, I have only the truth of the Bible to share with you. Both of these things are true:

God is in ultimate control of every single thing in this universe.
God is moved by the prayers of His people.

Both are taught over and over again in Scripture. On the surface they seem to contradict, but I can trust God knows how those two things work in harmony. I am content in not knowing how everything works. That’s not my job. My job is to trust, believe, and pray.

If you are struggling with your prayer life – how to get started, check out my course. Use the code: GROW to get a 50% discount!