The Effectiveness of Prayer
Prayer is often misunderstood as useless, especially in a scientifically oriented culture where we always want proof and verification. Can we prove the effectiveness of prayer? A scientific method may start to identify something that can be measured before and after. If we pray for sunny weather, over a period of time we can plot the number of days with sun. But that’s precisely what prayer is not! Prayer isn’t to change God’s mind, it is to change our minds. Prayer is for us to align with God’s Will so that we become available to do His work. Therefore, if we pray that a friend heals from a disease, we’re asking God for the inspiration to journey with this friend in their sickness. In prayers for injustice in the world, we allow God to change us. Perhaps in the future we are called to house refugees, or donate to humanitarian aid, or to explain our faith in a very difficult situation. When we pray, we make ourselves available for whatever God calls us to do.
