What's In A Prayer?

This past week I saw statement by an atheist, or atheist organization that said this. ”Prayer is only a demonstration of doubt in the power of God”. As I took a few minutes to allow my initial reaction to settle down, I actually chuckled inside, as I thought it quite odd that an atheist acknowledged the very God they don’t believe in. Perhaps it was just someone who really wanted prayer for a situation, or someone who was wanting to get a reaction. Either way, the statement gave me this message.

For me, prayer is an intimate conversation between us and God. Period. It is a total vocal reliance on the power of our creator. It tells Him that through everything, good and bad, that we trust Him. We either do or we do not, as there is no in between. Prayer is a deep communication of our needs, and yes, our wants. God listens to every word, and to every heart for sincerity and from there on takes the lead. He grants, or He does not. It is not immediate in most cases, which can lead us to question or doubt God. That’s our human reaction as these days we want instant gratification and results. I don’t mean to burst anyone’s bubble, but that is how God works. We must be reminded that He is not the mean old man in the sky, like written about in the Old Testament. That understanding changed when Jesus made a new covenant as told in the New Testament. Yet we all must have a reverence for Him as our Father. God does not play with us like a pet with a toy, rather He waits for us to realize how perfect a Heaven He has for us if we want it.

Prayer is a link to the promise of an eternity of peace and love. It gives the believer (you and me) a hope for something far greater than we can imagine. God asks only that we truly believe in His son Jesus, as written in John 3:16. When we read this scripture with a clean heart, we cast out any doubt whatsoever. Prayer is not doubting the power of God, rather it is an outward demonstration of our belief in His power. We pray for healing. We pray for recovery. We pray for health. We pray for others, and yes, we can even pray for ourselves.  Don’t ever allow anyone to try and convince you otherwise. Those of you who have ever fervently prayed for anything, know that you always feel better afterward. Why? I suggest it is because you know in your heart that God was listening and will answer in a way that will always amaze you.

These recent weeks of watching the news has made a lot of us wonder about the future of our planet. The Russian invasion of a sovereign country like Ukraine is unfathomable. Yet, I see thousands of people all around the world kneeling wherever and praying for peace. Will God answer? I believe He will. Do I say that because I am in the safety and security of my home here in Canada? No. Those who read this should feel blessed that God placed us where He did in times like this. As someone who’s Ukrainian grandfather fled the same thing in the first world war, I ache inside thinking that this could happen today. My bloodline to Ukraine ended with the elimination of my ancestors on my grandfather’s side, yet I am sickened by the way one man has caused terror to so many for personal gain. You, me and everyone else who believes in God, must be praying daily that He will somehow cause a change and have this end. Prayer is a powerful weapon, so let’s us it for good. Pray for Ukraine, pray for each other, pray for ourselves, and pray for our planet. What’s in a prayer anyway? The same power force as it was when Jesus prayed to the Father when He was on the cross, with no hint of doubt in sight.

Mike Shindruk

Master’s Hand Ministry