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Does prayer “work”? How?
Yes, I definitely believe prayer works. Your second question, however, is the tough one that has been pondered and written about for ages by a large number of scholarly folks. Because we have a Western scientific mind, we often want to see the cause and effect of prayer. By faith however, we can take a different approach to prayer and begin to experience and enjoy the mystery of prayer. Paul writes in Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” So, we first reach out to the Holy Spirit, which is God’s energy and power in the world, as we begin to pray. I am wondering what have been your experiences with prayer?
Back to your first question – does prayer work? In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, without one shot being fired. This happening, can in part, be traced back to people in Leipzig, Germany who had been praying at St. Nicholas Kirche in that East German city for quite awhile. Some people attribute the drop of the Iron Curtain, rightfully so, to Pope John Paul II of the Vatican, President Ronald Reagan of the United States, and Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union. I believe the humble prayers of the people of Leipzig also had much to do with this event. You might find this an interesting story to read about. If you are interested in learning more about prayer, I recommend Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster, Ten Prayers that Changed the World by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, and The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord’s Prayer by Kathleen McGowan.
