Power of Prayer

[leealexander128]

Dr. Miller, how would you describe the power of Prayer?
Are prayers more beneficial as a way to reassure the self? Or do they hold some influence on God? Or neither?
How does a timeless God, one that already knows the beginning and end of everything, utilize prayer?
Thank you.

[Mike Miller]

Hey there! I love this question, as I think it is one a lot of people wrestle with. To begin with, I once addressed this question, at least partially, in a post titled "Prayer and God's Unchanging Nature," which you can find here: askmike.proboards.com/thread/46

I also touched on this issue at least tangentially in a post titled "Does God Change His Mind?" You can find that here: askmike.proboards.com/thread/33

Let me supplement those, however, in order to see if I can address your question specifically. First, prayer is indeed beneficial in that we personally gain some comfort and assurance from it. My dad died two and half years ago, and sometimes I really want to pick up the phone and talk to him. I don't need anything from him. I'd just like to talk to him. I always got great comfort from talking to my dad. In prayer, I can take all my concerns and burdens to God, knowing that He loves me and understands all things. And I'm also able to gain the perspective that God is in control. So when I pour my heart out to Him, I am reminded that He is at work in any and every situation--even if I don't see it, or even if I would personally prefer a different outcome.

Prayer does not influence God, since God is unchanging and sovereign in all His decrees and actions. However, prayer is frequently the means by which He has ordained to accomplish His will. In other words, sometimes God has a plan to do something, and His plan is to do it through the prayers of His people. In that way, we rely on Him and understand that He is the one who is doing it. When God uses our prayers in this way, our faith is strengthened, and we rely on Him more fully.