Can My Prayer Change Anything?

Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now. Numbers 14:19

Many years ago, I read a couple of books written by atheists because I wanted to know what objections they had to my faith. One author attacked prayer as a superstition, suggesting that if God was real, then we should be able to do a scientific study on prayer. We should, he said, be able to prove God’s existence by dividing a cohort of sick people into two groups, with one group praying, and the other group not praying. If God was real, then the praying group would be obviously healthier than the non-praying group. If there was no difference, that would prove that God wasn’t real, and that prayer was useless. Over the years, several studies on the effectiveness of prayer have been done, with no conclusive answer one way or the other.

Still, I spend the first half-hour of every day praying. Why? Do I believe that prayer changes anything? Of course I believe that. Even if prayer had no effect on God though, getting up early every day and spending 30 minutes with God has had a profound impact on my life, taking me from addiction to recovery. Many times, I’ve said that even if God wasn’t real, my life has been profoundly better for believing in and following him.

Still though, I believe that God is real and that my prayer can have some effect on him. I do know those who profess to be Christians who believe that because God is unchangeable, that our prayer can have no effect, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. In today’s passage, God threatened to wipe out the rebellious Israelites and start over with Moses. Moses interceded on his people’s behalf though, asking God to forgive them. At least from Moses’ perspective, God changed his mind. Moses’ prayer affected the future for thousands of people. Had the same prayer come from one of those who rebelled against God, that prayer would have likely gone unanswered. God listened to Moses because Moses followed God and had an intimate relationship with him.

The lesson for me, is that my prayers are at least somewhat dependent on my proximity to God. In my addiction, as I ran from God, my prayers were selfish and self-centered. Now, as I’ve daily attempted to follow God’s will instead of my own, he’s transformed me, and my prayers are now more for the good of others. In seeking and growing closer to God, I believe that my prayers are heard differently by him. I’m not promised that all my prayers will be granted but I do believe that in praying I am transformed and, from today’s passage, I can also have confidence that my prayer has some effect on God.