What Good Is Prayer, Anyway?

By Associate Pastor for Prayer Ben Dickerson

Sometimes we look at what happens in life and ask ourselves, “Does it really make any difference whether or not I pray?”  At a recent group discussion in our church, a strong attitude prevailed that the only difference between the life experience of Christians and non-Christians was the inner strength and hope that carries Christians through the tough times. There was no expectation that God will protect us from affliction, only that He will help us through it.

Although we are warned to expect persecution, the message of Scripture is that God grants His children protection against and escape from the “curse” that is upon the world because of sin (Galatians 3:13-14).  That curse includes disease, lack of success in making a living, broken marriages and families, etc.  On the other hand, there in Galatians Paul mentions the “blessing given to Abraham”, that we can expect from God; it is exactly the opposite: good health, success in work and material affluence, and happy, healthy families.  (See Deut. 28)

The group I mentioned above, based their attitudes on our experience, not on what God's Word seems to say.  Why is there such a discrepancy between what the Scriptures seem to promise and what we experience “in the real world”?

Jesus said, “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Satan is actively working to steal God's answers to your prayers.  (He's delighted if you don't believe that.)  The apostle John said, “The Son of

God appeared in order to destroy the works of Satan.”  And Jesus said He was establishing His church to continue this work of tearing down “the gates of hell” that hold people captive in chains of sin, disease, poverty, and all other kinds of brokenness.