During January, our sermon series is called “Prayer Changes Everything.” 

When it comes to prayer, there are many misconceptions. Prayer is not a “magic wand” or a “first aide kit”; it’s not something we turn to only when we’re desperate. Neither is prayer some sort of “tug-of-war” with God, as we try to convince him to do something “nice” for us. Further, and most importantly, prayer is not simply a “religious duty,” something we do out of a sense of guilt or obligation.

Simply put, we pray to express our devotion and dedication to God; we pray in order to understand God’s purpose for our life; we pray because this is how God hears us and how he meets our needs and the needs of others; and we pray as a means of cooperating with God as he accomplishes his purposes in our world.

OWe will consider why we pray, how we pray specifically and hear God’s response, how we pray for others, and what we do when God is silent, when he doesn’t answer our prayers.