Does prayer actually change anything?
The Father knows what we need before we ask (Matt. 6:8), and He does not alter His eternal, sovereign plan simply on our say-so. Yet, although prayer does not actually change God's mind, prayer does change things. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
Not at all. Sometimes God waits to answer our prayers because He trusts us to make the right decision. Other times, God requires us to patiently wait for an answer so we can build our faith and trust in Him. And on some occasions, God gives us answers, but they may not be what we'd hoped for.
Pray With the Kind of Faith That Excites God
Bartimaeus displayed that same kind of faith that excites God. He cried out to Jesus and wouldn't stop, even when everyone around him told him to stop and be quiet (Mark 10:46-52). That's the kind of faith that excites God. It's the kind of prayer that changes everything.
“God made the impossible, to be possible and gave me back more than double for my losses and pain,” she wrote. And so, trust God even though things don't make complete sense to you at the moment. Seek God sincerely in prayer. Keep hoping, keep believing, and keep persisting.
Our thoughts about God, our feelings toward our neighbors, and the state of our heart all change when we pray to God. In addition to prayer changing us, prayer does change things around us. As Sproul states: The mind of God does not change for God does not change.
Research consistently shows that prayer can have numerous benefits. For example, prayer can be a solid source of self-soothing and self-comfort when one is experiencing pain, coping with loss, or dealing with traumatic circumstances.
- Ignoring God's Word. If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. ( ...
- Loving Sin. ...
- Desiring Wrongly. ...
- Doubting God.
Your prayers do not align with God's will.
Simply put, sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers because we are praying for the wrong things. And we may not be doing this out of malice, either, so much as out of ignorance. Perhaps we don't know enough of God's Word to know his will.
- As long as your prayers are for selfish motives, driven by pride hidden in your heart, God will not answer them. - Other versions start this verse with “don't be anxious” in place of “Be careful…” - Once you know God has said yes, you know you will receive it.
God can still turn it around
God can change anything and turn any situation around. Even when doctors have given up all hope and say there is nothing that they can do, Jesus still can. He can do what is needed; He can do what is necessary. When we put our faith In Him, He can turn it around.
What does the Bible say about praying for change?
Pray for a Change in your Mind
Romans 12:2 says that we are transformed and changed by the renewing of our minds. When we use the word of God to change our minds, He will transform how we think.
Thank you, dear Lord, for your forgiveness. Thank you for your cleansing my mind and heart. If the wrong I did injured others, help me to go to them, to seek forgiveness and to make amends. Help me, I pray, not to give in to this temptation in the future.

God allows struggle and difficult times because we are sinners and we all come short of the glory of God. God loves us, but because of our sinful nature, He allows these things to happen.
Tell God that you need Him to help you to trust and ask Him to step in and take control. Even though God knows that you are struggling, He wants nothing more than for you to come to Him and ask for help when you need it. God sees more than we can ever see. He knows more than we will ever know.
- The Lord is our Shepherd. John 10:10 says, “I am the good shepherd. ...
- God's Word is truth. ...
- God knows all. ...
- God is in control of all things. ...
- God is faithful. ...
- God remains the same. ...
- God has a purpose for everything. ...
- We are commanded to trust Him.
16:1, 2, 25). The good news is: God is in the business of changing our plans to His plan, resulting in something much better than I could hope for. This is what he did with his own disciples.
Daily prayer can bless you, your family, and those you pray for. It can also invite more peace into your life, help you learn more about God's plan for you, and more.
First, engaging in 12 minutes of personal reflection and prayer each day makes a profound impact on our brain. It strengthens a unique neural circuit that specifically enhances our social awareness and empathy and helps us love our neighbor by developing a heightened sense of compassion and subduing negative emotions.
Answer: They are not wasted. Those in heaven don't need our prayers, and those in hell are unable to profit by them. Only those who are undergoing purification prior to entering full union with God in heaven (1 Cor 3:12-15) can avail themselves of our prayers.
Prayer has the power to transform our lives
In 1 John 5:14, the scriptures tell us: “And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us.” There is immense power in daily prayer. Jesus tells us that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do great things as He did.
How prayers can change your life?
God, our loving Heavenly Father, wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. He always listens to us when we pray. Daily prayer can bless you, your family, and those you pray for. It can also invite more peace into your life, help you learn more about God's plan for you, and more.
The most obvious answer to the question, “How can I know God's will for my life?” is to ask Him. Turn to God in prayer and ask Him what He wants you to do. God wants you to go through the process of seeking His will without believing the lie that He is trying to hide it from you.
Prayer also energizes the heart of a believer through the power of the Spirit. Consistent prayer also releases the power of God's blessing on your life and circumstances. Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
Prayer is one of the most important spiritual exercises for a believer. Jesus, the Son of God and Lord of all things, spent whole nights in prayer while He lived on earth. Prayer is powerful because God commands us to do it, and it is a way of daily communicating with Him.
God hears all your prayers (Psalm 139:4, 1 John 5:14–15, 1 Peter 3:12) and, in one sense, he answers all your prayers. But we do not always receive what we ask for. When we ask God for something, the response will be 'Yes' or 'No' or 'Wait'.
4. When we pray for others, God releases His grace and power into their lives. After commanding Christians to “pray for each other,” James goes on to say: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Prayer makes a powerful difference in the lives of those we pray for.