Can Prayer Really Change Things?

I have heard the claim made that “prayer changes things”. While that cliche sounds good and can be motivation in prayer, it isn’t a guarantee. Sometimes prayer doesn’t change things. In fact, sometimes things get worse.

I don’t know how I can deal with that.

So can we change God’s mind?

There are several examples in the Bible when prayer changed God’s mind.

Moses and the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:7-14)
After the Israelites created a golden calf to worship, God’s anger burned hot, and He intended to destroy them and start over with Moses. Moses pleaded with God to remember His covenant promises and spare the people. Consequently, the text states that the Lord "changed His mind" and withheld the threatened destruction.

Hezekiah’s Extended Life (2 Kings 20:1-6)
The prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah to get his affairs in order because he was terminally ill and would die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed with bitter weeping, asking God to remember his faithfulness. Before Isaiah had even left the courtyard, God sent him back to tell Hezekiah that He had heard his prayers, seen his tears, and would add 15 years to his life.

Abraham and Sodom (Genesis 18:22-33)
God revealed His plan to judge the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their extreme wickedness. Abraham interceded, persistently negotiating with God to spare the cities if a certain number of righteous people could be found. God agreed to lower the threshold of righteous individuals with each prayer from Abraham, ultimately agreeing to spare the region for just 10 righteous people.

The Repentance of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10)
God told the prophet Jonah to warn the wicked city of Nineveh that it would be overthrown in 40 days. The king and the people of Nineveh responded by repenting, fasting, and praying. Seeing their change of heart, God "relented" (or changed His intended course of action) and did not bring the destruction upon them.

David and the Plague (2 Samuel 24:10-25)
After King David sinned by holding an illegal census, God sent a plague upon Israel. Following David’s deep repentance and prayers for mercy, coupled with his obedience in building an altar and offering sacrifices, God "relented" and stopped the plague before it reached Jerusalem.

Yes, the Bible teaches that prayer changes things. Throughout Scripture, God invites people to bring their requests to Him, promising that He hears them and responds. Prayer is portrayed not merely as a ritual, but as an active conversation that influences circumstances, brings healing, and shifts the course of events.

The concept that prayer has a direct impact on outcomes is supported by several key biblical principles:

Prayer impacts circumstances: In ⁠James 5:16, it says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." The Bible also provides stories of prayer changing situations, such as when Moses interceded for the Israelites and God relented from a planned disaster (Exodus 32:14).

Asking brings results: Jesus encouraged His followers to ask, seek, and knock, assuring them that their Heavenly Father will give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:7-11).

Prayer changes hearts and minds: Often, the "change" that happens through prayer is in the perspective of the person praying or in the wills of the people involved. Through prayer, God grants peace and aligns human desires with His perfect will (Philippians 4:6-7).

Aligned with God's will: The effectiveness of prayer is tied to God's ultimate purposes. Believers are encouraged to pray according to His will (1 John 5:14-15), trusting that a sovereign God uses prayer to accomplish His goals and bring about what is good.

While there are times that prayer doesn't change things, we can't give up trying to do what we know we can do.  We may not control the ultimate results but we can appeal to a loving God that will hear us.  We are supposed to bring our concerns to Him and share our heart with Him.  If prayer is the only thing we can do, we have actually done everything that we can do.

When You Need A Miracle

We pray for miracles. We wait - many times impatiently - for our prayers to be answered. We are painfully aware that sometimes the miracle doesn't come.

I believe in miracles. I believe in praying for miracles. Many people don't.

I'm in a place right now that I am waiting for the miracle. It's a whole lot easier to believe in miracles when you don't need one.

I have heard the sermons about healing, stories of miracles and claims people make about God answering prayers. Believing is hard especially when you are in the place where you can't see it. I don't see it. Honestly my belief is being put to the test. Will my God deliver? Am I believing foolishly in a miracle?

I have come to understand that I have absolutely no control over this. I can't make God do a darn thing. I can't make any deals or manipulate Him into answering my prayers in the way I want them to be answered.

Do I even know HOW to pray? I will be honest and say I have had that question in my head. All of my years in church and believing, am I even praying right?

In addition to that...I also ask the question: Who am I? I am a nobody in this world of billions of people. Why would God hear my prayers? I'm not anybody special. I'm not a preacher or any spiritual leader in anything.

I'm just floundering a bit right now. I'm worried the miracle won't come. It's hard to stay positive when others around you don't believe.

God can do whatever He wants to do however He wants to do it. So this is where we are. What does God what to do here? I can only do what I can do and just leave the rest up to God.

I find myself praying and pleading with God but does it matter? Has the ending already been decided whether I pray or not. It is a difficult place when you are standing in the fiery furnace of your life.

As painful as it is for me, I have to release the need for control. I have to acknowledge my human limitations and knowing that I can't script the outcome. It is completely normal to struggle with God's will when it conflicts with your own hopes.

When we are in the place where we need a miracle, we have to try to find that resolve that God knows what He is doing even if we don't agree. It's not an easy place to be in but we can only do what we can do and leave the results to Him.

 

Thoughts about Living in New York

It has been over a year now that my wife and I decided to move to New York. If I am totally honest, I did not want to move here when the idea was formed shortly after the last presidential election. I eventually warmed up to the move and now we are here.

I am okay with it.

Do I love it? I wouldn't say that but I do think this is the best places I have lived so far.

After living most of my life in the South, this move was an adjustment for me. My Southern accent gives me away many times.

Speaking of accent...One of the biggest things that surprised me has been the problems with communicating. English is not the default language here. There are many ethnic groups here who speak their native languages and many times that has been difficult to navigate. Just because someone says they understand English doesn't necessary mean they do. It's not like living in a foreign country but living in many countries in one place. While communicating can be a challenge at times, I just do my best and try to have more patience.

Living in New York is a bit extra. What I mean by that is anything you do requires just an extra bit of aggravation getting it done. I have had to just simply expect something to be a hassle. I don't like it but I just know it will be something extra to deal with.

It's very chaotic here but there is also a lot to do and so many places to explore in the city and on Long Island. We have already done a lot but there is so much more to see and do. One of the things you can expect about living here is that there will be a LOT of people so you have to expect crowds especially if it is a special event. Even the most obscure thing can create lengthy lines and draw large crowds.

New York is also the most expensive place we have lived. We knew this before we moved but I can tell you that this is also more than you expect. Renting is crazy. We are paying double for rent for what we did for our house mortgage in Tennessee. They also tax you like crazy here. Not only do we pay state tax but there is also a city tax. That last one dinged me at tax time. Fortunately when we renewed our lease, the landlord only went up $50 per month but I'm still not sure what we are going to do in near future.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear...I absolutely HATE driving here. You have never experienced driving like here. This is the worst driving I have seen anywhere. People will do anything at anytime just to take a shortcut or just simply being impatient. They also honk their horns a lot more here than anywhere else I have been. I hate driving here and refuse to drive into the city. It’s bad but you really don’t have to drive. I always dread when I have to drive here and I have refused to drive in the city.

Fortunately I don't have to drive because we have many other options with the subway, train, bus, taxi and rideshare that is available. They all have their pros and cons as well. Once you learn how to navigate the subways, it is one of the best options to get around. Riding the subway costs $3.00 but people still jump the turnstiles to avoid paying. Yes...for THREE dollars. That's probably the downside for riding the subway. You will experience anything. We have encountered some crazies at times. The city isn't clearly doing enough there.

We have done a lot of walking here. Although there are subways, there are many times we have still had to do a lot of walking to get to places in between. Walking in New York is an experience too. The main thing about walking that annoys me is people not walking on the right side. They will walk right into you or over you. No one gets out of the way so you have to just adapt and navigate yourself when you are walking the sidewalks here. You've heard of road rage? Well, you can definitely get "walking rage" here.

Yes, living in New York is a lot. You have to have the mindset about living here and the expectations. It's not a calm life. Will we stay here? Probably not. We simply won't be able to afford to live here for the long term but we are enjoying it while we can. Where will we go next? I don't really know.

If I had advice for anyone considering a move to New York City:

Cons

• Living here is not the same as visiting here as a tourist
• It is going to be more expensive than you think
• LOTS of people everywhere all the time
• Different languages are spoken here. Communication can be a problem.

Pros

• There is a lot to do here.
• You don't have to drive. There are many other options to get to where you need to be.
• It is a unique experience and adventure
• There are beaches within an hour