Asking For Prayers

When I was in my 20's my grandma was diagnosed with cancer.  I decided to ask for prayers at church. I remember sitting there in my class surrounded by friends and teachers that cared for me.  At the end of class the teacher asked for prayer requests.  I mentioned my grandma's need but even as I spoke, I was flooded with a sense of disappointment.  Because, you see, we asked for prayer requests ever week.  I couldn't remember any of the requests from the week before - which meant the others in the room probably wouldn't remember mine when we walked out the door.

Of course I don't know for sure that nobody prayed for my grandma after that.  I appreciate their efforts if they did.  But the experience as a whole woke me up to a harsh reality for many Christians.  We talk about the importance of prayer but do we really take it seriously?  Do we really believe there is a point to it?  Do we simply pray because we're "suppose to"?  Do we pray only when we need something?

I eventually channeled my disappointment in my own prayer life into something different.  It wasn't an overnight success story.  It took many years of wanting to change before I actually did change.  Now I'm dedicated to praying.  My hope is that others will stop seeing prayer as something we just do at church, at Bible studies, or simply when we have a need.  My desire is to help Christians utilize one of the most powerful tools God has blessed us with and to help them see the different types of blessings we receive from connecting with God in this way.