​Should We Stop Praying?

Prayer, is it your first go to or a last resort? Is it something you do just to comfort yourself, or do you really believe someone is on the other end, to answer that prayer? Is it a means for your conscience to say something nice and caring, excusing you from action where it’s warranted? Recently, the few words, I’ll pray for you, seem to irk a few people. You can see it on various social media sites, where some will say; “stop sending prayers, we don’t need prayer”. Even the Governor of NY, Andrew Cuomo recently said; “ We don’t need your prayers. We have Pastors, Priests and Rabbis for that.” What is happening in our society that some folks have become so hostile toward prayer? Prayer has power. It has the power to bring one comfort, to strengthen, to bring courage, to heal, and to unite hearts, which is one of its purposes. Another purpose is to have communion with your Creator - the One who loves us, and loves this world, and wants to intervene on our behalf. It’s more apparent now than ever before, we need the power of prayer. People are hurting! They are afraid, angry, frustrated, and some have been displaced from their homes. It’s truly a difficult time. Prayer is a lifeline. It not only sustains us, it gives us hope. Hope for divine intervention. We are not stuck in the situation we are presently in. No matter how long it may take to be over, we can rest on “this too shall pass” (2nd Corinthians 4:17,18). Keeping our connection to God through prayer can reassure us, just as the seasons pass from one to another, so do the seasons of our lives pass from one to another. A brighter day will come. Some can choose not to believe in prayer, that’s their right. But be careful to not slam those that do. We, who choose to believe, want to be the salt and the light of the world. We want to bring the goodness of God to a hurting and tense filled world. We are not just sitting home and praying. As we pray and hope for more peaceful times, you can also bet we will be active as well; through personal deeds, and making our voices heard, we will work to change what needs to be changed. So to all those concerned, rest assured and let us pray!