Does praying really make any difference in life?



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"And whatever you ask for in prayer, 
believing, you will receive."
Matthew 21:22

We have always heard that prayer can change circumstances, but one can question: if God has all things preordained since the foundation of the world, then how can prayer change the course of things? 

He went away a second time and prayed, 
“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Matthew 26:42

Prayer can play at least 2 different roles. The first one is to prepare our hearts to face situations that we wish they were different. It is like when your heart is troubled about something and you talk about it with a good friend- after the talk the problem didn´t go away, but your heart is not as heavy as it was before that talk. 

When Jesus was about to face the cross, he prayed and he even asked the Father to keep him from going through such suffering, but in the end his heart was conformed to the major purpose of the cross that was giving us everlasting freedom. Prayer gave him strength and confidence to face what was to come!

"Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel]."
Matthew 24:20

The second role is actually to CHANGE things! At the passage above Jesus is talking about his return and he says that we should pray it won´t happen under certain circumstances. If the time was set and that was it, if there was no room for changing, Jesus wouldn´t suggest us to PRAY ABOUT IT. 

If praying can CHANGE THE TIME JESUS RETURNS, such a major event like that, imagine what it can do in our personal lives! 

"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, 
they shall be forgiven him."
James 5:15

Praying, which is simply having a conversation with God, will either soften our hearts and change some circumstances as well. The bible mentions that Jesus prayed for the sick and they were all healed. We don´t need to suffer many things that this world brings to our lives. 

 If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him. 
Matthew 7:11


Things can be changed as we pray and BELIEVE that God is willing  and will answer us! He is listening to you RIGHT NOW, so go ahead and ASK HIM. He is a good father!


 "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, 
and delivered me from all my fears." 
Psalm 34:4

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