It is often said that prayer changes things. I would like to amend this statement by saying that I think that God changes things and people as we humans pray! God invites us to pray and He provides the answers. He wants to reveal Himself as we pray. As God invites us to pray about anything and everything, so to pray for things, people, situations or problems (as examples) is well within the scope of God to answer those requests.

I have found in my experience that the more I learn to abide (resting and relaxing in who God is) the more able I am to tap into what God wants and can pray accordingly. I can pray for anything but sometimes my prayers go amiss because I’m praying from a selfish or wrong motive. However, God is so big that he can, not only meet my need,  but also can give what I want as well. God seems to delight in blessing His children in all sorts of ways.

We are called to be like children in their utter simplicity, just taking God at His word. A child can trust their parents (usually) to hear what they say and to perform their simple request/requests if deemed the right time or something that will bless the child. Likewise, our heavenly Father longs to give us so much beyond what we could ever ask or think (see the end verses of Ephesians 3) so to ask him for things is part of His plan for us humans. He can cause us to wait for His answers which develops our character and faith so that God is glorified. He wants our lives to be a reflection of His.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and we have what we know as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ as a basis for prayer, given by Jesus as a means for us to learn. As we pray, we become dependent upon God so that we can rely on Him in any circumstance or happening. Psalm 91 is about what happens when we abide in God – there are lots of promises one of them being “He (i.e. any of us) will call upon me (God) and I (God) will answer him…” (verse 15). God is literally a prayer away from any one of us.

To teach children to pray is a wonderful thing. Then children can call on God anytime when they need help, especially at those times when perhaps they are not with their parents or maybe afraid or when at school needing some reassurance/assistance..Prayer is like breathing – we can’t do without it and the great God who answers through Jesus Christ.