How’s That Working For You?

So, most of the time I’m pretty laid back about things. I’ve never been accused of being super picky or critical. But I confess that I saw a post on X (formerly Twitter) that really bothered me. In fact, it got under my skin enough that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Because, in my opinion, it represents a self-centered view of God.

The “tweet” read, “Has prayer ever genuinely worked for you?”

It had over a thousand replies.

There is so much going on here. In fact, this one post triggered a multitude of questions for me.

What do you mean by “worked for me?” What does that even mean? How does this person think prayer is SUPPOSED to work?

What bothered me was that the implication is that if prayer doesn’t lead to getting me what I want, then it’s not working. And, therefore, why pray?

It portrays prayer like a strategy or a magic formula, as if God is just a genie in a lamp and if we pray He is obligated to grant us our wishes.

I don’t know the person who posted this message. Perhaps they didn’t mean any of these things. I apologize now if their heart was sincere or if they meant something different. But they struck a nerve in me because over the years I have heard people talk about prayer in these ways. I have known people who left their faith behind because their prayers weren’t answered in the way they wanted and, therefore, they felt like God had let them down….that He had failed to live up to His responsibilities.

To me, this is a view of God that is small and self-focused. It represents God as nothing more than a giant vending machine or a benevolent grandfather…..old and gentle, who only wants to spoil His grandchildren. Ugh……that isn’t even who I want God to be.

I mean if God is truly the omnipotent Creator of the universe. If He is all-knowing, sovereign, omniscient and perfect in love and wisdom, does He even owe us anything? To me, it’s clear that we owe Him everything….not vice-versa. To imply that we should only communicate with Him if it “works” for us, feels very icky to me…….very self-focused……very……well…..human.

Look, I’ll be the first person to tell you that I cannot fully wrap my mind around how prayer actually works. If God already knows everything, how do my prayers affect anything? Does God change His mind when I pray? Can I influence God with my prayers?

These, and many other questions have filled my mind over the years as I have pondered what prayer is about.

The best answers I have come across is that prayer doesn’t change God…..it changes us. I mean, the King of the Universe invites us into personal fellowship with Him. He hearkens us to come before His throne, to cast our cares upon Him, to give Him our anxieties because He cares about them. Scripture emphasizes persistent prayer; that God desires for us to pray.

Look, if we really believe in a God who is all-powerful, this invitation is incredible.

Why would God want to hear from me? Seriously….why?

Who am I?

And yet, that is what the Bible affirms repeatedly.

And so, it seems to me that prayer is an invitation to connect with the Lord…..that as we spend time with Him and vent to Him….as we praise Him….and get to know Him on a deeper level, that our hearts, in ever-increasing measure, are in alignment with His. We begin to love what He loves. We are bothered by the things that bother Him. We learn to hear His voice and to discern His will. Don’t gloss over the fact that we have an opportunity for intimacy with the Lord of all things.

So, does prayer work?

Well, it doesn’t work like Aladdin’s genie. When we go to God with our requests, He cares……but He is not obligated to give us what we want. Why would we even WANT a God like that? A God who is constrained to do our bidding? A God who grants our wishes even if, in His infinite wisdom, He knows that our desires are not what is best in the situation? A God who is at our beck and call?

Personally, I wouldn’t want a God that is so short-sighted, malleable, and small.  

Maybe prayer was never meant to be measured by outcomes in the first place. Maybe it was always meant to be measured by proximity. Not whether circumstances change, but whether we are changed as we bring our fears, disappointments, gratitude, and questions before God again and again. Over time, something in us softens. Our grip loosens. Our need to control fades, and trust quietly takes its place. We begin to see that prayer is less about convincing God to move in our direction and more about learning to walk in His. And if prayer draws me closer to the One who knows more than I do, loves better than I do, and sees farther than I ever could, then I can honestly say… that works for me.