Whats the point? -

Disclaimer: I'm standing tall on my soap box tonight.

This was my friends FB status the other day: "So when people say they are blessed do they think God is favoring them?"
Comment #1. "ha ha yep they do, and people think praying saved someones life. Like God just chose to help them not the other million people praying for the same thing."
C0mment #2. "Idiots"

I haven't been able to get comment #1's statement out of my head since I read it. It is a question that I have struggled with through out my walk with God, if you will. So, after a lot of thought and soul searchingI've decided to share my beliefs, thoughts and feelings on the subject.
Enjoy! And I want to know what you think on the matter.

I believe in God. I believe He knows me. I believe He knows what I am going through. I believe in his sovereignty. I believe in Jesus and that he is Gods son. I believe he suffered for my sins and it's through Him that I can live with God again. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy spirit, and that those quiet thoughts/feelings that we get when we are paying attention can change our lives.
It has always been really easy for me to really truly believe these things. Sure, I've wavered, but these are my core beliefs and values.

Confession: I'm a blog reader. I get sucked into peoples stories, I find them totally fascinating. I have always loved to know everything about everyone and this way, through blogs, I can do just that. It's kind of amazing (do you watch The Rachael Zoe Project too?) Anyway, there seems to be so many tragic stories. Stories of accidents, illnesses, loss, and the list goes on and on. The ONE common request from all of these individual blogs is the request for prayer. It's been amazing to see how people come together, via blogs, to pray for, to support one another, to offer up advise or resources and even money for perfect strangers. It's really remarkable. Except it's made me think, once again, about what I believe about the power of prayer.

The one question I've always had and struggled with is, why do we bother praying when we have no control over the outcome? If God is all knowing, which I believe He is, where does the Power of Prayer come in? Is there Power in Prayer?

Also, it's made me wonder do large numbers of prayers for one individual or situation make any difference in the outcome of the situation?

My first experience, that I can remember, of fasting and praying for someone specific, was when I was about 12 for my cousin Lizzie. She was 3 weeks old and had developed Spinal Meningitis. The prognosis was either death, becoming blind and/or deaf. I remember fasting all day and praying my guts out for her not to die. I remember going over at my grandparents house at the end of the day for a family prayer to break the fast. I remember crying throughout the whole prayer because of this feeling that I had, the feeling of the Holy Ghost. It was a feeling that I've felt many times since, and each time it brings me back to my grandparents living room surrounded by my family. United in one purpose, the purpose of healing.
She did fully recover, (and now we have a soccer playing fashion-e-sta in our family!! Love ya "big Lizzie")

But what if we hadn't all gotten together to fast and pray on her behalf. Would the outcome have been any different? By face booking, blogging or twittering for people to pray for our situation, will the outcome become favorable if enough people get on board? I say, of coarse not. I don't believe that God is up in heaven keeping track of the number of prayers. God is going to do whatever God is going to do. And he already knows what He is going to do.

He knew that Lizzy would get sick at 3 weeks. He knew that we would come together as a family and He knew what the impression of that experience would have on me. And I'm sure on others involved as well. But then I wonder, had she not survived or recovered, how easy would have been to think that God didn't even hear our prayers, that he didn't answer them. I think that that is the test of our faith right there. The test is knowing that even if the outcome is not in our favor, it doesn't mean that our plea wasn't heard by God. It only means that the answer we got, the unfavorable outcome was in fact the answer, God's will.

I think as Christians, it can be easy to become obsessed with finding out the mysteries of God or His hidden will for us. Instead we need to be focusing on living according to His will that is revealed in scripture. Which is to be living righteous lives, to be glorifying God in our speech and our actions.

A couple of weeks ago my parents went to Vernal and wanted to take Audrey with them. I felt nervous to let her go, since I am a freak about letting her do things with out me, espeially letting her drive with other people. That night I was just laying in my bed thinking about how bad I would feel if something happenend to her while I wasn't with her. Basically I'm just scared of her dying. In the middle of my "criminal mind" thoughts, this voice came into my mind. It sounded as clear as any regular voice, saying, "Just let her go. She'll have fun with her family. Even if something happens to her it will be because it will be her time to go. No matter what, when it's her time to go, she'll go" I do believe this statement to be true. I have to come to terms with this. I have to keep her close, but I have to remember that it's God who is in control and I just need to take care of her as well as I can.

God has given us the gift of prayer so we have to the opportunity to align ourselves with His will, not ours. The purpose of prayer is not to try to get what we want out of God, but to help us become closer to Him, to be able to accept the outcome of any given situation.

I really believe that He wants us to pray to him. He wants to know us and He wants us to know Him. I believe that he has an interest in my day to day life and is there for me whenever I need Him.

He did live. He did heal. He did suffer for us. He did die on a cross. He did come back and reveal himself to many. He does want to hear from me.

That's all.

(I want to hear your thoughts on the subject. If you agree or if you don't agree. But please don't attack anyones comments.)