Why Is Prayer Important?

I have no idea why prayer might be important to anyone else. That is not my call, not my right to guess at or assume to know. What I do know is why prayer is important to me.

Although many of my prayers are not answered in the way I first anticipate, I still pray, and I still hope. The main reason I pray is that sometimes there is nothing else I can do about a situation. There are things that happen in my life over which I have no control. To let those things overwhelm me, run over me, and damage me, is not in my nature. I’ve got to “fix” things. It is what I do. I try to help others. I offer advice. Many times, this annoys people. I have a mother-complex even though I never bore children. I helped raise several. And I helped my mother with my younger sister and brother all the while I was growing up with an alcoholic father.

Back to the topic. I cannot help but help. I’ve been called a nurturer. So, if something happens and it seems unbearable, or it’s a problem without an obvious solution, I still want to fix it. If it’s unfixable, by me, then I pray. I need to feel as though I have at least tried to do something. I know I’ve said that a few times since I began this blog on May 25. It’s worth repeating. Prayer helps me to feel useful in an uncontrollable situation.

There is another reason I pray. I pray to thank God for all he’s done for me. If I do not do that, I can easily overlook my blessings and end up just seeing my problems.

Thank you, Father, for the peace of mind that prayer can bring to me.