What does prayer mean to you?

What does prayer mean to you? Is it just another conversation with God? Or is it something you do when you come for prayer meets and Sunday services?

The power of prayer has been looked down upon time and time again. I guess this is because not many of us see the "direct effects" of prayer. But to this, let me say, PRAYER WORKS!

I will not go into detail about the theological aspect of prayer. However, I would like to share with you something that has happen to my pastor some time ago.

I come from an independent non-denominational church back home. One of the ministries back in my church deals with drug rehabilitation. My pastor cares for the center and actually overlooks the whole center itself.

Now, it all started when my pastor was having his meal. Just a typical meal in a Chinese coffee shop along the road. He was happily munching his food and then he saw him! One of the inmates of the drug rehabilitation center. Now, from what I understand, no one is supposed to leave the center without his permission and obviously he was trying to escape from the center. Now, this fellow, lets call him Mr X., had made many pre-attemptive escapes before and this was not so much of a surpirse to my pastor. To give some history to this fellow, the family had begged my pastor to take him in as not many centers would want him for various reasons and for him to be escaping right now highlights why not many centers want him.

Anyway, Mr. X suddenly looked up and spotted my pastor looking at him. He started to run. Now, having a meal and running is not a very good combination. And yes, my pastor felt that effect. He was much older and the young chap was much faster and agile.

Now here comes the power of prayer. My pastor just stopped chasing and prayed!

The guy suddenly froze!

My pastor just walked up to him and "carried" him back to his car and drove him back to the center.

As bizarre as this might sound, this is a real story.

I guess what we can pick up from this story is already found in the bible.

1 John 5:14.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything accoarding to his will, he hears us.

Though most of the times we do not see prayers being answered quickly but this story goes to show that GOD DOES ANSWER PRAYERS!

So what does prayer mean to you?
I believe it means everything! The power of prayer under God's will shows no limits and no bounds and I guess the question that we should ask ourselves is....

Are we ourselves willing to take the first step and start praying regardless of the prospect of the answer being answer quickly or in time?