The Possibility of Prayer

I spent the winter of 2002-2003 in Novy Byg, Ukraine. And I desperately missed being able to talk! Only the family I lived with spoke English, and we were perfect strangers.

Gradually, I learned some Russian, and the family accepted me as their very own “Tonichka.” But I still had days when I ached to talk to my parents who have known me since the day I was born. People who would know my feelings just by the tone of my voice. People who knew my history and the way I think...

Those were the most silent nine months of my life! But they also taught me something about the possibility of prayer. It is possible to talk to Someone who has known me all my life; Someone who knows every detail of my history and how I think; Someone who understands everything I say, think, or feel.

As I knelt on that rough wood floor and laid my head on a backless wooden bench in the “church” (the only room of our little house that the children were not allowed to go into), I would silently talk to God about everything that was happening. And I cried a lot. And I raged and “let Him have it” and questioned and complained and begged for help and admitted my needs and repented of foolishness and told Him about the pretty new bird I saw and all the other things I wanted to talk about -- all jumbled together!

And I know God heard me, because of who I am and because of who He is.

We are pretty well equipped to talk with God (aka pray). We have a mouth and plenty of words to run it on. We have ears to hear and eyes to pay attention with. And we have more than enough emotions to motivate us to express ourselves. Our minds naturally reason and come up with questions that demand true answers. We also have circumstances that require outside help, and events that bring us to positions of great need.

No one can be there ALL the time. No other human experiences life exactly like I do. (Proverbs 14:10) No one understands my thoughts and feelings about everything - not even me! It seems that we were born with the need to communicate with someone on such a deep personal level that no human can completely fulfill. Because of this need, because of who we are, God hears us!

People may call praying to God a “crutch.” You can call it that if you want to, for it only proves the point. We do have a need to talk with an all knowing, all powerful, relational One who listens and responds! And that is exactly how God introduces Himself to us:

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord...” Isaiah 1:18

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me. When you seek Me with all your heart, I will be found by you declares the Lord...” Jeremiah 29:11-14

“For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” Proverbs 5:21

“He that planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?... He who teaches man knowledge - the Lord - knows the thoughts of man...” Psalm 94:9,11

“Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the Heavens; He does all that He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them....
I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call on Him as long as I live.” Psalm 115:2-8; 116:1,2

Because of who He is, God hears us.

Prayer is possible! It is possible for you to talk with One who knows your language, One who cares, One who is always there, One who can understand your feelings and answer your questions... Why not talk with Him?