So we’re in this Q series which has been rocking my world. This past Sunday we tried to tackle the question of “Why Is There Suffering In This World?” You can listen or watch that one HERE.

This week is proving to be tougher than I thought. The main question is “Does Prayer Really Change Anything?” I spent the better half of my day yesterday in a intense, but healthy discussion with several staff members about this topic. Clearly we did not agree.

So I want to know what you think.

Why do you pray?

Do you think prayer really changes anything or does it mainly change us?

If God has already made up his mind should I even bother?

And before you jump in I want you to read the original question left on THIS POST which spurred this topic on to become week 3 of the Q series. Imagine sitting across from this family before you throw out your cliche religious phrases.

Yesterday morning, my cousin’s four-year-old son died from a brain tumor. He was diagnosed just 55 days ago, went into a coma ten days ago, and passed away yesterday. The family was on their last day of a Make A Wish trip to Disney World when Josiah slipped into a coma. This family’s life has turned upside down in less than two months.

The most obvious question is what is God’s purpose in this…in allowing a little child like that to die from such a detestable disease? But, more than that, why does God’s timing and answers to prayer sometimes seem so random? Thousands of people were praying for little Josiah, and thousands more have prayed for other kids with tumors, cancer, etc…some get healed, some not.

Is it a prayer contest? Does it come down to who prays more passionately? And if not, how does prayer factor in at all…is God going to allow what He’s going to allow and there’s not much we can do about it? I know that God answers prayers. I believe that. But sometimes there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it.