By PrayerBlogger on 3/12/2008 3:20 PM

How about blogging on prayer? The prayer ministry at CedarCreek wanted to begin a blog where we could talk about prayer. How it works, how it doesn't. How it has affected you, how it hasn't. What can/should you expect from prayers, what you shouldn't. The good news to take a quote from Philip Yancey’s book, “Prayer – Does It Make Any Difference?”, “When it comes to prayer we are all beginners.” (Thank goodness for that!)
 
So we begin this prayer blog with the idea to discuss anything and everything about prayer. This particular blog is not intended to be for prayer requests. You can do that through the church’s main phone line at 419-661-8661 (ext. 120, if after hours) or by emailing it . (Did you also know that if you need prayer support and an intercessor to pray for you, we have a prayer room at the Perrysburg campus and we man it after all of the regular services (Sat. 5:15 & 7 pm and Sun. 9 & 10:45 am and 12:30 pm). We also have prayer corners at our monthly new community services (except when we have baptisms).)
 
So what about prayer? About a year ago our men’s group was reading Yancey’s book mentioned above. I was all fired up about it, as I wanted to improve my prayer life and I figured Philip would have the answer. So I ate the book. (Not literally, I just read it much quicker than most 300+ page books…) By the time I got to the end, I knew a lot more about prayer, but I still didn't have the answer. I could empathize with him and his beginner’s prayer status.
 
I thought we would begin by weighing in on some of the questions he asks and spend a little time examining what he examined. So for starters, let’s take one more of his quotes and then a couple of his questions (right from the book cover).
 
“If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why I don't act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where these themes converge.”
 
DOES PRAYER CHANGE US OR GOD OR BOTH?
DOES PRAYER WORK? MORE PERSONALLY, DOES IT WORK THE WAY WE THINK IT SHOULD? WHAT CAN WE REALLY EXPECT FROM PRAYER?
 
So what about you? What do you think?

- Charlie McKnight