I’ve had a lot of thoughts about prayer swimming around in my mind and so I am going to attempt to put those thoughts into words.

I guess the biggest question I am trying to answer for myself is “If God has a perfect plan already planned, can prayer really change anything? Or is prayer so we can better align our will to God's Will?”

I do know that prayer is our way of communicating with God. And part of communicating is talking and part is listening. When I think about communication between husband and wife, I know the purpose is so both husband and wife can mutually understand the perspective of each other. So if prayer is us communicating with God (which I believe it is), the purpose of prayer must be to help us discern God’s Will.

That said I’ve witnessed some pretty amazing “answers to prayer” in the past several weeks. Some of the instances have been in my own personal life and some have been in the life of a baby boy named Ethan (A Journey of Prayer for our Sweet Baby Boy).

I’ll begin with Ethan.

You probably remember me mentioning Ethan on my blog before. At 11-weeks-old, Ethan was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. In August Ethan received a bone marrow transplant. He and his mother, Kasey, have been living in the hospital for over a month now waiting for the new cells to engraft in his tiny body. The potential side-effects and symptoms typically seen in an infant with leukemia and undergoing a bone marrow transplant are daunting. But as Kasey would learn of each potential side-effect, she would post on her blog asking her readers to pray against any of the negative side effects.

And many people (probably many more than Kasey ever imagined when she started the blog) prayed and are still praying.

There was a possibility that Ethan’s spleen would have to be removed but it never became necessary! There was a possibility that Ethan would experience painful side effects and sores from his treatments but he did not! Kasey was told Ethan would lose his appetite and need a feeding tube. But people prayed against the need of that and Ethan is still eagerly sucking down every bottle given to him! There was a chance Ethan would need to go to ICU during the transplant/recovery process and that has not been needed either!

Ethan’s story is an amazing example of answered prayers. People prayed. People trusted in the Lord. And God came through right away for baby Ethan!

God answered the prayer of my mother in an incredible way recently. My mom prayed with me over the phone and, within an hour, the exact thing she had pleaded for before God on behalf of me, came to be!

Mama prayed. We trusted in the Lord. And God came through right away.

So now I think about a prayer I’ve prayed for over a year. God, please allow me to have a baby soon!

I pray. I trust in the Lord. And God will come through – but maybe not right away. Obviously, not right away. :)

Prayer really does just boil down to something I’ve heard since I was a child. But now, I think I am beginning to understand why.

We pray. We trust in the Lord to come through for us.

And God answers us sometimes right away and sometimes with a “No.” or “Wait.” We handle right away really well because we live in an instant gratification world. It’s the “No” and “Wait” that get us and turn our world upside down.

But now I think I am beginning to understand that no means, “No, Child, I have something better planned.”

Glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we could ever dare to ask or even dream of. Ephesians 3:20

And wait means, “Trust me and wait for my perfect timing and plan to unfold.”

Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

So to answer my question about wondering if prayer can change anything, I think the answer is yes. The change is in my thoughts, my attitude and my perspective on the matter. As I pray and really communicate with and focus on God, trusting in Him alone, I am then able to align my will with God’s.

And we’ve already established that God’s Will is ALWAYS best!

Please keep praying with me that we will have 2-3 follicles ready for ovulation. And of course, we pray knowing God’s Will is the ultimate desire.

- Elaine