Prayer definitely is a key element in the faith walk. Even though I don't understand it, I do it because it pleases God, and it changes my life. When Mary Alice had brain surgery many friends called to say, "We are praying for you." I started thinking about what effect these prayers had on the operation. First, it created a community of love with which we were overwhelmed; we felt the love and support of friends. After the Gulf War General Schwarzkopf appeared on Bob Schuller's Hour of Power. He said that he came just to express appreciation for the tremendous prayers of the American people which the soldiers felt in the military action. "We felt the upholding love and the community it formed around us." I think our doctors tell how importantly related are these feelings of love and the will to live. As Mary Alice prepared to go into surgery we were all conscious of giving her the will to live. We all traveled to Mayo Clinic to be with her. The morning of the operation we traveled caravan-style from the hotel to the Clinic. But we knew that love had to be expressed in "her language." Our son Fred said, "now remember, Mom, we're not going to eat lunch until you come back." He knew that she would do anything to live to please the family. She knew that we were there --- she had a lot to come back to!
Secondly, I think the more people who are praying are then inclined to give God the praise or to submit to his will, which pleases Him. Did the large number of prayers affect God? Certainly it pleased Him, but I do not believe it affected Him. To say that God is affected by the number praying for something is to humanize Him and make Him into a politician. Some are tempted to create an environment in which He must perform. They almost threaten Him with the displeasure of a large number of people if He doesn't grant the request. Well-known people and celebrities have no special standing with God. I have secretly resented celebrities who would call Billy Graham and have him pray for them. Scripture tells us God is no respecter of persons. The scripture also says that the prayer of a righteous individual accomplishes much, but it does not say that unless you have a lot of people praying for you God is not concerned. God is as concerned with an orphan in a slum as he is with the greatest celebrity on earth. Thankfully, God doesn't operate according to our social pecking orders.
When Mary Alice came through with such ease (not even having a headache, fainting spell or a seizure after brain surgery), people would say, "God sure must love Mary Alice. " He does, but He doesn't love her any more than He loves you. And the surgery did not succeed because she had hit a critical mass in prayer support. It was our blessing to pray for her and to see God's working.
Let me reiterate my personal conviction about prayer: our prayer pleases God but it changes us… by aligning us with God, not Him with us. It creates a community of love and an opportunity for corporate worship. It is the unseen but clearly experienced vertical and horizontal connection. In prayer we are wired to Him and to each other.
