When All You Can Do Is Pray: Underestimating the Power of Prayer

I've heard it a thousand times. I've probably said it a thousand times myself. Someone bares their soul to me, and the situation is terrible, painful, difficult ... far beyond the reach of anything I can do – or anyone can do – to help. And then those six words slip from my lips:

"All I can do is pray."

Even as I write the words, I can hear the defeat resonating from them. Properly translated, what I far too often mean when I say those six words is, "I'm sorry I can't do anything to help. I don't have the resources you need. I wish I did. I'll pray about it, but I know that's just a drop in the bucket to what you really need. I don't expect anything to really happen as a result of my prayers."

Then one day as I said it, God rocked me back on my heels. I realized how much I was cheapening God by the attitude behind my words. Think about it:

"All I can do is pray. I'm sorry – all I can do is call upon the sovereign Lord of the Universe, the One who holds all resources, all grace, all power, all hope in his hands. All I can do is ask the loving God who sent his Son to die for us and then raised him from the dead to help you out. All I can do is ask God to demonstrate his divine character in your life through his unending providence, generosity, love, miracles, presence, and care. Sorry I can't do more."

It comes down to a question of attitude and a recognition of adequacy. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming form ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."

Our attitude should be one of humility, recognizing that our adequacy to meet any need or act in any situation is from God alone.

Once we assume that attitude and understand that our adequacy comes from God, we will no longer despair when we are faced with situations that are beyond our control or help. We simply turn in the same humility to the God who is more than adequate to meet every need – and call upon him for deliverance.

With the right attitude and an understanding of where our resources always and only ever come from, we can truly reach out and say with confidence and trust, "I can't help you. I wish I could, but I simply don't have the resources you need. Fortunately, I know the One who does. All I can do is pray – but I know that God will take care of everything else."

The Word of God accompanied by faith is a powerful weapon. When tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus successfully defended himself with the Word of God that was stored up in his heart (Matthew 4:1-11). To emphasize how important the Word of God is Jesus said, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

The Word of God contains numerous promises about many situations, circumstances and issues. Reading, meditating and proclaiming these Scriptures helps us to understand how God wants us to act in diverse circumstances and increases our faith. Praying the Word of God helps us to pray and intercede with wisdom and knowledge rather than from a perspective of fear and anxiety. The Word has authority. When God created the universe, He did it through His Son, the Word. The Word still has the same power. When we call on the living Word, it has the power to give life and to re-create.

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.(1 John 5:14-15)

When we pray the Word it increases faith in our hearts. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; butI will teach you the good and the right way." (1 Samuel 12:23)

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:6)

"And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray." (Mark 6:46)

"Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1)

"Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1)

"I pray for them, I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are yours." (John 17:9)

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26)

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing Psalms." (James 5:13)

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayerand to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:4)

"Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer" (Romans 12:12)

"Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." (1 Corinthians 7:5)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)