Prayer, rituals, and other spiritual practices are woven into the lives of many people. Often, we approach them with petitions—asking for healing, protection, or blessings. It is natural to bring our needs before God. Yet when prayer becomes only about persuading God to act according to our wishes, we fall into an illusion: the illusion that we can somehow control God.
Spiritual writer Richard Rohr warns of this danger. He writes, “You might love the rituals, but you don’t think that doing the rituals correctly, following the behavior perfectly somehow changes the mind of God. God likes you before you do the rituals. God doesn’t need them, but we need them to tenderly express our childlike devotion and desire—and to get in touch with that desire.”
True prayer is not about forcing God’s hand. It is about allowing our hearts and minds to be opened and reshaped by God’s presence. Scripture reminds us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
In this light, prayer is less about getting God to do what we want, and more about letting God reveal what we truly need. It clears away unnecessary desires, sharpens our focus, and helps us see life through God’s eyes. Prayer is not so much about getting favors from God but more about becoming who we need to.
The gift of prayer is not in changing God, but in being changed by God. When we let go of the illusion of control, we step into freedom—the freedom to live with trust, clarity, and love.
Prayer is not about changing God’s mind, but about allowing God to change ours.
Notes
Rohr, R. (2003). Everything belongs: The gift of contemplative prayer (p. 67-68) [Kindle]. A Crossroad Publishing Company.
Thanks Brother 🙏🏽
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It's very true prayer changes us not God, it helps us to accept God's will .
ReplyDeleteIndeed! The gift of prayer is not in changing God, but in being changed by God.
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