Many wrestle with why we pray when God is not simply a wish granting genie. The Scriptures help us see two different sides of prayer. In Exodus 32, when Israel worshiped the golden calf, God threatened to destroy them, but Moses fervently interceded. Scripture reports, “And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” (Exodus 32:14) Here, prayer truly made a difference and God showed mercy on the nation.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in deep sorrow: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) His prayer was not answered in the way He asked, yet His complete surrender allowed God’s redemption plan to move forward. These two moments show that sometimes prayer changes circumstances and at other times it gives us the grace to embrace God’s larger purpose, even when that means accepting suffering.
The Catechism clarifies what real prayer is. It states: “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” (CCC 2559) And it goes further, teaching: “Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort.” (CCC 2725) Prayer is not magic. It is a relationship in which God reaches out to us and we respond with humility and determination.
Ultimately, prayer is more about communion than control. The Catechism says: “Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man.” (CCC 2564) Whether our prayers lead to mercy as in the case of Moses, or to surrender as in the case of Jesus, they are always meaningful. Prayer draws us close to God, shapes our hearts, and aligns us with His will even when we do not receive the answer we expect.
