The power of prayer....

Is there really power in prayer?? Does God really here us and answer us?? Here's a couple of stories to answer those questions in my life. When I was 17 or 18 years old, I prayed hard for a car. Not a brand new car but a car that runs. We needed one and really couldnt afford one. So I prayed and then every morning for about 2 weeks, I would go and look outside to see if my "faith car" was there. That's what I called it. I prayed for it to just show up on my doorstep. At about 2 weeks of doing this, we got a call from a couple in the church who was selling their car for $2000. However, knowing that we couldnt afford that, they were going to sell it to us for $100. At the time I was working a paper route and that was affordable for me! And it dropped down to $75 because my grandma gave me $25 towards it. I got my car! Prayers answered!! But so not in the way I had imagined! I wasnt expecting it to come from someone we knew or that we could have to go and get it. I assumed God would answer my prayer and a car would appear in our driveway. Totally didnt happen the way I imagined!

But then there is the story of Chloe's birth. I was terrified to have a normal delivery. No c-section. So scared that I actually asked my dr if I could have a c-section and he of course said no I would be fine. I also wanted my dr to be able to deliver her. And the clinic had just changed their way of doing things. Who ever was on call was who delivered. Unless your dr was available and hadnt been up the last 3 nights. So the chances of my dr delivering Chloe were slim. I also wanted Chloe born on my father in law's birthday/deceased grandfather's birthday. I prayed for all these things. I had finally come to a place that I could delivery Chloe vaginal. I wasnt scared anymore. And everything I else I basically said that if it didnt happen it's not the end of the world. I would like it that way but no biggy! My water broke on the 27th of July, that night, my dr was on call. The only way he would be delivering Chloe is if she came before 7am when he got off. The morning of the 28th of July, Chloe flipped so she was no longer head down. Meaning, we had to do an emergency c-section. Prayer one answered. Because it was decided before my dr was off, he was able to deliver her. Prayer 2, answered. And she was born on the 28th of July, the date I wanted. Prayer 3, answered. And this time, my prayers were answered in exactly the way I wanted.

Now dont get me wrong, I have plenty of unanswered prayers. For instance I pray every time Chloe wakes in the middle of the night that she would fall back asleep and not get up, that I would have a full night's sleep, and that Chloe would sleep through the night. I get this prayer answered every once in awhile. Usually not. So yes, some prayer goes unanswered for whatever reason. But I've also had alot of my prayers answered too. Sometimes the way I pictured it, sometimes completely different then what I thought, and sometimes without even realizing it till its pointed out to me!

So my question to you is this. Why is it so hard for people to understand why Im praying for a baby boy in April? Why do I get laughed at and told that I can pray but it will never happen? Why have people forgotten about the power of prayer?? Im not saying I will get a boy in April. Im not saying that my life will be over if I dont get a boy in April. What Im saying is, Im trusting in God, praying for what I want, and ultimately leaving it in his hands and not worrying about what may happen. But Im tired of people telling me its not going to happen. To forget about it. Why? It happened exactly how I prayed for it to happen with Chloe! Is God really that limited that we only pray for what we know we will get? Or that we shouldnt pray at all cause in the end God does what God wants and we should just not communicate our wants with him?? I dont know about you, but my God is a God who listens regardless of how important/unimportant the prayer is. My God is a God who wants to hear my wants, needs, desires. To hear about my bad days and my good days. When Im mad and upset or happy and having a good day. I dont have a set time every day where I am in prayer. I pray everyday all day long. Someone comes to mind, I pray. Im having a hard time, I pray. Things are going well, I pray. I just dont pray everyday from 5-6. But I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that if God wants to answer my prayers he will in his time and his way. Whether its exactly as I wanted or something completely different. I also believe God doesnt answer every prayer and there's a reason for it. I may not know that reason but I trust in God knowing he knows what he's doing.

So, is it really that bad for me to pray for what I want?? I dont think so. Im not saying I will get it, but it doesnt hurt to ask right??