The Potential of a Short Prayer

It's a conversation I'll never forget. The two of us were sitting in the sun room on a bright summer day. It was about lunch time, and our conversation transitioned to a story I had never heard before. He told me about a heart attack that happened long before I was even born, and it wasn’t a mild one. This one was serious and required major surgery just to have a chance of surviving. Before going into surgery, this man prayed that God would allow him to see his grandchildren grow up. He had one very young grandson at the time and no idea how many grandchildren would come in the future. For those of you who know my family, you probably know exactly who I am talking about. You may have known him as Vern. I called him Grandpa.

"How much power do you believe prayer has?"

How much power do you believe prayer has? It’s a compelling question. If you have ever asked God for something like one million dollars to appear in the mailbox with tomorrow’s mail, then you have probably been disappointed as God likely answered that prayer with “no.” On the other hand, there is a good chance you have heard stories of prayers to cure disease and overcome the seemingly impossible with God answering “yes.” If you have ever wondered what the determining factor is regarding how God answers prayer, you are not alone. These words from a small book called 1 John provide some insight on this topic.

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15

Now, you may be wondering what happened with Grandpa Vern. Based on what I shared above, you know he was able to make it to the date of my birth, but that was far from all. He lived to see me grow up, graduate not only from high school, but college as well. Then, against all odds and only by the grace of God, he sat in a church over 30 years after that prayer in the hospital and saw me marry the love of my life. I was blessed with 10 more months with Grandpa after my wedding day before the Lord called him home. While he has been in Heaven for six years at the time I am writing this, his positive impact continues to live on through those he loved.

Being present for my life and the lives of all his grandchildren was something my grandpa openly cherished and gave thanks for. However, the answer of “yes” to his prayer wasn’t a pass to simply watch and enjoy. It came with a purpose-filled mission to walk alongside his children and play a key role in raising his five grandchildren to become the men they are today. The road to being a vital difference maker included six more heart attacks. Yes, that is seven in total! The road included sickness, pain, and sorrow over loved ones he lived long enough to lose. But above all, he blessed more people during those years than I will probably ever know with his love, compassion, and notoriously positive attitude.

"The road to being a vital difference maker in my life included six more heart attacks. Yes, that is seven in total!"

Prayer can be a perplexing thing to understand. Even if we know the means God uses to answer, it doesn’t mean His will is always easy to comprehend. There are answers to prayers we may never understand. Even prayers that appear to be aligned with God’s will may come back with “no.” However, we can all be confident that God has a plan. Our prayers for purpose may not be answered in the way we hoped, but we can be assured the pursuit of God’s purpose is one that will be answered with blessing. Above all, I hope my grandpa’s journey encourages you to see the possibilities of seeking God’s purpose in your prayers. His answer may not play out the way you thought or hoped, but His “yes” may be even greater than you ever could have imagined.