Prayer is neither magic nor attitude
Prayer is not wishful thinking or day dreaming, because a day dreamer does not get involved in life - he or she simply sits back and wastes life away. No, prayer is not wishful thinking . . .
Prayer is not magic, because only a magician or a fairy godmother is involved in a magic act. All others are simply bystanders who are being entertained, who are trying to escape reality. Christ never performed magic. He made sure that those who healed had faith, or their loved ones had faith. Prayer is definitely not magic . . .
Prayer is not just having a 'good attitude.' There are situations where attitude fails to overcome. When there are losses of human life or relationships, or material devastations, sometimes these losses cannot be simply overcome. In such cases, no matter how positive of an attitude one may have, the losses cannot be replaced. No, prayer is not a matter of attitude . . .
. . . Prayer is asking God to give us the strength necessary to face objectively, deal with, and overcome a situation that we face. Prayer does not separate or make us escape from facing a challenge. Rather prayer gives us the courage to face it. How? Because in prayer we ask God for the insight to focus on an issue, the wisdom to discern the proper approach, and the strength to persevere until we overcome it. Yes, prayer is asking God to empower us so that we may overcome the challenges we face through our own efforts with God's guidance!
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