Prayer - is anyone listening?

If I were to guess, I would suggest that there have been more books written on prayer than on any other subject in Christianity. And how many secular works have been penned on the same matter? Obviously, prayer was central in Christ's life, and we are called to pray numerous times in the New Testament. I have spent much time wondering what prayer is supposed to be, how it works, and what the results of it should be.

This recently came to the forefront of my mind again as I was playing television roulette as I lay in bed. I stopped on a prominent TV preacher and heard this individual say that we have to give God the authority to act in our lives. I, as is normal when I watch the two "Christian" TV stations on Cox cable, was appauled at what I had just heard. Without even putting forth any effort, I thought of several people who had NOT granted God any authority to act, and yet he did. Think of Job, or Jonah, or Paul. These men did not invite God to intervene in their lives in the manner by which he did. On what basis did this preacher made this statement. I assert that it simply was to tickle the ears of the listeners. It is popular to think that we can get God to do the things we want him to do.

I was brought up in the faith this way. I was a teen when I first went to church, and it was in a well-known charismatic denomination. I simply thought that since that was what the church-people taught me, it had to be true. I was mistaken.

If prayer worked the way I hear on TV, TV preachers wouldn't have to ask for our money. They would pray and receive it. Soldiers' families would not be grieving due to the death of their brave heroes. No one would die of debilitating diseases. Impoverished people would be wealthy. If God answered our prayer as we see fit, we would actually be running the world, and what mess the world would be in then?

I have found that prayer is a matter of getting the focus off of me and onto God. I don't even think that the real purpose of prayer is to ask God for things on the behalf of others. It is "simply" an opportunity to understand that I am not the center of the world.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to elaborate this point further right now, but I hope to in the future. Please let me know what you think. By no means do I think I have it figured out, these are just what my thoughts are at this point in my prayer pilgrimage.