592) If you travel in Christian circles, it’s not unusual to hear someone say, “Please pray for me” or “I’ll pray for you.” I’m hopeful that many mean what they say, that they believe in the power of prayer.

As a child, I used to think about this, asking my horrified Sunday school teacher, “Why pray? God already knows everything and He knows what He’s going to do about it.” My teacher didn’t have an answer for me but 1 Samuel 12:23 tells us one of many reasons the Bible admonishes us to pray.

Samuel is leaving his role as prophet and he tells Israel that he would be sinning if he failed to pray for them.

Prayer is a mystery on many levels. The fact that God wants to have conversations with us is mind-boggling but He wouldn’t command it if it weren’t important.