On Prayer

I went to church yesterday. The priest gave a sermon on prayer, the role and importance of prayer in a Christian's life. I want to talk about prayer too. I have a story to tell you about prayer and answers to prayer. I hope I remember it correctly:

Once upon a time there was a girl whose mother was sick with cancer. I prayed for the mother that she would become well again. While praying I saw in my imagination a tree that was blooming and in my imagination I heard a voice that said the mother would die. I prayed even harder and the vision repeated itself. I was deeply troubled by this since I sincerely wished the mother would be well again. I confessed this to a friend and told her about the voice and we concluded that I would not tell the girl since I may just be imagining things. Besides: Nobody wants to bring such news to anyone. It just happened that the very same spring when the trees were blooming the girl’s mother died. Prayer is communion with God. The answer to our prayers may be negative. God is not Santa Claus giving gifts to good children. God heals some sick people and others God doesn’t heal.

That would be all for today.