Pray – Week 1 | The Power of Prayer

You’ve heard the phrase “there’s power in prayer,” but maybe your experience tells a different story: televangelist promises that rang hollow, quiet nights of unanswered pleas, or praying for a sick loved one and getting no obvious relief. That tension—between the promise of prayer and the sting of suffering—is what this message sits with, honest about doubt and the real ache of prayers that seem to go nowhere. The sermon reframes prayer not as a technique to force outcomes but as two things working together: something to hold on to (a promise that invites bold, faithful speech) and something to let go of (our attempts to manipulate God with selfish demands). It names suffering straight‑on, offers a hope rooted in a story bigger than any single answer, and points toward a practice of prayer that trusts even in silence—shaping how you fold your hands and speak the next time.