It's nice to find a group of men who pray and take the Bible seriously. I don't know what you think of Pastor Greg Boyd's theology, but I love this quote from his blog on the importance of prayer:
In fact, there are dozens of passages in the Bible that explicitly state that God changed his plans in response to prayer. (e.g. Num. 11:1–2; 14:12–20; 16:20–35; Deut. 9:13–14, 18–20, 25; 2 Sam. 24:17–25; 1 Kings 21:27–29; 2 Chron. 12:5–8; Jer. 26:19). For example, in Exodus 32 God announced his plan to destroy the Israelites and start over with Moses, since the Israelites had proven themselves to be “a stiff-necked people” (Ex. 32:9-10). But Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites and changed God’s mind (Ex. 32:14). David later recounted the event when he wrote that Yahweh “said he would destroy them – had not Moses… stood in the breach before him to keep him from destroying them (Ps. 106:23).
Notice, Moses’ prayer wasn’t for the purpose of changing Moses. It affected God’s plan and was done for the sake of Israel. Had Moses not prayed, Israel would have been destroyed and God would have started over with Moses. Prayer really makes a difference. ---- Here is another one to encourage you in your prayers, Luke 18:1 (NKJV) says: Then He spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.
**** Whatever happens, do not be tempted to believe that He has lost control of your life. Pray and entrust yourself to Him who turns the hearts of men as He wills. If you are His child, He is your Abba, Father. His arms are strong, His power immense, His will unshakeable and His love immeasurable. From Divorce: Hope for the Hurting (p. 62). I agree!
