"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking" (Matt 6:7).

Jesus cut away some religious theology right there.

I had always heard that if you just kept praying, God would finally answer you. "Just keep on praying, keep bombarding the gates of heaven!" Some think if you can get more people praying, you will finally talk God into it.

But you are not going to change God by your praying. God said, "I am the Lord, I change not" (Mal 3:6). You can change yourself by praying and get yourself in line with the Word so God can answer. Prayer changes things, but it does not change God.

Hezekiah is a good example of this. God sent a prophet to tell him to get his house in order for he was going to die. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, prayed, repented, and changed his position before God.

Then God said, "You will live fifteen more years."

Many think that he prayed and changed God's mind. For years I thought that was true, but he didn't change God's mind. It was God's will all along that he live a full life, but Hezekiah got out of His will and God said that this cause him to die a premature death.

When he repented, God said, "Now you will live."

You do not change God by your praying for He does not change. For years I thought God didn't want me to have whatever I was praying about, so I was trying to talk Him into letting me have it.

I thought my job was to keep pestering Him like I did my earthly daddy, until He changed His mind just to get rid of me.

No, God does not operate that way. Faith moves God, not prayer alone.

Source: Releasing God's Power Through Prayer by Charles Capps.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers