The Power of Prayer
Prayer is not controlled. We are the ones controlled, called upon to submit to a mysterious inward process, to be carried beyond ourselves without ever knowing clearly what carries us or where we are going.
—Michael Casey,
Toward God
Prayer is not a tool to bend God’s will to ours; it is the means by which we are gently drawn into His. In true prayer, we are not in control—we are being led. The Spirit intercedes with groans too deep for words, often taking us into places we did not plan to go. This can feel disorienting, even unsettling, as our tidy expectations give way to something deeper and more mysterious. Yet it is here, in the relinquishing, that we begin to taste the presence of God—not as an object to grasp, but as a mystery to be received.
In prayer, we are invited to let go—of control, of certainty, of the need to “do it right.” We are invited instead to trust the quiet pull of the Spirit, who knows both the heart of God and the cries of our own soul. As we yield, we may find ourselves carried into unexpected places: moments of grief we had buried, glimpses of joy we had forgotten, longings we had silenced. But always, the destination is the same—to be made more like Christ, drawn into communion, and anchored in a love that is far bigger than we can understand. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics