Prayer and Trust
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
written by Kelly McGinn
I have been spending a lot of time in prayer lately as some my family's very best friends, the Raymonds, have a son in the ICU after a brain surgery. It's so heavy for everyone in their lives and what's helping me is prayer with a significant trust in God. Prayer and trust are deeply intertwined concepts that hold great significance in many religious and spiritual practices. For me, prayer, in its essence, is a form of communication with God, an act of seeking guidance, comfort, or expressing gratitude. It is through prayer that I open my heart and mind, aligning myself with our higher power. Trust, on the other hand, is the foundation upon which prayer rests. To truly engage in prayer I trust that God listens and will respond in His own time and way.
Trust in prayer is not always an easy feat for me. It requires faith, patience, and surrender. When I pray, I may not always receive the answers I expect or desire, which can be a source of frustration. However, trust encourages believers to understand that the outcome is in the hands of God's wisdom and that's where I find the comfort. This surrender to God can provide peace, even in the face of uncertainty.
Prayer, in turn, nurtures trust. The more I pray, the more I become attuned to the presence and guidance of the Lord. Prayer allows for introspection, helping me to understand my desires, fears, and needs. As a result, it strengthens the belief that my prayers are heard, reinforcing the trust that God knows what is best for us, even if it is different from our personal expectations.
Ultimately, prayer and trust work together to foster a deep sense of peace and connection. Trust allows me to approach prayer with an open heart, and prayer, in turn, strengthens that trust, creating a cycle of faith and spiritual growth. Together, they form the core of a resilient spiritual practice. Today I pray that Matthew comes out of this surgery with a fully restored body, mind and heart. I also pray that his parents can find peace during the process. Amen.