When Someone Told Me They Don't Believe in Prayer

I was talking with a fellow Christian recently who told me something that genuinely surprised me. They believe in Jesus Christ, they'd call themselves a believer, but they don't actually believe prayer does anything. Not that it's wrong to pray, just that it doesn't really change anything.

I couldn't stop thinking about that conversation, because I think Scripture actually tells a very different story.

Moses Talked God Out of Destroying a Nation

Think about what happens in Exodus. The Israelites had just watched God part the Red Sea, feed them with bread from heaven, and lead them by a literal pillar of fire, and while Moses was up on the mountain, they built a golden calf and started worshiping it instead. God tells Moses He's going to destroy them for it.

And Moses talks Him out of it.

Exodus 32:11-14 — "But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, 'O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people... Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.' And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people."

Moses reminded God of His own promises, His own reputation among the nations, and God relented. That's not a small detail in the story, that's the entire point of it. Prayer wasn't just Moses talking into the void. It was an actual conversation, with actual weight, that actually changed the outcome.

I've Watched This Happen in My Own Life

I've experienced this myself, not just read about it in Exodus.

I dealt with horrible stomach pain for over a year and a half. Eight of my friends prayed over me for it, and I was healed. That pain hasn't come back.

James 5:16 — "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

And it wasn't even always for my own healing. I had a friend from a Christian camp who was on crutches, and I felt led to pray over his knee right there. The swelling went down that same day. He went to the doctor, who said he'd need surgery, and I kept praying to God, "You're going to heal him. I know You are." He went back for a follow-up, and the same doctor actually said he had misdiagnosed it. Everything was fine. 

I didn't do that. I just prayed, and God moved. And that was a testimony that has stayed with me since high school.

If Jesus Prayed, We Need To

Jesus Himself modeled this constantly. He didn't just teach on prayer, He actually withdrew to pray, over and over, even with people constantly needing Him.

Luke 5:16 — "But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."

1 John 5:14-15 — "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

If the Son of God needed to pray, that should tell us everything about how essential it actually is. Prayer isn't a formality tacked onto faith. It's a direct line to the Creator of the universe, and He actually listens.

Where This Leaves Me

I don't fully understand why some prayers get answered the way we want, and others don't. But I know it's nothing. I've watched it change my own body, and I've watched it change someone else's when I wasn't even the one who needed the miracle. That's enough for me to keep believing there's real power in it, even in the moments I don't understand. And if Jesus said to pray, you better bet I'm gonna do it!

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever prayed for something specific and seen God actually move? What happened?

2. If you're honest, do you actually believe prayer changes things, or does it sometimes feel more like a formality?

3. Who's someone in your life you could be praying over right now, the way I prayed for my friend's knee?

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Joe Navarro, known online as @joechristianguy, is a Christian content creator, entrepreneur, and cultural voice passionate about making faith approachable and impactful for the next generation. With over 4.5 million combined followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Joe delivers bold, Gospel-centered truth through a mix of daily encouragement, short-form teachings, comedic skits, and authentic life experiences. His unique blend of theology, humor, and clarity has created space for millions of young believers and skeptics alike to engage with Scripture and real conversations about following Jesus in a digital world. In 2023, he co-created the popular card game Discernment alongside Jacob and Julia Petersen, which is now available in major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Museum of the Bible, and Mardel. He also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Sales from Texas A&M.