Does God really respond to prayer?

 I can only answer this question from my own personal experience. In the summer of 2018 I was introduced to research conducted by behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley at the University of Chicago, where I was about to embark on an Executive MBA. Subjects who took the commuter train into Chicago were enrolled in the study and randomized into two groups. The control group was instructed to just go about their business as usual and answer some questions to a survey once they arrived at their destination. The experimental group was given a simple task: sit down next to a stranger and engage them in conversation. The results of this experiment were extraordinary. Half of the subjects in the experimental group expected the encounter to be a negative experience and expressed anxiety about the awkwardness of the assignment. There were also misgivings about the potential loss in productivity that would occur as a result of wasting 30 minutes in needless conversation. What they found instead was that this brief moment of human connection brought them levels of happiness and purpose that were off the charts. Introverts and extroverts alike discovered that a common daily activity traditionally associated with very few positive emotions offered an opportunity to unlock an unparalleled source of joy in their lives.

The scientific evidence was so persuasive that it was impossible not to consider how my own life should be impacted by the findings. Zooming out a bit, I reflected on the absolute certainty that my life on this planet is limited. At the moment of my death, I will find out for sure whether my assumptions about the After Life are valid. Before that, it’s impossible to know for sure. Since all of our decisions in this world are based at some level on a conditional probability calculation, it seems reasonable to consider the views of one of the mathematicians who helped invent the discipline of statistics—Blaise Pascal. In Pascal’s assessment, the existence of God is basically a coin toss. He either exists or He doesn’t. We have to decide which of these outcomes we believe to be true (the “wager” is not optional). Applying Game Theory to the situation, we can look at the payoffs in each scenario and discover that in the “God Exists” column we are better off believing in Him. Interestingly, in the “God Doesn’t Exist” column there are very few negative consequences of choosing the “Believe in Him” option. Whether it’s the “dominant strategy” or not, it was pretty clear to me which choice I was going to make. Having spent the previous fifteen years participating in a regular Bible study, I had the advantage of knowing a few things about what a relationship with God looks like. Hebrews 11 alone is a pretty incredible, albeit limited, account of the powerful impact faith can have in a person’s life. But like the Chicago commuters, I rarely took the opportunity to engage this omnipresent God in conversation. I don’t have any idea what “heaven” is other than that it involves an unending relationship with God. It occurred to me that it would be extremely foolish to go through life without at least test driving this relationship through more intentional communication and finding out what happens.

After the Chicago experience, I went back home and resumed my normal life. One day as I was driving around running errands, it occurred to me that it might be a good time to strike up a conversation with the unseen presence who was riding shotgun. Reflecting on this experience many years later, I realize that it wasn’t me who initiated the dialogue. Like a baby who produces words only after listening to countless conversations in what will eventually become a native language, I had to first make sense of what was being communicated to me in The Word. I brought up a concern that had been weighing on me in my personal life where I had seen very little reason for hope. I didn’t necessarily expect an answer. I just felt like I should tell Him what was on my heart. In this instance, my prayer was immediately answered in a way that was so powerful that it was impossible for me to write it off as a mere coincidence.

There have been so many prayers offered up for Joyce from so many people all over the world, I’m surprised Revelation 8 doesn’t mention a second golden altar sitting in front of the throne. These are often private conversations, so I can only describe how God responded to my own petitions. After viewing the lytic lesions on the first CT scan, I asked God to protect her from a malignancy. Even before the biopsy results came back, it was like I understood in my heart that this was not to be. When I discovered the undeniable refinement that this trial by fire was producing in my own character, I immediately repented of my tendency to put meaningless selfish priorities above those that were of eternal significance. I tried bargaining with God, and while I know He was pleased with my response, it seemed as though He was telling me, “this is WAY bigger than just you, buddy.”

As I have previously described, this week we were dealt an unbelievable Ace. After two days of a new treatment, Joyce has transformed from Wraith to Wonder Woman. All she has to do is pop a pill twice a day and so far there have been zero side effects. The lymph nodes in her neck are almost impossible to palpate. As if to put the exclamation point on the last sentence of the first chapter of this story, she stopped by the ID clinic yesterday. Recalling the difficulty with which she climbed the two flights of stairs to her office on October 28 (prompting that first urgent visit to her primary care doctor), she decided to give it another go. I wasn’t there to observe it, but I understand the ascent was quite successful. Not clear if there is any validity to the rumor that she exclaimed, “Yo Adrian, I did it!” upon reaching the top.

With so much to celebrate, it almost seemed greedy to ask God for anything extra this week. Nevertheless, it was almost like I was being nudged to see what more He was getting ready to show us. Since this week marked an abrupt transition in treatment strategy, I was very curious to see whether there had been any response to the chemotherapy/immunotherapy regimen we were about to abandon. Normally, a repeat PET CT would only occur at three months. Nobody would expect to see a response any earlier than that (especially at three weeks), and even then you might be happy just to see that the cancer wasn’t growing. While the bone lesions are still present, there has been a dramatic reduction in tumor burden in the lung and lymph nodes. You don’t have to be Elliot Fishman or Eric Williamson to appreciate the difference, and our oncologist confirmed that seeing such a dramatic response so quickly meant that in the event that we ever needed it, we’ve just been dealt another Ace to play down the road. Like the moment when Ted Lasso discovered that Danny Rojas was a brilliant striker who could lead AFC Richmond next to Jamie Tartt, we are elated at the potential of having Two Aces in our own hand as we attempt to Shoot the Moon.

Winston Churchill said it best. “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” Prayer doesn’t mean that we can expect to just ask God to enact our agenda every time we run into a problem, and it doesn’t mean that we’ve seen the last of pain and suffering. John 16:33 reminds us that “In this world you will have trouble.” But what a comfort to know that He is right here with us as we prepare to turn the page on this unexpected diagnosis. “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This Christmas we have a new reason to celebrate that reality.