The Cross & the Quill

Katelyn 2022-04-07 Katelyn 2022-04-07

Why Do We Pray Anyway?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent much of your life wondering whether prayer “works” and why we Christians are encouraged to pray when God Almighty is omniscient and knows everything before it happens anyway.

We’ve got the idea of prayer all wrong, and it has led us to feel abandoned by God.

Subscribe to “The Cross & the Quill” to keep up to date on all articles and conversations!

Find out more here

Archives

Christian Theology
- May 8, 2026 People-Pleasing: The Idolatry of Being Needed May 8, 2026
- Mar 28, 2026 To the Church: Stop Asking for More Mar 28, 2026
- Mar 24, 2026 What Jesus Actually Meant by “Denying Yourself” Mar 24, 2026
- Mar 11, 2026 When Love Feels Like Disappearing Mar 11, 2026
- Mar 6, 2026 Your Personality Isn’t a Problem Mar 6, 2026
- Feb 13, 2026 The Inner Cathedral Feb 13, 2026
- Jan 30, 2026 Seeing the World as Good Jan 30, 2026
- Jan 23, 2026 The Quiet Fire Jan 23, 2026
- Jan 16, 2026 The Gift of Complexity Jan 16, 2026
- Jan 7, 2026 The Scaffolding of Obedience Jan 7, 2026
- Dec 27, 2025 Silence as Resistance Dec 27, 2025
- Dec 8, 2025 Seeing Beneath the Surface Dec 8, 2025
- Nov 14, 2025 Holy Hesitation Nov 14, 2025
- Nov 7, 2025 The Labyrinth Within Nov 7, 2025
- Oct 31, 2025 The Weight of Knowing Oct 31, 2025
- Oct 17, 2025 When God Hides Oct 17, 2025
- Jan 20, 2025 Will All People Be Saved? A Review of “Until the Last One’s Found” by Curt Parton Jan 20, 2025
- Nov 9, 2024 A Critical Review of “Inspired” (Rachel Held Evans) Nov 9, 2024
- Feb 14, 2024 The History and Purpose of Lent and Ash Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
- Feb 13, 2024 Reflections on Lent: Why the Church Calendar Matters Feb 13, 2024
- Sep 20, 2023 A Creed For Postmodern Times Sep 20, 2023
- Jul 13, 2023 Are the Gospels a Myth? Jul 13, 2023
- Apr 3, 2023 Social Set Theory: Bounded and Centred Sets Apr 3, 2023
- Mar 23, 2023 A Case for Christian Universalism Mar 23, 2023
- Mar 23, 2023 A Case for Christian Universalism Mar 23, 2023
- Dec 12, 2022 What Do We Do With Violence in the Bible? Dec 12, 2022
- Dec 1, 2022 Three Views On Hell Dec 1, 2022
- Nov 23, 2022 What and Where is Heaven (And Why Do We Care)? Nov 23, 2022
- Jun 2, 2022 The Holy Who? Jun 2, 2022
- May 19, 2022 Being Blessed Is Not What You Thought It Was May 19, 2022
- Apr 21, 2022 What Does It Mean That Scripture Is “Authoritative”? Apr 21, 2022
- Apr 14, 2022 Did Jesus Have To Die? A Look at Theories of Atonement Apr 14, 2022
- Mar 10, 2022 Is Infertility a Curse? Mar 10, 2022
- Mar 3, 2022 Where is God in My Infertility? Mar 3, 2022
- Jan 27, 2022 Community: Because God Did Jan 27, 2022
Spiritual formation
- Mar 24, 2026 What Jesus Actually Meant by “Denying Yourself” Mar 24, 2026
- Mar 11, 2026 When Love Feels Like Disappearing Mar 11, 2026
- Mar 6, 2026 Your Personality Isn’t a Problem Mar 6, 2026
- Feb 13, 2026 The Inner Cathedral Feb 13, 2026
- Jan 30, 2026 Seeing the World as Good Jan 30, 2026
- Jan 23, 2026 The Quiet Fire Jan 23, 2026
- Jan 16, 2026 The Gift of Complexity Jan 16, 2026
- Jan 7, 2026 The Scaffolding of Obedience Jan 7, 2026
- Dec 27, 2025 Silence as Resistance Dec 27, 2025
- Dec 8, 2025 Seeing Beneath the Surface Dec 8, 2025
- Nov 14, 2025 Holy Hesitation Nov 14, 2025
- Nov 7, 2025 The Labyrinth Within Nov 7, 2025
- Oct 31, 2025 The Weight of Knowing Oct 31, 2025
- Nov 6, 2023 A Review of Deep Mentoring by Randy D. Reese and Robert Loane Nov 6, 2023
- May 27, 2022 Desiring God’s Will by David G. Benner May 27, 2022
- May 13, 2022 Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport May 13, 2022
- Apr 23, 2022 Dream Big by Bob Goff Apr 23, 2022
- Apr 16, 2022 The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Benner Apr 16, 2022
- Apr 6, 2022 Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer Apr 6, 2022
- Mar 29, 2022 Invitation to Silence and Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton Mar 29, 2022
Salvation
- Jun 30, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: What Comes After Revelation? Jun 30, 2025
- Jun 24, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Enigma of the Book of Revelation Jun 24, 2025
- Jun 17, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: Neither Jew nor Greek Jun 17, 2025
- Jun 11, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Embodied Resurrection Jun 11, 2025
- Jun 3, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Cross and the Crucified God Jun 3, 2025
- May 27, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Kingdom of God May 27, 2025
- May 13, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: Grace in the Exile May 13, 2025
- May 6, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The God Who Draws Near May 6, 2025
- Apr 29, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Crux of the Exodus Apr 29, 2025
- Apr 22, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: Salvation Starts at Creation Apr 22, 2025
- Apr 14, 2022 Did Jesus Have To Die? A Look at Theories of Atonement Apr 14, 2022
Infertility
- Dec 10, 2024 When Childlessness Hurts during the Holidays Dec 10, 2024
- Jan 16, 2024 Moving on From Infertility Jan 16, 2024
- Jan 16, 2023 Will the Childless Have Children in the Afterlife? Jan 16, 2023
- Mar 31, 2022 How Can the Church Make Space for Childless Families? Mar 31, 2022
- Mar 24, 2022 Ten Things to Not Say to Your Childless Friends Mar 24, 2022
- Mar 17, 2022 What Are My Options If I Can’t Conceive? Mar 17, 2022
- Mar 10, 2022 Is Infertility a Curse? Mar 10, 2022
- Mar 3, 2022 Where is God in My Infertility? Mar 3, 2022
Spiritual Formation
- Oct 8, 2025 The Slow Mind of God Oct 8, 2025
- Sep 14, 2023 The Gospel According to a Physiotherapist Sep 14, 2023
- Jan 20, 2022 Living Within the Margins Jan 20, 2022
- Jan 13, 2022 Making Space Jan 13, 2022
- Jan 9, 2022 A New Year Jan 9, 2022
- Dec 22, 2021 Shame: Your Inner Attendant Dec 22, 2021
- Aug 28, 2021 How Do You See God? Aug 28, 2021
Architecture of the Inner Life
- Feb 13, 2026 The Inner Cathedral Feb 13, 2026
- Jan 30, 2026 Seeing the World as Good Jan 30, 2026
- Jan 23, 2026 The Quiet Fire Jan 23, 2026
- Jan 16, 2026 The Gift of Complexity Jan 16, 2026
- Oct 17, 2025 When God Hides Oct 17, 2025
- Oct 8, 2025 The Slow Mind of God Oct 8, 2025
Narrative
- Apr 6, 2025 The Pen and the Arena: Storytelling as Resistance in ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ Apr 6, 2025
- Feb 24, 2022 What Will You Do With What You’ve Been Given? Feb 24, 2022
- Feb 17, 2022 Yes: The Word That Will Transform Your Life Feb 17, 2022
- Feb 10, 2022 To Live or Die: A Choice When Life Hurts Feb 10, 2022
- Feb 3, 2022 When I First Met God: The Beginning of My Own Uncertain Faith Feb 3, 2022
- Nov 2, 2021 Narrative: What's Yours? Nov 2, 2021
The Holy Plot
- Sep 6, 2025 For God and Country? The Price of Religious Nationalism in ‘The Everlasting’ by Alix E. Harrow Sep 6, 2025
- Aug 8, 2025 Is Love Weakness? The Upside-Down Power of Love in ‘Wild Reverence’ Aug 8, 2025
- Jun 24, 2025 The Theme of Deconstructing Faith in ‘The Knight and the Moth’ Jun 24, 2025
- May 29, 2025 When Hatred Meets Empathy: A Theological Reflection on ‘Heartless Hunter’ May 29, 2025
- May 28, 2025 The Power of Words and Knowledge in ‘The Name of the Wind’ May 28, 2025
- May 8, 2025 A Theology of Resistance in ‘Babel’ May 8, 2025
Biblical Studies
- Mar 20, 2025 Timely, Not Timeless: Why Context and Language Matter in Reading the Bible Mar 20, 2025
- Mar 15, 2025 The Bible as One Story — The Metanarrative Mar 15, 2025
- Mar 8, 2025 The Bible as One Story—Why it Matters Mar 8, 2025
- Jul 13, 2023 Are the Gospels a Myth? Jul 13, 2023
- May 5, 2022 How Your Worldview Influences Your Bible Interpretation May 5, 2022
Christian Spirituality
- Mar 21, 2024 Fasting from Certainty Mar 21, 2024
- Mar 9, 2024 Fasting from Control Mar 9, 2024
- Feb 22, 2024 Fasting from Materialism Feb 22, 2024
- May 1, 2023 When Shame Says You Are Not Enough May 1, 2023
- Apr 7, 2022 Why Do We Pray Anyway? Apr 7, 2022
Christian Tradition
- Nov 16, 2024 Rethinking Christmas Nov 16, 2024
- Feb 14, 2024 The History and Purpose of Lent and Ash Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
- Mar 23, 2023 A Response to The Naked Anabaptist Mar 23, 2023
- Mar 23, 2023 A Response to The Naked Anabaptist Mar 23, 2023
Christian Ethics
- Nov 9, 2024 Peeking over the Fence Nov 9, 2024
- May 2, 2023 Far Apart: A Reflection on My Trip to Bolivia May 2, 2023
- Mar 17, 2022 What Are My Options If I Can’t Conceive? Mar 17, 2022
Love Without Disappearing
- May 8, 2026 People-Pleasing: The Idolatry of Being Needed May 8, 2026
- Mar 24, 2026 What Jesus Actually Meant by “Denying Yourself” Mar 24, 2026
- Mar 11, 2026 When Love Feels Like Disappearing Mar 11, 2026
Quiet Spaces in the Church
- Mar 28, 2026 To the Church: Stop Asking for More Mar 28, 2026
- Mar 6, 2026 Your Personality Isn’t a Problem Mar 6, 2026
Childless
- Jan 16, 2023 Will the Childless Have Children in the Afterlife? Jan 16, 2023
Christian Leadership
- Mar 23, 2023 Book Review: The Homiletical Plot by Eugene L. Lowry Mar 23, 2023
Church and Community
- Mar 24, 2022 Ten Things to Not Say to Your Childless Friends Mar 24, 2022
Church history
- Jun 30, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: What Comes After Revelation? Jun 30, 2025
Ecumenical
- Jun 30, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: What Comes After Revelation? Jun 30, 2025
Eschatology
- Jun 24, 2025 Biblical Foundations of Salvation: The Enigma of the Book of Revelation Jun 24, 2025
Ethics
- Oct 6, 2021 What is Christian Ethics? Oct 6, 2021
Sermons
- May 22, 2023 Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light May 22, 2023
The Lord of the Rings
- Apr 3, 2023 Lessons from the Shire: A Study of Merry and Pippin Apr 3, 2023