In a recent Breakpoint podcast, John Stonestreet observed that in uncertain times we have a tendency to ask, “Other than praying, what can I do?” How many times have you heard or asked that question in some form over the past year or so? How many times is that our knee-jerk response to a situation: other than praying …  When we say that, we generally mean that we don’t want to respond to problems with mere words. Saying “I’ll pray for you” doesn’t seem to carry the same weight and authenticity as, “May I prepare a meal for your family?” Doing something seems preferable to saying something. But Stonestreet nails it when he goes on to say, “Praying is actually doing something.”

It’s easy to get discouraged or overwhelmed with any number of life situations and wonder what our response is supposed to be. “What am I supposed to do?” We’re image-bearers designed to do good things in God’s world, so this question of doing is the right one to ask because being actively involved in the world is part of what it means to be human. Furthermore, the trinitarian God—in whose image we are made—created by speaking. In that context, we shouldn’t be surprised that our words and prayers carry power.

Failing to appreciate and understand just how powerful our words are is one of the problems with the mentality (not the sentiment) of “Other than prayer …” Oddly, despite knowing the damage our words can do, we are not always equally aware of the restoration they can effect as well. But the deeper problem is that true prayer isn’t just saying something—it’s doing something. As Stonestreet concluded, “[Prayer] is a central part of a Christian worldview: that God has made Himself known, and He welcomes that relational communion with Him, not only bringing our requests, but also asking for his help and living out the things we already know.”

As followers of Jesus, let’s not forget that prayer matters and that it actually does something. Other action steps on our behalf are essential, but to neglect prayer is to pass over the first real thing that we can do in any given situation. And it’s in relational prayer to God that we find the proper context and wisdom to do those other essential things.