The Power of Prayer: Why Effort Without Prayer Is Like an Axe Without a Blade

A man was walking down the street and saw two people — one was digging a hole, and the other was filling it back up.

He asked them in surprise: “What on earth are you doing? What is this strange job?”

They replied: “We’re actually three workers. One digs, the second plants a sapling, and the third covers it with soil. Today the planter didn’t show up, so we’re just doing our parts…”

When a person puts effort into worldly affairs, but doesn’t pray to God, it’s as if he did nothing at all. It’s like someone who chops wood all day but barely manages to cut a few logs. A wise man asks him: “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?”
He replies: “I didn’t have time to sharpen it — I was too busy working hard…”

So it is when there is effort without prayer. Prayer is the sharpening of the axe — without it, all the hard work bears little fruit.

The Child’s Game and a Lesson in Prayer

Five-year-old Yitzchak burst into the house, proudly showing his mother the prize he had received in school: a small toy with floating rings in water that, when pressing the buttons, need to be placed onto pegs.

He eagerly tried to line up the rings, turning and shaking the game, but the rings bounced about and refused to land in place. “Mommy, help me!” he cried.

His mother came over, watched for a moment, and said: “Want to see a trick? Look, when you press this button, the water pushes the rings upward — see? Two already landed on the pegs!”

Excited, Yitzchak tried it himself, and it worked. His mother returned to the kitchen and thought to herself: These little rings are like my endless daily tasks. So many things are scattered and chaotic — how can I possibly organize it all? Where is my button to press so everything falls neatly into place?

It then occurerd to her, that prayer is the button. She may feel powerless and overwhelmed, but God is right there. He can arrange everything in the best way and send blessing at the right time. She only needs to press the button — pray.

She paused, whispered a heartfelt Psalm, and felt relief.

Without Prayer, Nothing Happens

The Sages teach about the verse “Make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them” that when Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) built the Tabernacle, he still prayed for God’s presence to rest upon it. Why pray, if God had already promised? Because without prayer, nothing happens.

It’s like an electric plug — if it isn’t connected to the outlet, the device won’t work, even if all its parts are intact. Moshe himself, the greatest of prophets, did not receive what he didn’t ask for.

When God sent Moshe to Pharaoh, Moshe said: “I am not a man of words… I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Shemot 4:10). Ramban asks: why didn’t God heal him? Was that too hard? The answer given is that Moshe never asked, and without prayer, there is no change.

Prayer Is the Order Form

A man once stood at the post office counter and received a small package, while the person next to him received a large one. Upset, he complained: “Why did he get such a big package, and I only this small one?”

The clerk answered: “This is the post office. Each person only receives what he ordered. He ordered a lot, so he gets a lot. You ordered something small, so that’s what you get.”

Prayer is the same. The more we “order” with our prayers, the more we receive. Indeed, sometimes God doesn’t grant exactly what we asked, for reasons known only to Him. And yet, no prayer is ever wasted — it is always accepted, perhaps in another form or at another time. At the very least, prayer strengthens us, eases our struggles, and connects us to the One who holds everything in His hands.