The Unstoppable Power of Prayer: Why Every Word You Say Matters to G-d

The great sage, the Chazon Ish, wrote in his letters that prayer is “a staff of strength in every person’s hand”. No prayer ever goes unanswered and not a single word of pleading or supplication that leaves a Jew’s mouth is without effect- whether today or tomorrow, this year or many years later, whether it helps the one praying or his descendants. This truth must be deeply etched into every Jew’s consciousness.

How fortunate is the Jew who has an open line to the Creator of the universe, who can turn to Him in prayer anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstances, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:7): "For what great nation is there that has a G-d so near to it, as the Lord our G-d is whenever we call upon Him?"

A story is told about a wagon driver traveling from one town to another. On the way, he saw a poor man walking on foot with a heavy pack on his back. The wagon driver took pity on him and invited him to ride in the wagon. The poor traveler’s face lit up with joy. He climbed aboard and sat down- but he didn’t remove the pack from his back. “Why don’t you take off your pack?” asked the kind wagon driver. “Oh no,” the poor man replied. “You’ve already done me such a favor by letting me ride- I don’t want to trouble you further by adding the weight of my bag.”

Sometimes we hesitate to "trouble" Hashem with our smaller, daily concerns. “We’ll leave the big problems to G-d,” we tell ourselves. “But the small things, we’ll try to manage on our own.”

We can and should turn to our Father in Heaven with every issue, large or small. He is always available. There’s never a “busy signal,” no voicemail, no assistant- just a direct line. Hashem desires our prayers. When we pray to Him regularly, we develop a deep sense of dependence on Him, like a baby resting in its mother’s arms. We can place the full “weight” of our burdens on Him, and He will know how to handle it.

Even when it seems like there is no solution in the world for our problem, we know that our hope is not in limited human beings, but in the Almighty Creator, who can do anything. We’ve already seen in the Book of Kings how King Yehoshafat was nearly killed in battle when the Arameans mistook him for the king of Israel. He cried out to Hashem, and immediately G-d diverted them from him (Kings I, 22, Chronicles II, 18).

The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni) explains: When Yehoshafat cried out, he was moments from death, but he was saved! Unlike a human king, whom you need to approach with permission and protocol, Hashem invites us to call directly, without the need for angels or intermediaries. As it says (Joel 3:5): “And it shall be that anyone who calls in the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

King Hezekiah learned this too. When he was gravely ill, the prophet Isaiah came to him with a divine decree: “You will die and not live.” Hezekiah didn’t give up. He turned to the wall and prayed with tears, and G-d answered him, healing him and granting him fifteen more years of life (Kings II, 20).

Chazal (Berachot 10a) explain that the decree was for both this world and in the World to Come, because Hezekiah had not fulfilled the mitzvah of having children. He explained that he foresaw wicked descendants and didn’t want to bring them into the world. Isaiah told him: “That’s not your concern. You do your mitzvah, and G-d will handle the results.”

Hezekiah responded, “Even if a sharp sword is resting on one’s neck, he should not refrain from prayer”. He prayed with all his heart, and G-d immediately sent Isaiah back with the good news that he would be healed.

If Hezekiah, who heard a clear and direct decree from G-d, didn’t give up hope, how much more so must we never give up when facing our own life challenges. We might feel broken, hopeless, or overwhelmed, but we should not forget the One who runs the world.

We must involve G-d in everything, big or small. We must place our trust in Him sincerely and wholeheartedly, knowing that everything is from Him, and everything is for our good.

When you feel overwhelmed by distress or sorrow, use that emotional energy to mourn the destruction of the Temple. As the Shulchan Aruch says (Orach Chaim 1:3): “It is proper for every G-d-fearing person to feel sorrow over the destruction of the Temple.”
Hashem assigns each person a certain amount of suffering in life, and the wise person “redirects” that pain by weeping over the Temple and the exile of the Divine Presence.

After you’ve prayed, the Chazon Ish teaches, you should feel at peace: “I’ve done my part and now Hashem will do what He sees is best, in His time and His way. And even if He doesn’t give me what I asked for, I trust that it’s for my good.”

No prayer is wasted. G-d preserves every prayer, and it may help us in another area of life, or at another time. When you do see your prayer answered, it is proper to turn to G-d again and thank Him, reconnecting with Him in gratitude. Doing this regularly will build within you a living, emotional sense of faith and an experiential connection to Hashem.