On blanking and praying.

I'm not going to lie: I've done my fair share of blanking.

Like everyone, I'd rather catch, but I can cope with a day of dry nets, and there's still pleasure to be had in the experience. 

In fact, I've probably learnt almost as much from blanking as I have from catching. The "thinking angler" reflects on why he or she hasn't caught, what might have been done better, would a change of swims have worked, a different rig, an alternative approach to feeding ...? 

I suspect that prayer is rather similar.

We sometimes talk about "unanswered prayer" but the fact is there's no such thing. There's always an answer: sometimes "yes", sometimes "no", sometimes "not yet."

That prayer has the power to change things is something of which Scripture is certain, but when prayer isn't answered in the way we'd hoped  and doesn't change the situation itself, it still has the power to change us.

And maybe that's a part of what's so special about prayer; that the very act of praying, of sharing our life with our Heavenly Father, of finding Him with us in even our darkest times changes who we are and how we understand things.

Perhaps prayer, like blanking, teaches us, changes us, and makes us better equipped for the next time .....