I've never been much of a prayer guy, mostly because it meant admitting I was powerless to achieve the things I wanted to achieve. Yet still, I have sensed the effects of prayer, in some minute ways, and grand patterns:
Over time, my life has steadily been becoming better, more Alive. Sure, some negative stuff happens, but these events are more challenges to be joyfully overcome, rather than bad times to pin me down on the unavoidability of certain events. Loves lost created some Suffering, though I focus more on the awesome memories I have of what happened before the losses. Also, a great new Love entered my life,