Every Prayer Matters to God

Posted by: Megan Sweitzer, Social Media and Podcast Assistant | Monday, September 28th, 2026 ( 9:06am)

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.—Psalm 145:17-18

When I moved into my house, I discovered many items that the previous owners had left behind. There were old cans of corn and straws in the kitchen, a squirrel tail in the attic, and sleds in the shed; all forgotten belongings. Most of the items landed in the trash, but one became a larger issue: the basketball hoop sitting in the garage. It’s big, heavy, and dirty. It looked like it hadn’t been moved in a long time. Now, I don’t have much use for a basketball hoop. I’ve never played basketball and don’t have any kids that can use it, so it really needed to go. Especially since Michigan winters are on the horizon, I need that space in my garage before any flurries hit.

My husband and I dragged it to the curb, hoping that someone would come by and claim it as their own. We prayed as we walked back to the house, “Lord, we hope someone comes to pick this up and we hope it blesses them.” We really weren’t expecting much. Again, it’s big, heavy, and dirty, but we hoped it could serve someone better than us. Within an hour, the hoop was gone. We didn’t see who came to get it or how they picked it up, but we were thankful that it was no longer our problem.

Later that evening we were out on a walk in our neighborhood, and we heard a basketball bouncing. We paused, looked down the driveway, and there it was, the basketball hoop from our garage and with it, a dad playing with his young daughter.

This was the best possible scenario.

I had looked at that basketball hoop and labeled it as discarded trash. Yet here it was, bringing joy to a father and his daughter. By God’s grace and faithfulness, I was getting to witness that joy. In that moment, I was reminded that God hears even our smallest prayers, no matter how silly or insignificant they may seem. He is always present and working out His redemptive plan. Just like the abandoned basketball hoop, God can take something old, unused, and forgotten and make it new again.

Sometimes, God in His kindness allows us to see the fruit of our prayers, and sometimes He doesn’t. We can pray for missionaries serving around the world, for an extended family member walking through a difficult situation, or even for the person bagging your groceries, and we may never know how the Lord moves in their lives and what comes of those prayers. That doesn’t mean God isn’t present and working his redemptive plan. Every prayer is a divine opportunity to engage in your relationship with the Lord. Whether He allows us to see the outcome of that prayer or chooses to keep it hidden, prayer is an opportunity to trust that He is near to those who call upon Him.

So keep praying. Keep trusting. Know that every prayer, no matter how big or small, becomes a chance to draw closer to Him. And every now and again, by God's grace, He gives us a chance to see how meaningful those prayers truly are.