By Carla Thomas
Truth Contributor
We are living in perilous times. I honestly can’t remember a time on this earth when we weren’t; however, every time something bad happens, the same declaration for more prayer is made.
Another shooting. Pray. Another family struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Pray. Another child lost to violence. Pray.
Prayer is beautiful and necessary. It give us strength and hope. It centers us when the world feels like it is falling apart. It’s understood why people turn to prayer when they are scared, hurting, angry or simply don’t know what else to do.
But what I’m trying to understand is this: When there is a call for more prayer after a tragedy, what are we expecting prayer to do? Are we praying for comfort and peace to help us through what has happened, or are we praying for something to actually change? And if we are praying for change, what are we expecting that change to look like, and how do we expect it to happen?
Black people have been praying for a long time, and yet the world around us seems to be getting progressively worse. Here we are in 2026, and Black people are still being lynched, as in, found hanging from trees. Black people across this country are still being harassed and killed by police. We still have the police called on us for simply existing in spaces where someone decides we don’t belong. And now, we are watching pieces of our history being erased. At the same time, our own communities continue to struggle with violence, poverty, a lack of resources and opportunities, and the effects of generations of neglect.
We’ve prayed through slavery, Jim Crow, poverty, discrimination, violence and loss.
We, as a people, stay praying.
It’s so easy to say, “I’m praying for you” or “We need to pray more.” But prayer isn’t supposed to be the end of our responsibility. It should be preparation for the action that comes after.
God works through us, as us. That is my belief. We are His hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouth in this world.
When we say, “Pray for our city,” are we also going to show up at city council meetings? Are we willing to hold our city leaders accountable?
When we are praying for God to feed the hungry, are we willing to buy the food?
When we pray for God to comfort the hurting, are we willing to sit beside them?
When we pray for justice, are we willing to speak up when something is wrong?
We keep praying, “God, fix this,” when maybe our prayer should be, “God, what can I do to fix this?”
If it’s important enough that we need to ask for prayer, then it’s definitely important enough for us to take action. Prayer without a corresponding action is an excuse to do nothing.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that prayer and action had to go together. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, King made it clear that we can’t just sit around waiting for things to get better. He was a minister. He was a man of faith. But he also understood that change requires people willing to do the work. He called those people “coworkers with God.”
King prayed, but then he marched. He preached, but then he organized. His belief in God did not excuse him from confronting injustice. It compelled him to confront it.
And he wasn’t just calling out individuals. He was calling out the church, too.
Are our churches just talking and praying about what people are going through, or are they actually showing up and doing something about it?
That question isn’t just for churches, but nonprofits, community organizations, government, elected officials, and every one of us.
It is easy to say, “we need to pray for our community.” It is harder to walk into that community, listen to the people who live there and commit ourselves to doing something about what they are facing.
Prayer is supposed to give us the strength and courage to do the work, especially when the work is hard. But prayer can’t take the place of our responsibility to do something.
When we say, “I’m praying for you” or “We need to pray,” maybe we should start adding, “Now what can I do?”
Prayer and action are not an “either/or.” They work together.
Jesus didn’t just pray. He acted. He fed, healed and served the people. And His ultimate act was laying down His life.
So pray without ceasing, but after you pray, listen. The answer to prayer is never going to be a miracle falling from the sky. Ever. It’s going to be an assignment.