The Power of Prayer by Evan

The Power of Prayer by Evan - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

There was a season in my life when everything felt unbearably heavy. Problems stacked up faster than I could solve them, and for the first time I realized that sheer willpower was not going to carry me through. Whatever I was, wasn’t enough. I had always believed faith was important, but in that moment, it stopped being an idea and became a necessity.
I began turning to the Lord in prayer, not just in moments of crisis, but daily. At first, my prayers were clumsy and uncertain, more honest than eloquent. I spoke about my fears, my doubts, and the quiet frustration of feeling inadequate. Over time, something shifted. I noticed that prayer grounded me. It gave me clarity when my thoughts were scattered and peace when my emotions ran high. I wasn’t suddenly free of struggle, but I felt strengthened within it.
The new strength I discovered was not the absence of fear or difficulty, but endurance. By leaning on the Lord consistently, I learned how to face challenges without being consumed by them. Prayer became a steady rhythm in my life, a reminder that I was not carrying everything alone. This reliance reshaped how I approached growth. Instead of pushing myself to the brink, I learned to pause, reflect, and trust.
That habit of prayer has influenced my life in lasting ways. It has made me more patient, more reflective, and more resilient. I’ve grown not because every obstacle disappeared, but because I learned where true strength comes from and how to return to it, day after day.