Why does prayer seem inadequate?

You're talking to a friend, catching up and asking them how things are going. Or maybe you're texting, and ask "What's up?" and instead of following the social contract and saying "Nothing" or "Everything's going fine, how have you been?" they actually tell you what's going on.  What do you even say to that?  This is your friend, you want everything to be fine, you want to say something profound that will actually help them, or at least make them feel better.  You think and think but you're coming up blank; your phone just went back to sleep and you realize that if you don't say something soon it will be awkward when you do.  So you just say "I'll be praying for you."

Everyone probably has a story like that, and if we believe that there is power in prayer then praying for someone should be a big deal.  So why do we feel so lame when that's the only thing we can say?

The problem isn't with prayer, there's nothing wrong with responding to a situation over which you have no control by communing with the creator of the universe.  But when you say that you'll pray for someone, do you really pray for them?

I'm just as guilty of this as anyone, it's easy to throw out a quick "I'll pray for you" and make a mental note to lift up their need during that quiet time that never seems to actually happen.  And when you do pray, sometimes it's a quick "Btw, please help so-and-so while he/she's going through a hard time."  Prayer has power because the one to whom we pray has power; if you're going to have a conversation with the creator of the universe then treat it as such.

If someone is important to you, make time for them.  This one goes both ways, because if your friend is important to you then praying for them should be too, but you're also making time for God.  Not only should we make time to pray for our friends' sake, but we should respect God's sovereignty - after all, no one poked their head into a king's throne room and said "Oh, hey, my brother's in jail, do you think you could release him?" and then left before getting a response.  We don't often get that instant gratification of a prayer answered the way we want, when we want, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't seek an answer from God.  It's a conversation; when I know a friend has a problem I'm content to let them fill the conversation, but when they're asking me a question (or a favor!) I appreciate it when they seem genuinely interested in my response.  How much more important is it to seek a response from God, who can actually help?

Why does prayer sometimes seem like an empty response to our friends' pain and tragedy?  Maybe it's because sometimes our prayers are empty.  Me mumbling with my eyes closed has absolutely no power to help anyone, but if I can fill that prayer with God then there is power in abundance.

I'm as guilty of this as anyone, so pray for me, I'll be praying for you.