This is a difficult and often unpopular conversation, but a necessary one. And amid the global avalanche of human suffering, we must address and understand what prayer is, why we do it, what results it does (or doesn't) bring, and the nature of the god who receives our desperate pleas. We must also reevaluate our models for compassion, help and healing...and the agents of rescue and goodness who are so often, tragically, ignored. This presentation by Seth Andrews, given at the "Shift to Reason" conference in Regina, Saskatchewan on April 30, 2016, is far from a complete examination of the subject, but it explores some important, key questions regarding faith, divine protection, suffering, prayer and healing intervention.