It can be confusing to Non-Christians.
On one side of the road are the pastors who seemingly turn any/all prayers into “...trying to use a lever to force God to do X’s biding,” and on the other side of the road is the pastors who remind people that, “they can go to God with requests with belief.”
At some point there is even the parable about the person going to the neighbor’s door 3 times and we are admonished that sometimes it takes multiple requests.
The Governor asking for the Lord God to spare Florida the presence of Hurricane Dorian is him doing his job as a Christian leader. The Governor understands and accepts that offering up a prayer for his state’s safety is not a command to the Lord God.
He’s not an idiot.
I pray multiple times a day and never know if any prayer is answered.
I pray because I believe in God, and it brings calm and peace to me.
If good results follow, it is NOT because of my praying, it is because it is God's will.
Non-believers will not acknowledge that God exists, therefore, trying to explain my praying to them is a fool's errand, so I don't.
If any one doesn't believe, I'm sorry for them and don't understand how they get through life.