PRAYER THOUGHTS: WHY PRAY?

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

The question has been asked many times, "Why pray?  God knows what we need before we need it so why doesn't he just give it?  Not only that but, God's mind can't be changed once he has determined something so isn't prayer just futility?"  Pardon me for saying it, but questions like these are indicative of the relationship of the person who is asking with God.  They see God only as useful if he gets them out of the jam they are in right now.

Prayer is necessary for relationship with God.  In a letter written to Christian folks the Lord said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). Similarly, in Isaiah 1:18 the Lord extends the invitation, "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord." God is not there only to save us from hell and to get us out of jams.  God is there to have a relationship with you and me.  The closer the relationship, the more we will become more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).  We should pray because God wants us to, and we will be blessed because of it.

Prayer also draws Christians closer to each other.  In Matthew 18:19 Jesus tells us, "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my father in heaven."  Prayer isn't something that is done only alone in your prayer closet, it is something we should do together as well.  We should at least agree about the things that we need to pray about in church so that as a body we can pray together.  As a result it will draw us closer together and closer to the Lord.  No one will then be able to say, "It was my prayer that brought about this powerful answer," but only, "It was our prayers that God heard and answered."  One of the good things about agreement in prayer is that others can help the one requesting see the true need for prayer, not just the emotional desire.  We should pray to deepen our relationship with others.

In sum, those who see God only in utilitarian or fatalistic terms, do not have a relationship with God.  God calls us into relationship with Him--that is His desire.  Without prayer your relationship with God and others will be shallow.

Love & Prayers,
Tom