If God Knows, Why Pray?
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
When we pray, it’s important to have in mind who we are praying to. Our great Creator God knows everything. He can read our thoughts. He knows exactly what we think we need and exactly what we truly need.
So telling God what we need is not about trying to let Him know something He doesn’t know, or even reminding Him of something. It’s about letting Him know that we realize we depend on Him. It’s about showing thankfulness for what He has given to us and having a humble expectation about what He will give us.
Prayer is an exercise in trying to apply what we know of God’s will. If we understand He wants us and others to have health and to prosper, but that He also and even more importantly wants us to grow in godly character and to prepare for His Kingdom, this will shape our prayers and requests.
The act of praying for God’s will can help us to better understand His will and His eternal plan. And prayer shows God our hearts. This is the kind of communication that builds the relationship God desires to have with us.
For more about this relationship, see “Relationship With God.”
