Why Pray?

I did not grow up in a churchgoing family, so prayer was never part of my life. Once I started attending church as a young adult, it didn’t take long before I was confronted with my need to pray. But prayer did not come naturally—not by a long shot!

Part of the reason was that I wondered why a God who already knew my heart and mind would want me to pray. God knows everything, so He does not need our prayers to know about our fears and worries or hopes and dreams (Matthew 6:8).

So, why pray?

Who am I to suggest to God what to do?

There were other, related reasons why I found prayer so difficult. One of those reasons came from considering who I am in relation to who God is. “Who am I,” I thought, “to advise the Almighty God about what He should do?”

When we pray—whether we are asking for blessings, healings or protection for ourselves or for others—aren’t we, in essence, telling God, the greatest being in the universe, what to do?

God does not need our advice or suggestions. He knows what is best, and He plans what He does. His works are not haphazard.

Since God knows everything and since He is a God who plans, I reasoned that He does not need our advice.

So, why pray?

Another reason for asking, “Why pray?”

I also had a hard time overcoming the feeling that I was praying to the walls, so to speak.

Even though He already knows my heart, He wants to hear me express my thoughts and emotions, much as any human father wants to hear his children’s thoughts and emotions. Unlike human conversation, there was no feedback. I could not gauge God’s response by a verbal answer or the expression on His face.

With human conversation, there is immediate feedback. The smallest of gestures or the slightest sigh can convey to us the reactions of other people. Not so with prayer.

So, why even try? Why pray?

A vital part of the Christian life

Even though prayer felt unnatural and unnecessary to me, I knew quite early in my Christian walk that prayer is a vital element of a godly life. That’s because I kept reading about it in the Bible, and I kept hearing about it in sermons.

My first attempts at prayer were awkward and disappointing—disappointing to me, but not to God. In hindsight, I now believe that He looked at my feeble efforts the way a human father looks at a toddler taking his first unsteady steps. It was a joy to Him, even if it was so unnatural to me.

With time and effort, I slowly became aware of some of the reasons that God wants us to pray. Here are some of those reasons:

1. Prayer builds a person’s relationship with God.

One of the most astonishing truths of Scripture is that the all-powerful God of the universe wants to have relationships with humans. Prayer helps each of us build such a relationship.

Jesus taught His disciples, and us, to address God in prayer as “Father” (Matthew 6:6, 8-9). This means that we acknowledge not only His authority over us but also His love for us. And it reveals the kind of relationship He wants with us—a father-child relationship.

Any relationship requires sustained communication. The same is true for prayer, which is a measure of our relationship with God.

Although God already knows what is in our hearts and minds even before we begin to pray, He wants to know whether we value our relationship with Him. Will we make the effort to pray regularly? When we do pray, we demonstrate our desire to remain in a truly special relationship with God.

Building and strengthening our relationship with God is the most important purpose of prayer. A strong relationship with God forms the foundation for all the other reasons to pray.

2. Prayer humbles us.

Doggedly bowing our heads in prayer, even when it may not feel natural, requires humility. We humble ourselves in the very act of prayer.

Without humility, we cannot have a satisfying relationship with God. Scripture shows that God responds to those who approach Him with humility, and for good reason.

An arrogant heart is not one that seeks God’s will. A humble heart, on the other hand, is willing to change and seek God’s direction. Through a lifetime of prayer, we learn to adopt God’s will as our own.

Christ set the example the night before His crucifixion.

Knowing the agony He would soon experience, He passionately prayed, asking God three times to remove the “cup” of suffering from Him. Each time, however, He also said “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39-44).

As Christians mature, they learn that God does not always answer prayers the way we hope or expect. Even so, we are to learn to accept His will.

3. Prayer builds faith.

Being willing to pray, even though there is no feedback, requires an element of faith. Faith that God is listening. Faith that God cares. Faith in God Himself.

That initial kernel of faith is only a starting point. Through time, we also develop faith in our experiences with prayer.

Looking back on my life, for example, I can see many instances in which God answered my prayers. Sometimes answers came quickly. Other times answers were delayed. Sometimes, answers never seemed to come at all.

The times I experienced quick answers built my faith. I remember those prayers with a sense of awe. They are proof that God listens.

What amazes me now, though, is how prayers that weren’t answered quickly—and those that seemingly remain unanswered even now—have also built my faith.

In some cases, I’ve come to realize that what I had asked for wouldn’t have been good for me. In other cases, I’ve seen the value of waiting for the right time. And for those seemingly unanswered prayers, I’ve learned—and I’m still learning—to trust God no matter what.

4. Prayer is an act of worship.

Prayer is one of the most important ways we worship God. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible defines worship as “the paying of homage or respect,” and as “the reverent devotion, service, or honor paid to God” (Vol. 5, p. 969).

That homage should generally come early in our regular prayers, as Jesus explained. When one of the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He gave them a model prayer (Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:5-14).

Notice that after addressing God as our Father, we are to recognize that He is holy, to hallow His name (Matthew 6:9; see “Praise God”). This is not because God needs our praise. It is because we need to praise Him.

Worshipping God is a matter of putting our relationship with Him into perspective. Worshipful prayer helps us better appreciate His fatherly love for us and His authority over us.

5. Prayer is a sacrifice.

Setting aside time to pray is a sacrifice. It’s not always easy or convenient, especially when we have committed ourselves to regular daily prayer.

In essence, when we pray, we lay down a part of our lives to serve God. We give up moments of our lives to prioritize and connect with Him. This is one way we become living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

David wrote about this in one of the most beloved psalms: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

We pour out our hearts in prayer, and that is a sacrifice that pleases God. We may also lay down a portion of our lives in intercessory prayer, sacrificing our time on behalf of others.

A sacrificial attitude of showing love for others is the attitude God has (1 John 4:8).

Who am I?

Earlier I mentioned a nagging question that caused me to struggle with prayer.

I kept asking myself: “Who am I to tell God what to do?”

I’ve come to understand that I was asking the wrong question. The real question is not about me but about God: “Who is God that He wants to hear my prayers?”

God is my loving Father. He did not create me to be a slave, but to be one of His beloved children.

Even though He already knows my heart, He wants to hear me express my thoughts and emotions, much as any human father wants to hear his children’s thoughts and emotions.

The walls melt away

One other issue I mentioned was the sense of discomfort that came to me because there was no feedback when I prayed.

I’ve come a long way through the years. I discovered that the biggest battle is at the beginning. Once I get started praying, truly focusing on speaking with God, I forget about my environment and simply pray. The walls melt away, so to speak, and God is there to listen.

I am now in my 60s, having experienced the power of prayer personally for many decades. Prayer is one of the most important things we will ever do.

What about you?

Are you ready to experience the power of prayer, to enter into or to deepen your relationship with God?

Then do what the apostle Paul advised: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). You’ll be glad when you do.