If God, Why Pray?

It was another Sunday evening, as I drove up to the building. The weekly prayer meeting was about to start. I made my way down the halls excited to start the week off right with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, the unlit room said it all: Prayer Meeting, Party of One.

I’ve been a member of various churches and Christian organizations, and it’s always been interesting to observe whether prayer is a priority or not. Some groups wove prayer into every fiber of their ministries, while other groups used prayer like sprinkles on a cake—nice to see but lacking in substance. The fact that I’ve witnessed a vast spectrum is a poor testament to the purpose of prayer.

Why do we pray?

Prayer should be a cornerstone of the Christian faith, but I see it constantly tossed in the corner of the room like dirty laundry. Based on conversations I’ve had with people inside and outside the Church, I have heard various perspectives on why prayer should or should not be a priority.

The winner: If God is all-knowing, then He already knows what I would pray for…so what’s the point?

It’s a completely ridiculous point when we analyze the point relationally. In the context of any serious relationship, such as marriage, communication is key. Let’s apply this winner to my marriage:

Bethany loves me, and I definitely love Bethany. She knows I love her, and I regularly tell her as much. Now, let’s say I have the bright, caveman idea that I can reduce the number of words I say in a day by not saying, “I love you.” After all, Bethany knows I love her, so there’s no need for me to actually say it. Should I be shocked when a chasm begins to form between us?

If I’m an oaf of a husband, I might insist that Bethany and I can have a healthy relationship even with my silence. If I love her, if I care for her, if I desire to get to know her more, then I need to communicate with her. That doesn’t seem too complicated. Yet, when it comes to praying to God, we can convince ourselves that “silence is golden.”

Even more, that winning point minimizes prayer for a few other reasons. First, it ignores prayer’s multidimensional nature. The world may see prayer as nothing more than a vending machine request (and rightfully so if that’s how Christians model it). Yes, God, I’ll take C3…and down drops the peanut butter crackers.

I learned the ACTS acronym growing up in the Church. When we are in prayer, we should focus on at least four things: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Unfortunately, we get wrapped up in our own “needs” and issues and change the acronym to ACTSSSSSSSSS.

If we see prayer as it should be seen, we can truly enrich our relationship with the Father. Have you had a prayer time that was solely focused on praising God for who He is? For His name? For His mercy? For His love? Have you had a prayer time where you were completely vulnerable with God, revealing and confessing all the sinful thoughts, words, and actions in your life for the sake of reconciliation? Have you ever sat in silence before God, so you could hear Him and drown out your own voice?

Second, it’s no small point that the Bible clearly states that believers should pray. Ephesians 6:18 says: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Further, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Additionally, Jesus taught us how to pray and modeled prayer throughout His life. That point can’t be stressed enough. If Jesus, the living Son of God, constantly prayed to the Father, then how can we trivialize prayer’s importance in our own lives? The Messiah and Second Person of the Trinity deemed it essential to be in continual communication with the Father. Prayer is God’s will for you, and you should seize the privilege at every chance.

There’s an underlying issue that some people point to that deals with the exchange of free will and fatalistic predetermination. I’ll save addressing that issue in a later blog.

The main takeaway for now: Prayer is relational, multidimensional, God’s will, and exemplified by the risen King, so pray continually.

Z. Montgomery