Why Pray?

In popular culture, prayer is depicted as a desperate cry, a last resort when all other things have been tried. Though at times this may be the case, that is not predominantly what prayer should be.

As humans we are physical beings with a soul, whereas God is spirit. Scripture teaches us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) Prayer is one of the significant ways that we commune with God.

Prayer in the Bible

The Bible directs us to pray. The Lords Prayer is the most well known prayer from the Bible which is Jesus answer to the disciples who asked: “teach us to pray”. It is a simple model that you can follow when you pray.

There are many reasons to pray. God loves it when His children talk to Him. When I think about my prayer life, there are many reasons I pray. As practical examples, here are some of the reasons why I pray in private:

Reasons to Pray

Repentance: At our initial conversion, and when we sin thereafter, we are called to humbly confess our sins to Almighty God. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness“. Repentance is a good place to start in any personal prayer time.

Wisdom and Guidance: When making small or big decisions in life, I call out to God for His Wisdom and guidance as to which way I should go.

The Leading of the Spirit: Each morning when I read my Bible, before I start to read, I pray for the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and understanding as I read. I pray that God would speak to me through the scriptures. I may also quietly pray something similar, before talking with someone about a matter that is weighing on them. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit and He is there as our comforter and to guide us into all Truth.

Submission: At times I find that I need to re-orient myself and pray a prayer of submission. Paul teaches us the we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. It is helpful at times to explicitly pray a prayer of submission to God and offer yourself to Him to use as He will. In some circumstances He will use you in an unusual way, other-times not that day. He is the Master – it is His call.

I can recall one time where I prayed such a prayer for God to use me after church one Sunday. The person I ended up standing in line with for coffee had some particular needs related to house repairs that I was able to meet. God uses those who are willing, in His time, and His way.

Conversions: I have a few people that I pray regularly that they would repent and trust in Jesus for their salvation. That He would draw them to Himself and He would use me and others to point them to the Truth.

Needs: We often find ourselves praying for our needs and the needs of others. More often then not health related issues.

Orient the Day: I find it helpful, at or near the start of the day, to begin with a prayer, orienting the day towards God, and setting His purposes as the plan for the day, that He might be glorified.

Pray Daily

If you are not in the habit of praying at least daily I would encourage you to start. Find a quite place where you can be alone for a few minutes and pray to God each morning as you start you day. There are no special words that you need to say, just call out to Him in your own words and share what is on your heart. Maybe some of the reasons that I pray also resonate with you and you can use them as a starting point. As Christians, God desires a relationship with us through his son Jesus Christ. He is our mediator or go between, between us and a Holy God. That is why we pray in Jesus’ Name. God wants to give good gifts to his children. As James said we do not receive because we do not ask, and when we ask we do not ask in faith. Ask your father in faith and He will meet your needs.

Pray for One Another

There are also times when it is beneficial to pray for one another. That is one of the way we share one another’s burdens. You may notice sometimes after church that people may pause, place their hands on someones shoulder next to them and pray for them. There are also opportunities now after church to go up to the front and have someone pray for you. If something is weighing heavily on you, share it with a brother or sister in Christ and have them pray with you. Be as general or as specific as you are comfortable. There are many in the church that would be happy to do that, myself included.

When I have the opportunity to pray for people I find that it is very often an encouragement for the person being prayed for as well as myself. After hearing about what is going on in someone’s life and the struggles that they are going through, that is a good time to pause and pray. It is best for us to pass those on to God, the one who can bring true answers and resolution to the matter.

Many times God takes us though difficult circumstances and what we really need is patience and faith as we go through, not necessarily the removal of the struggle. Give it to Him, for God cares for you. If you are willing, when an opportunity arises, pause and pray for someone. At home when your family members share their needs, pause and pray for then, especially with your children. That is how we both share that burden with God and model how we should live.

Corporate Prayer

There are also times of corporate prayer that are good to participate in. At those times, requests are shared as a group and then prayed for together. This happens in growth groups, monthly home fellowship, Sunday morning prayer and mid-week prayer, to name a few. It is good as part of your Christian life not only to pray on your own, but also together with other Christians. I would encourage you to complement your personal prayer life with one or more of those opportunities to pray together.

I have only scratched the surface, there is much that can be said about prayer, and I am by no means an expert. I share with you the little that I know and I encourage you all to grow in your prayer life. Prayer grows with practice. An important discipline of the Christian life. 

May it all be to the glory of God.

Amen.