Why Do We Pray?

Why Do We Pray

Hey friends! It's been awhile, but today we are diving into the matter of prayer. More specifically, giving us five reasons why we should pray. Let's get started!

“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath.” ~ Psalms 116:2

David, the man after God’s own heart, made prayer a priority. Here are some reasons why you should do the same! 

1. We are God’s Children

We pray, because we were made in the image of God. Our creator designed us to want a relationship with Him. A relationship requires communication, and prayer is how we talk with God. It’s a spiritual transaction between God and ourselves. He delights in our prayers, because we are his children. 

Romans 8:16-17a

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.”

2. Prayer Deepens Our Trust

While God is trustworthy, as humans we often struggle with fully trusting in Him. This is because we must know Him intimately to trust him. As we communicate with Him, we begin to understand more who He is and what He is like. Prayer deepens our trust in God.  

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

3. Move the Heart of God

We pray, because our prayers move the heart of God. Our prayers connect us with God in a beautiful, miraculous way.  Throughout Scripture, we see how prayer moves God to work. Ultimately, by moving the heart of God, it results in a transformation of our hearts and minds. 

James 4:12 tells us that we “have not, because we ask not.” 

4. Causes Dependence

The more we communicate with God, the more we realize our human inadequacies and need for Him. We pray, because prayer causes us to depend on God, instead of ourselves. It limits our own pride and our self-reliance. 

2 Corinthians 2:19 (a favorite of mine)

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

5. Involvement 

We pray, because it involves us with the work that God is already accomplishing. Prayer is a willful choice that we make to intentionally attempt to make a difference in a situation. When we lift others up to the Lord, we put their needs before our own. Prayer changes things, because it changes us. It changes our attitude from “may my will be done” to “thy will be done.”

1 John 5:14 

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

Prayer is the process of aligning our hearts with God’s will for our lives.The beauty of prayer is that even though God already knows what you are about to tell Him, and yet he still chooses to listen. 

E.M. Bounds once said, “He who is too busy to pray will be too busy to live a holy life.”

Instead of making prayer our last resort, let’s determine to make it our first priority as believers. In conclusion, we should pray because we need God’s presence in our everyday lives, and prayer invites His presence.