What Is Prayer, And Why Should We Pray?
Prayer is communicating with God. We pray because it helps us. Prayer is more than just a few words that come out of our lips.
So why do we pray? We pray because God commands us to pray. Thus, as Believers, the Lord expects us to pray to Him! He calls us to live a life saturated with prayers.
As Believers, the Lord expects us to pray to Him! He calls us to live a life filled with prayer. So why do we pray? We pray because God commands us to pray.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7,
What Are The Best Times To Pray?
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
This verse mentions praying in every situation. We’re to pray in sorrow, pain, trials and tribulation, happiness, joy, and trouble.
We’re to make our needs known to the Lord through thanksgiving and prayer. We pray because it is a form of serving the Lord (Luke 2:36-38).
Another reason for prayer is that it changes us. The process of persevering and time-consuming prayer changes the very heart of a person.
7 Reasons Why We Pray
Here are a few reasons why we pray:
- Communication with the Lord: As believers, prayer is a means of communicating with God. We talk to Him through prayer. It helps us express our thoughts, emotions, desires, and gratitude to God.
- Seeking Guidance (His will) and Wisdom: The Christian life isn’t meant to be lived without God; it is a total and complete dependence on Him. Prayer is often used as a way to seek Christ’s guidance, wisdom, and clarity. Without Him, we cannot live a victorious life. We pray to receive and understand God’s will, understanding, and discernment in making decisions or navigating challenging situations.
- Expressing Gratitude: Prayer can be a way to express gratitude and thankfulness for God’s blessings, provisions, and answered prayers. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” No matter what the circumstance is, we’re to be grateful because there is always something to thank Him for. Gratitude has also been shown to improve one’s mental health, as proved time and again by science.
- Seeking Comfort and Support: During times of distress, prayer can provide solace, comfort, and a sense of support. We know that we can rely on God at all times. The Bible says in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” The verse specifies that God is an ever-present help, which means He is always available, round the clock, to help us. Prayer allows believers to pour out their concerns, fears, and burdens to the Lord, thereby finding emotional and spiritual relief.
- Seeking Healing and Recovery: Believers frequently use prayers as a means of seeking physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. Let us learn to rely on the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Contrary to popular belief, the Lord cares about our health and wealth. He desires us to prosper in all that we do (Joshua 1:8). But, we must fight in faith and pray for healing and recovery. Therefore, we recognize that there is a need for us to exercise massive amounts of faith in Him because the Lord is pleased by our confidence in Him! Surrender to God’s will, which means you stay rooted and established in Him even if the healing doesn’t come. But fight; fight (in faith) for your healing.
- Strengthening Faith and your Relationship with God: Prayer is a spiritual practice or habit that helps believers deepen their faith and strengthen their connection with the Lord. It is our way of talking to our heavenly Father. It fosters a sense of intimacy, reverence, and trust in the relationship with God. Prayer must become natural to every believer. We need to grow in our faith and prayer life.
- Seeking Forgiveness and Repentance: Prayer serves as a means of seeking forgiveness for one’s shortcomings, mistakes, or sins. We need the grace of the Gospel daily. As sinners, we fall short of the glory of God every single day and need a fresh outpouring of His grace. Prayer provides an opportunity for believers to confess, repent, and seek reconciliation with God.
Why Do We Pray If God Has A Plan?
Praying has been an act of communing with God since time immemorial. The first prayer ever prayed can be seen in Genesis 18:23-33, where Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah.
This very story demonstrates the power of prayer. Let’s break down the story to understand why we pray even if God has a plan.
Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was living in Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of the incident.
The Lord wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because the outcry against the city was great, and their sin was grievous (Genesis 18:20).
But God is very merciful, and it takes a lot to anger Him. We see from the story of Jonah that God is forgiving and wants all people to come to salvation.
But the city of Sodom was an extreme case, and God sought to destroy them.
Abraham Bargains With The Lord!
As the story goes on, we see Abraham bargaining with God. He was pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah. When we break down the story, we see that Abraham was actually pleading for the life of his nephew, Lot.
He started by asking God if He would destroy the city if it had fifty righteous people, and God responded positively.
The Lord said He wouldn’t destroy a place with so many righteous people, and Abraham bargained until the number came down to ten.
Our Prayers To The Lord Jesus Possess This Essential Feature!
The Lord is patient. He wouldn’t destroy the city for the sake of ten righteous people.
Nevertheless, Abraham didn’t give up and kept asking the Lord until He changed God’s mind about Lot. His persistence in prayer (communicating with God and making his request known repeatedly) made God save Lot and his family.
The Lord dispatched two angels to the twin cities to rescue Lot and his family. Prayer is powerful! This is another reason we pray.
Our prayers change things and situations. God has a plan, but He also honors our faith. The Lord honors our requests and hears our prayers.
Why Should We Pray To God Every Day?
Here are a few reasons to pray daily:
- Relationship with God: God created human beings in His image. You are I were made to love and commune with Him. We were made to be completely loved by Him; nothing else can satisfy that desire within every human being. We can run from Him, but we cannot hide from His love. Praying to Him daily is a means to talking to Him. It is a way to have Him guide us through each day. Consider someone who prays early in the morning before they start their day; this person has had a conversation with the Creator and is now filled with faith and confidence. They can conquer the day because they have seen the face of God before anything else.
- Discerning God’s Will: As believers, we seek guidance and wisdom from God through prayer. A very important part of every Christian’s life is the will of God. If we’re not living in His will, we’re disobeying Him. The Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The renewing of our minds happened when we came to the Lord’s great salvation; it is still happening as we walk the path of sanctification. By reading God’s Word and praying daily, we ask Him to renew our minds and show His will.
- Strength and Spiritual Sustenance: Prayer allows us to tap into the Lord’s infinite source of strength and wisdom. The Bible says in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” He’s an everlasting source of strength. When we seek to get our strength from Him, we live and walk in the supernatural.
- Intercession or Waging Spiritual Warfare: As believers, we’re called to pray to Christ on behalf of others, interceding for their needs, well-being, and salvation. We know that Christ is the mediator between God and humanity, and He listens to their prayers and acts on their behalf, so how can we slack and faith to intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters in need?
If We Can’t Change God’s Will – Why Bother Praying?
God doesn’t change His mind. He is a fixed principle! He is the same at all times. At the same time, our prayers change things.
We need to understand the order of things: God honors His children’s needs, requests, and prayers.
All of God’s plans are perfect. He sets them in motion since before He laid the foundations of the earth (Isaiah 46:9-11; Ephesians 1:4).
He knows the beginning from the end, and what is bound to happen. There is always a choice in life, and Belivers’ prayers move the heart of God.
In Luke 18:1, Jesus teaches us never to give up. He instructs us to pray through every situation.
Why does He ask us to pray if God doesn’t change His mind? The complexity of the situation is multifaced and prism-like.
There are things we don’t understand that will come to light in eternity. Only God knows the future. But He also hears our prayers and grants our requests.
So never give up on God, and fight through every situation. Spiritual warfare is real, but we must fight on our knees.
Conclusion:
We’ve seen a detailed explanation for the question, why do we pray? We have also seen several reasons for prayer. Believers need to live a life of prayer. God’s plans are fixed, but He still hears our prayers (He knows what we need; He wants us to ask in faith and persevere in prayer).
Thank you Tima Miroshnichenko for the photo I used above!
