A Goody From Woody

Last week, a friend asked me a great question about prayer. She said, “I’ve been raised a strict Baptist and know that we’re supposed to pray. But, I’m struggling with why. God knows my thoughts, wants, needs, and my prayers and thoughts for others.” Why pray?

Let me answer this question of why with a definition of prayer – It is personal communication with God. Prayer includes requests for ourselves and others (called petition and/or intercession). It also includes confession of sin, adoration of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and praise and thanksgiving. Prayer is worship!

Let me also say prayer is not offered to God so God can find out what we need. Jesus tells us, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8).

1. God wants us to pray because prayer expresses our trust in God. And this trust can grow and increase with time. We are to pray with faith, which means dependence and trust in God’s plan for our lives.

Think about the attitude of a child trusting their dad and mom. We as Christians really are dependent on God for everything. Prayer is a way of expressing to God our attitude of dependence and our loving thoughts to Him. It is right and proper to pray to God and express our thanks and praise in His salvation. It is right to tell God we want to be like the Savior.

Remember the opening words to the Lord’s prayer? “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Matt. 6:9). This is the model prayer and it teaches dependence and trust.

2. God wants us to pray and love Him in dependence, but He also wants us to pray so we can enjoy fellowship with Him. If you enjoy friends on earth, don’t you long, when apart, to come together in Christian fellowship? So does God!

3. A third reason why we pray is that prayer allows us believers to be involved with activities that have eternal importance. When we pray correctly we are involved in asking God to increase His church, advance missions to reach lost people, and for “His kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Let me say a final word. Prayer is not “natural.” It takes a divine touch (salvation) (cf John 4:24). Prayer is “supernatural.” Scripture teaches God does not “hear” every prayer. The biblical doctrine of prayer always begins with God’s character, the necessity of man’s salvation in covenant relation with God, and entering into both the privileges and obligations of that relationship.

As a boy, growing up in eastern Kentucky, I heard a radio program called, the “Cadle Tabernacle” out of Indianapolis, five days a week at 7 AM. I heard these words:

“Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Savior, did you sue for loving favor, as a shield today?”

What a challenge! What a joy! What an honor to pray to God about everything!

Thanks for reading!! Go pray!!

Woody