Why Pray? (Part 1)

“God already knows everything about me, even my thoughts. Why do I need to pray?” Good question! Psalm 139 says God knows our every thought. He knows when we are sitting down and when we rise (verse 2). There is no place we can go where He cannot find us. So what is the purpose of praying to the One who knows everything about us? First, the Word of God is loaded with verses, passages, and stories urging us to pray—both in the Old and New Testaments. For example, in the Old Testament, Moses’s and Samuel’s prayers had an incredible effect on their situations (Exodus 32:7-15; 1 Samuel 7:7-12). Then, in the New Testament, Colossians 4:2 reminds us to “continue steadfastly in prayer,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 prompts us to “pray without ceasing.” Second, Jesus himself modeled prayer. In Mark 1:35, Jesus went off by himself to a quiet place to pray to God the Father. If the perfect Son of God knew prayer was important, how much more should we pray! Jesus also prayed for His disciples and all His future followers, and He still intercedes for us (John 17; Romans 8:26-27). And, in the Gospels, Jesus taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 11:1-13). And here’s the wonderful part. No request is too small, no pondering too trivial to bring before God; He cares about all of it and wants us to talk with Him about everything (Psalm 62:8; 1 Peter 5:7). In Christ, we can go before God with boldness as His beloved and treasured children (John 1:12; Hebrews 4:14-16). • Savannah Coleman • Do you ever feel like prayer is pointless? Maybe you figure an all-knowing God doesn’t need to hear a repeat of what He’s already aware of. Perhaps you only pray about the “big” things, thinking God shouldn’t be “bothered” with your “small issues.” But here’s the thing. Jesus is always here to listen to our joys, sorrows, and questions. In every situation, He wants us to bring our requests and thanksgiving to Him (Philippians 4:6-7). • What things do you want to bring before God in prayer? We can rest in the truth that the Holy Spirit is bringing our voiceless requests before God the Father to align them with His perfect will (Romans 8:26-28). Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:8 (WEB)

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Psalm 62