If you desire a deeper connection with God, prayer is foundational for intimacy. Here are seven reasons why we pray.
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18Why do we wait for a crisis before we pray?
Why do we treat God like He’s only good for damage control? Why is He only useful when we need help with something not going our way?
Prayer is so much more than disaster control—this is good news!!
Prayer isn’t about control at all; it’s about surrender.
We’re called to come to God with our requests. We don’t need to feel like we’re burdening God because our needs, desires, or circumstances are beyond our control. We don’t need to feel guilt or shame because we believe we’re “always asking God for something.” He told us we should!
When someone needs help, it’s God’s desire to come to Him.
Prayer is an invitation to meet with God on an intimate level. He wants us to know Him deeply and show us how deeply He cares for us. Prayer takes us there.
If you need more reasons why we should pray…here are seven.
1. Prayer is a Constant Conversation
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Prayer is a conversation with God. It glorifies Him for who He is, invites Him into your day each morning, and thanks Him for showing up each evening. It converses with Him throughout the day.
It’s communication with our Good Father, Best Friend, Righteous King, Holy Lord, and Only Savior. Each Person He is to us allows us a variety of conversations. We can pour out our worries, seek wisdom, and worship the worthy King.
If you aren’t sure how to converse with God, try journaling like you would write a letter to a friend, father, or someone you love. Or, think of it as writing to someone who loves you. It also creates a record of God’s faithfulness and your growth.
2. Prayer is Petitioning
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18
God specifically calls us to pray and invites us to bring him requests. Bear in mind that these ought to line up with God’s will. He desires that we walk in His ways and that our hearts desire what He desires.
He also asks that we pray for His people. We are in desperate need of prayer. The church is asleep and missing what God is doing, and it will continue to do so unless it wakes up from its selfish slumber and fixes its gaze on Him.
3. Prayer is Listening
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
Jeremiah 33:3
Prayer offers an amazing opportunity to be still and wait on the Lord for what He will tell us. There will always be new things to learn and mysteries to unfold. It’s so sweet and personal when we quiet our minds long enough to hear Him. Sometimes, He won’t even need to speak. Just sitting in His presence is enough.
4. Prayer is Powerful
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
The power of prayer brings peace that we cannot conjure up alone. His peace is so great and unexplainable that it could only come from Him. The power God unleashes in praying for others is something we could never do on our own, but God wants us to ask.
5. Prayer is Surrender
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
When we submit our time, our hearts, our attempts to control, and every other fleshly desire down to humble ourselves in prayer, we surrender our will to Him.
Prayer is relinquishing our approach to handling things and laying them at the foot of the cross.
6. Prayer is Discipline
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2
Some days, we won’t always feel like making time for prayer. We may be too tired, too busy, too angry, and doubtful whether God hears us. When we make prayer a discipline, we make the choice to pray whether we feel like it or not. We know feelings are fleeting and though we may feel a certain way at that time, it will pass. You won’t regret taking the time to pray.
7. Prayer is Centering
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Prayer keeps our focus on God, His truth, His will, and His path for our lives. The more we seek Him and listen, the more focused we remain on Him and the eternal.
Prayer isn’t about what we can do, but what He can do. When we take our doubts, resentments, worries, bitterness, and angry thoughts captive and give them to Christ, He can fill us with Truth and grace.
We are too busy. We need to stop being too busy to pray. We must let go of some of the entertainment we feed our souls to make time to pray. Its investment is far more valuable than the time spent on social media or television. We need to make prayer an anchor in our lives to stay grounded in Him.
