What Is The Point Of Praying?

By: Pastor Alex Dotson

March 24th, 2021

Matthew 6:7-8, ESV

7 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

What is the point of praying when God already knows what we need prayer for? What's the point of praying when God already knows what we will ask for to begin with? I think this goes back to the very beginning. If we remember, God created us with a purpose in mind. That purpose revolves entirely around a right relationship with Him. Humans are designed to be in right relationship with God. This ability to relate is God-given. Humans can connect with each other at a level far more than what we see with anything else. And that goes directly back to the purpose God created us for. Our reason for existence revolves around a right relationship with God and each other.

So now we ask what exactly is prayer? Prayer, in its raw form and definition, is communication. Sometimes we make prayer out to be more than it actually is. We think for some reason that we need to have the right words to say, almost like it's some kind of spell or mantra. Now granted, we need to be respectful of the one we're talking to because He is the God of the universe. But prayer is communication with God. It is communication with Deity. When we pray, we are merely communicating with God. I ask what healthy relationship does not speak? Suppose you have a healthy relationship with someone. In what relationship does a person never communicate with the other?

Prayer is not just about telling our needs to God. It's really about building a relationship with God. Yes, we give God our needs when we pray, but we also talk about so much more. Praise, confession, thankfulness. We talk about the things that He is worthy of receiving credit for. God is worthy of receiving praise for His greatness. In praising God, we are reminded of who He is. We confess sin before God, and we ask for His forgiveness. We ask for His help and repentance. We talk to Him and thank Him for His faithfulness.

But when it comes to a right relationship with God and communicating rightly, first, we need to understand that prayer is about humbling ourselves before God. We tend to want to deal with things on our own and not ask for help. We tend to think that we can deal with things all on our own, especially in our individualistic culture. But part of being a Christian is admitting that we cannot do this life on our own, that we need God to help us, that we need God to even be able to survive the right way. Prayer is about humbling yourself before God and asking for help in ways that you cannot do. It is about acknowledging that we are helpless and that we have a need.

It's also about building trust and faith. When we see God answer prayer, something unique happens, and what is that? Our confidence grows, our faith grows. We become more than what we thought we could be. A relationship with God grows. The more our relationship with God grows, the more He sanctifies us to become like Him.

It's about growing through struggle. Remember, just because we pray for something doesn't mean God is going to say yes. Sometimes God says no or not yet towards a request that we have. But guess what? We are still growing. This is because we remember that God is always faithful, and He knows exactly what we need. Sometimes we don't know exactly what we need. We might think that something is a need when really God knows something better is out there for us. And sometimes it's about growing through struggle. We are going to struggle sometimes. We're going go through hard things. But we remember in prayer, that God is still there for us, that God is always faithful. Even though He might not take away the struggle, He will help us to move through it. God is still faithful, and He already knows what we need, though that's not necessarily what prayer is about. It's about building a relationship with Him. Prayer is all about making the communication. Prayer is all about building a relationship.

Any questions or comments? Email Pastor Alex at alexd@vsbcfamily.org