Let's Pray About ItSample

Purpose of Prayer

Have you ever thought, “What is prayer, or why pray?” Maybe you’ve wondered, “What purpose does it serve? or “Does it do anything at all?” A lot of us have had one or more of these questions. The answers can be found in our Creator’s instruction manual (the Bible).

Prayer is how we communicate with God. Prayer can be with silent thoughts, written expressions, or spoken words. Praying is simply having a conversation with your heavenly Daddy. One of the Hebrew words for prayer is “dovaiv,” which means “to move the lips;” speak out loud! Culturally, Jesus would have been taught to pray out loud. In John 17, Jesus modeled this. Proverbs 15:29, Psalm 34:15, and 1 Peter 3:12 tell us that God hears the prayers of the righteous, and His ears are open to those who have been made right with Him. You have been made right through Jesus. How pleasing it must be to the Father to hear your voice, which He gave you. Praying out loud can also build your faith (Romans 10:17). Prayer can be a personal and private experience, or a shared activity with others.

Through prayer, you can seek guidance, express gratitude, ask for help, or simply connect with God. Praying is a way to spend time with your heavenly Father and a way to reflect, find comfort (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 119:76), and experience peace (Philippians 4:7). Just as an earthly father cherishes the sound of his child's voice and enjoys their conversations, your heavenly Daddy also longs to hear from you and connect with you.

One of the most important things to know about prayer is that God hears you and responds. First John 5:14-15 (NLT) says, “And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us whatever we ask for.” And in John 16:23, Jesus said that whatever you ask of the Father directly, in His name, God will give it to you. Not only does He always hear your prayers, but He always answers your requests when you ask in Jesus’ name.

Reflection:

The Father wants to talk to you, His child, and spend time with you. Not just when you’re in distress, or in need, but when you’re happy, excited, or just being you. He knows everything you need before you even ask (Matthew 6:8), but He wants to hear from you to build a personal relationship with you (Philippians 4:6). Always remember that your prayers are powerful and effective (James 5:16).