Have you ever been asked this question? Maybe you have wondered about this yourself?
As Christ-followers we are invited to join in communion with Jesus in His name and pray directly to God the Father. But if God is in complete control, why then do we even need to pray? Doesn’t He already know every need that’s out there? Isn’t He already aware of the hurt in the hearts of man? Of course He is.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to, “Pray Continually.”
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Matthew 11:28 reminds us. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
1Peter 5:7 tells us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.”
So we see from just these few scripture references that God desires for us to speak to Him a lot and tell Him what we need. We’re told to not worry about stuff that we have no control over, but to thank Him for His blessings! He reminds us that peace is ours when we give Him our burdens. The best part is that God really cares about what happens to us! He loves us!
I think as a parent one of the biggest lessons I can teach my kids is that God desires a relationship with us. In any good relationship there is a strong element of communication, and that’s what prayer really is. Coming before God and talking with Him. What prayer isn’t supposed to be, is us bringing God- the proverbial genie in a bottle- a laundry list of our wishes. It also isn’t case law where we have the right to take on the Almighty and use His Word against Him. Have you known people like this? It sort of scares me when people think they can out-smart God like an episode of Law and Order!
Ironically, I’m the one who has learned how to pray a little better after watching my kids pray! They are honest and open when they kneel down to talk to God. Being children, they are already ok with being submissive to His will and seem to have a better understanding than I do that He’s in control. I’ve also noticed that most of their prayers are about others’ needs and not themselves. What a great lesson for little ego-centric me!
I guess if I were asked why I pray to God, my answer might be to get in better alignment with His Heart; not to change His mind through my own persuading words. I lay at His feet my problems, concerns and desires, and then I trust that He is God and I am not.
Why do you pray? How do your kids influence your prayer life?
