Why do you pray? Some people pray because they think it’s an avenue to get stuff from God. Some that are not devoted in their service to God may pray because they want to cut a deal with the Almighty, one of those, “if you’ll do this for me, I’ll do this for you.” Still others pray because they know Christians are supposed to. So they do

But why does God want us to pray? If God is all knowing, and he is, what am I going to pray for that he doesn’t already know about? And if God is all-powerful, and he is, then anything he wants to accomplish, he can, with or without my prayer. But Jesus teaches us that prayer is not simply an avenue for us to get what we want. To be sure, God does bless us with many of the things we ask for. But it’s much deeper and broader than that. The purpose of prayer, according to the teaching and example of Jesus, is to bring us into conformity with God. Notice Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:9,10:

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

After the praise of God’s name the first and, I believe, most important request is for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done. Some have made such an issue of whether one can pray for the kingdom to come today that they have missed the impact of the word in the context and its parallelism in what Jesus said. The word kingdom primarily refers to God’s rule in the lives of his people—for his will to be done. And praying for it to come is not synonymous with praying for a millennial kingdom on earth which is part and parcel to the false doctrine of premillenialism. It is rather the disciple’s desire for God to have his way on the earth as he has his way in heaven. That happens when his people accept and submit themselves to his will. Many people could spare themselves a lot of disillusionment if they understood this truth. Jesus didn’t always get that for which he prayed . The Bible says that Jesus, “prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, ‘So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’ And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.’” (Matthew 26:39-46). Nor did Paul always get that for which he prayed (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). But neither threw in the towel and cried, “God doesn’t care about me!” They knew God did. But they also knew that God had a higher purpose that took precedence over their requests.

Prayer is an intimate communion with God. It is not some heavenly insurance policy guarding us or those we love against suffering and even dying. Its highest purpose is to transform us into his likeness.

God bless you,

Brad Fry