Why pray?

About a week ago, someone close to me told me that he was praying for me. Of course, it means a lot when someone says something of this nature because it usually means you are important enough to them that they think about you even when they are not with you. It is always nice to know that you are cared for. But I began to consider these words of my friend shortly after he said them and I have not stopped thinking about them since. How significant is it that one would take my well-being before the throne of our Almighty God? And that made me think even more, “Why even pray to begin with? What is the significance of it, really?” James reminds us to pray for one another and that our prayers are powerful (James 5:16). Paul says it this way; “pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But in light of our seemingly insignificant nature compared to that of our Creator, is it really necessary? Why do it? Are we really accomplishing anything? What possibly could we reveal to God, that He is not already aware of?


I enjoy having discussions of this nature with my wife. It is one of the many wonderful qualities that drew me to her. I remember many years ago when we were talking about prayer, she stated that prayer is for us. That really has stuck with me over the years. Yes, our prayers are to be directed to God but it is for our benefit. Prayer brings us closer to God. It is a source of reminder to us that we indeed need Him; and that we cannot on our own, live as He wants us to, in the midst of a society that does not glorify Him. Prayer serves as a means of remembering our role in this present-day world; He is the Creator and we are the created.

We have all heard the phrase, “communication in a relationship is like blood is to the body.” No relationship can survive without communication. One of the most essential needs of us is to encounter God and have a relationship with Him. Outside of this, there is no hope of salvation through Jesus. Prayer gives us that opportunity to communicate with our amazing Creator. It is amazing that while we are so small and insignificant compared to the vastness and greatness of God, yet we are very significant in that He created us and loves us enough to go to the extremes He did to give us salvation.


There are a lot of ways we can answer the question “why pray?” I think the ones I mentioned fit the bill. And there are certainly others we can throw out there, such as God said to do it or that it gives us a way to express thanksgiving to God and acknowledge that all of our wealth is because of Him. But I think one of the most significant reasons for prayer is simply that Jesus did it. From the moment man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God immediately began to put forth His plan to reconcile man back to God. The entire Old Testament prepares the people of God for the Messiah, through Whom this reconciliation would take place (2 Corinthians 5:20). And then it happened (Galatians 4:4). Christ came to earth and established His precious church. He would eventually suffer an unfathomable crucifixion in order to bring us closer to God (I Peter 3:18). Leading up to His death however, as He carried out His ministry, we are told that He was tempted in every way that we are (Hebrews 4:15) and that He did not sin. Just like us, Christ was tempted. He was persecuted. He was stressed. Probably moreso than any of us have or ever will experience. And these challenges He encountered were met with prayer. Paul reminds us that we are imitators of Him (1 Corinthians 11:1). If I am to strive to be like Jesus in everything that I do, then hopefully prayer will become a bigger part of my life. I know I need to do much better.

Can we truly walk with Jesus, who prayed often, without prayer being part of our walk with Him? Because of our Lord’s example and what He taught throughout His ministry, prayer is an essential element to kingdom living. Not so much because God wants us to live in fear of “Do it or go to hell!” But rather because we want to emulate Jesus and strive to live as He would live if He were physically present on this earth today.


I am curious as to some of your thoughts on why prayer is so important in our lives. Please feel free to share as we all strive to grow together in Christ.