Why do Christians Pray?

Why do Christians Pray?
A recent blog posted by my friend and brother in Christ Andrew reads the following:..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />




"I am going to try something totally different with this blog thing tonight, and ask a question rather than make a statement. I am asking YOU, the reader, this question, because I don't really know the answer, and the answer is something that I must have. So please, tell me what you think, whether you normally agree with most of the things I usually say or even if you normally disagree. Here is the question:Why should I pray to God? Shocking, I know.I await your responses with much anticipation. Valete..."




Ironically, my mind was fresh on this particular topic, as I had just discussed it at some length with another friend of mine and brother in Christ, Keith. So, here is my response. Unlike most of my blogs, this is a letter is more specifically directed at a Christian audience, so I am not going to be coming at the following concepts from an entirely outside perspective. Even so, I invite everyone who might happen to read this to check it out anyway, to get a fresh angle into a mind that believes in the existence of a knowable absolute!

Here it goes:

No doubt about it, anyone who asks this question has been thinking, which is a very good sign. Anyone who turns even a little to face the inevitable fact of God's absolute sovereignty (complete independence from and infinite control over all the universe and everything in it (including our souls)) is going to have some questions.

And they should. Because, after all, if something like the sovereignty of God, which is written about so extensively in God's Word, and is tied so intimately with so many aspects of the Christian walk, is so darn important to God, then it should be important to us as well. Certainly, it is not something to be taken lightly, but this complex idea is something to be carefully examined for the purposes of its correct application. And the case of prayer is no exception.

A Christian apologist once said that the closer we come to absolute truth, the more that paradoxes (apparent, not actual contradictions) begin to manifest themselves. If this is true (and I believe that it is, given the Trinity, Jesus being God and man simultaneously, etc.), then we are definitely on the right track when we ask this question. After all, the Bible clearly states that on the one hand, God is completely in control of our lives:


"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord."

-Proverbs 16:1

"In Him we have obtained and inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the council of His will."

-Ephesians 1:11 (Although this verse is specifically in reference of salvation, in nonetheless demonstrates God's sovereignty in all things as well.)

On the other hand, no one can deny the overwhelming presence of the command for the believer to integrate prayer into his or her lifestyle:


"Pray, then, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed by your name…"
-Matthew 6:9-10


"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Now, who can deny that there is certainly an element of mystery here? Certainly, the urgency of prayer to a God who has already decided the fate of every atom in the universe can seem strange at first.

But, like I said before, a Christian should be at home in the midst of paradoxes.
In my opinion, one of the biggest keys to understanding prayer is the realization that it's not man-centered. It's God-centered. While prayer on the surface seems like a simple mechanism that we can use to influence God's decisions and thus change the course of history, it is actually a dialogue with God about His will and His plan. This plays itself out in three ways:


1: It edifies God.
A large portion of all recorded prayer in the Bible is a veneration or affirmation of His attributes. God desires for us to display His glory. This means that in addition to glorifying Him in a fallen world through our actions and through sharing His Word with others, we should praise Him in private and corporate prayer. He wants us to speak with Him about Himself, because when we do so we are drawing into fellowship with God around the greatest thing ever to have existed, ever- Himself. Furthermore, when we ask God for something, whether it's a loaf of bread or the salvation of a loved one, we are acknowledging that He is the one who controls the destiny of everyone. And often in His providence, He weaves the circumstances in our lives in and around our prayers. To pray to God is to honor Him, interact with Him, and to acknowledge His supreme power over all aspects of our lives.

2: It edifies believers.
Not only does prayer put God in His place, but it puts us in our place. Just look at these few passages from the "our Father":
"Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily brad
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us."
Here is an acknowledgement of our dependency on Him, for physical sustenance, and for reconciliation from our daily sins. Only through prayer can these things be achieved. Prayer is a way for us to share our intimate thoughts with God, and to come before Jesus and lay our worldly burdens down (Matthew 11:28).
God desires companionship as a part of devotion (John 15:11-17). How can any two people stay good friends without regular communication? Also, prayer is a wonderful way for groups of believers to come together and bring things before God. It unites them in a common worship and devotion in communication before God.

3: The kicker- it gives us a chance to participate in God's kingdom work!
This is actually the same thing that I tell people when they ask me why I should evangelize if we are really all predestined to salvation (and they should probably take it up with Paul and Jesus as well). My answer goes a little something like this:
Let's say that I go out and apply for a job at a specific company. Let's say that it's a large and successful company. I apply there because I love the work and the product that the company produces. One day, lo and behold! I get hired. So one day I'm there and the boss comes up to me and specifically addresses me. He gives me a job to do and tells me that it's very important that I get the job done. Now, at this point, I of course have one of two options: I could either be lazy and choose not to do the job, or I could go and do it. Now, of course, if I didn't choose to do this particular task, it is ludicrous to think that my actions could stop the company from working. And also, of course, if I chose not to do a particular task for whatever reason, it will eventually be done by someone, even if it has to be the boss himself. So then, why would I choose to do something like this task?
Because I went out and specifically applied to that company, with the intention of getting involved in the work, because I liked the work and thought it was a worthwhile cause. Why would I sign up for something without the intention of participating in it? It defeats the purpose. I might as well just get a job doing yard work or flipping burgers or something else if I'm just interested in doing the bare minimum.

There are paths in life that are available that avoid the trouble of getting involved in God's kingdom work. But when someone becomes a Christian, they become one not only out of fear (in this case, fear being healthy respect) for God, but also out of a newfound, God-given love for Him. The command to pray, then, is an act of extreme kindness on God's part that gives us a chance to participate in building His kingdom, by bringing requests, concerns, etc, before Him. Ultimately, logic tells us that if God wanted to, then of course He could do the whole thing Himself. But how awesome is it that he has chosen tasks here and there to give to us that we can have the opportunity to do? Consider Ephesians 2:8-10:"For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, lest anyone should boast; for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good works, which God prepared beforehand that we might walk in them."
And I think I'll let our friend Paul conclude, since he does a much better job than me, in Romans 6:15-18:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

So, ultimately, if I am praying for someone or something, it means that I want to be able to say someday, "It was completely by God's power and grace, but in some small way, being God's slave, I got to be a part of building God's kingdom right there."

If anyone happens to get through this whole blog, I invite their comments, especially those who aren't Christians. I'm very curious to hear what you think about this!