Why Do We Pray?

  • We believe that the infinite, personal God listens when people pray.
  • We pray because Jesus prayed and he’s our example.  
  • Jesus also taught about prayer and invited us to pray. 

One of Jesus’ most important statements regarding prayer is:

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.   

"You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?  Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!  If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

Luke 11:9-13

One wise spiritual writer has said, “We are simply children walking and talking with our Father at hand… 

What prayer as asking presupposes is simply a personal--that is, an experientially interactive--relationship between us and God, just as with a request of child to parent or friend to friend… 

“I believe the most adequate description of prayer is simply, “Talking to God about what we are doing together.”…  Requests will naturally be made in the course of this conversational walk.  Prayer is a matter of explicitly sharing with God my concerns about what he too is concerned about in my life.” 

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God.  New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988

       

Even more stunning is the realization that Jesus is presently alive and he’s praying for us!  That’s what the Bible teaches. Listen to these amazing statements found in the Bible: 


“…We have a great High Priest* who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. 


So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.  


Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end.  Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”


Teachings found in the Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; Heb 7:24-25 

*According to the Bible, Jesus functions like a priest. A priest’s job is to be a mediator between God and persons. Jesus is alive and is serving as our ultimate priest. He’s continually in full communication with the Father.  Because Jesus is our priest, we can go directly to him. If you are connected to Jesus, you have no need for a human priest to speak to your Father on your behalf. You have the right to speak to God on your own—through Jesus.