WHY DO WE NEED TO PRAY? WHAT IS THE POINT OF PRAYER?

Jesus said, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8)

If this is so, why should we pray? What is the point of prayer? John Calvin answers:

“Believers do not pray with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On the contrary, they pray in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a word that they may declare that from him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things.”

He makes four points of why we need to pray.

First, that we arouse ourselves to seek him. We need to actively seek if we want to find, ask if we want to receive, knock for doors to be opened into his kingdom; for his peace, forgiveness, presence, power, love and the fruit of his Spirit. If we do not hunger and thirst for his presence we will never be satisfied. We need to come to his Table in order to be fed with his grace and goodness. If we do not pray for these things we do not desire them. Prayer is the expression of our needs and our faith that only God can meet them.

Secondly, that we may exercise our faith in meditating on his promises. Jesus tells us to come to him that we might find rest for our souls. He tells us to abide in him so that we may produce fruit. He tells us to follow him that we may not walk in darkness but in the light of life. He tells us that in him we will find joy. He tells us that he is the way, the truth and the life. He tells us that he is the bread of life and that if we feed on him we will be satisfied. He tells us that he is the resurrection and the life and that if we believe in him we will never die. He tells us that he will come and take us to be with him in glory.

Thirdly, that we may relieve ourselves from our anxieties. When we communicate to him all our fears and concerns we find that he relieves us of their burden. When we cast our cares on him he bears them for us. In everything by prayer and thanksgiving we present to him our requests and his peace, which transcends all human understanding, guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Fourthly, we express our hopes and expectations for ourselves and for others so that we and they may receive all that is good from the hand of God. God is love, and God is good, so that he wants to give us and our loved ones all good things. We believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who are called according to his purpose. The Spirit helps us in our weakness even when we do not know what to pray for and intercedes for us in accordance of God’s will. We pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know God better; that we may know the hope to which he has called us and his power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, so that we may be filled with the fullness of God.

That is why we need to pray.