The first answer to this question is obedience. We pray in obedience to God as we have been instructed to. Jesus instructed us to pray in Matthew 6:9 and before he did, he assured us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. So when we pray we are not informing God of what he does not know, but we are intentionally maintaining that communication as prayer is first of all relational (Father & Child) and not between two strange parties far apart, with one dreading the other. Prayer as a relationship in turn causes us to receive what he has already given to us without fear or double-mindedness.
James instructs us in James 1:7-8, ‘For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways’. We must deal with fears, double-mindedness and insecurities while relating in prayers to God.
God calls us into a relationship with himself. He does not want a transactional relationship where we only come to Him to ask of things, but one where we come to Him to know Him more. Jesus taught us to believe that God is our Heavenly Father, and as such we are His children – created to live in a close relationship with him where we can grow. Just like any other relationship you have here on earth, communication leads to love, joy and trust.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. We find peace and strength when we communicate with the Father. There’s a hymn that says ‘ O what peace we often forfeit and what needless pain we bear simply because we do not carry everything to God in prayer’. The truth is that we are not made to live this life by ourselves, and God is always here for us and with us. There is a level of peace that comes with taking our heavy burdens and weariness to lay at his feet. Isaiah 9:6 tells us that our God is a wonderful counsellor. He is more than able to listen to take that heaviness that we feel in times of trials and tribulations. Spending time with God and talking to him will give you peace and rest. Communication with God is also not a one-way street, the Father also wants to speak to you and through you. In spending time in His word and in prayer, you are able to hear him speak to you.
Another reason why it is important to pray is that prayer has the power to change you. When we spend time with God, His Spirit transforms us. There’s a certain level of influence that your best friend will have on you that will cause a change in you simply because of how much time you spend together. The same principle applies here, the more we spend time with God, the more we are transformed into the image of His son – which is God’s purpose for our lives (Romans 8:29). Prayer changes the man that prays
Lastly, talking to God helps us to know Him and His will more. Let’s take a clear example of this from a father-and-child relationship here on earth. As a child, there are certain things that you know your father doesn’t want for you but you ask anyway just to see what he says. And oftentimes, the lesson here is not in the ‘no’ you receive but in the reason for that answer. When you spend more time with God, your decisions and desires begin to align with His will. You begin to gain a clearer direction of what God wants for you and you start to get aligned with His will. The Bible says in Romans 8:14 ‘For as many that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God’. What better gift is there as a child than to know that you are in the perfect will of your Father for your life.
Till next time,
Remember to talk to your Heavenly Father always.