Why pray?

Jerry asks this question. “If God knows and sees all, why do we need to pray?  Prayer really seems like a man-made construct to me.”

Hi Jerry,
I asked this same question at one time. Even as a believer, I found it confusing that an omniscient God would need me to pray or what would even be the point. But I heard someone say something once that really helped me;

“God knows the ends; but He also knows the means. And the means are our prayers”

However, prayer is much more than just asking God for stuff.  Prayer is about communication between two beings who love each other. In my own prayers, I speak to God and He listens to me.  I tell Him about things that are troubling me, the things that are bringing me joy, I thank Him for all the things He does, I confess where I have failed, and I praise Him and sometimes even sing to Him.  And He answers me a lot; not every time; maybe not even most times.

The answers usually come to me as my own thought, but it’s far too clear and too obvious to be mine. At those moments I know that He just spoke to me.  But to me it’s not so much about the answers as it is about talking to the One Who loves me like no other. I can “feel” His presence. I take pleasure in the comfort I receive from Him.

Finally, prayer can also be about petitions.  And He does answer my petitions, too. Sometimes immediately sometimes not. And most times He answers in a way I didn’t really ask or even desire, but in the end I see His answer was soooooooo much better for everyone involved.

As a post script to all of this, Jerry, I’ll share one more thought. It really amazed me how often Jesus was found praying to the Father. I mean, Jesus is God. He knew the mind of the Father 100% and the Father knew His. So why did He pray? I believe it was to keep Himself in His Father’s will. Giving up His glory He became a Man and was subjected to all the temptations of men. Spending time in prayer, I believe, kept Him walking in faith in alignment with God’s will. If Jesus needed to do this, how much more necessary is it for us to do this? Of all the things the disciples asked of Christ, it wasn’t to show them how to perform miracles or how to expel demons, it was “Teach us how to pray.” -Luke 11:1

Keep at it Jerry.