Why do we pray? We pray to make our requests known to God (Php 4:6). We pray because we are commanded to (1 Thess 5:17). We pray because it's a good idea. We pray because prayer changes things. No, not God, but things. Especially us. Still, if God is Sovereign and always does what He intends and always accomplishes His plans, why pray?
Prayer is, first and foremost, communication with God. And you all nod and agree, but think about that for a moment. The King of kings and Lord of lords asks you to communicate with Him. To talk to Him. To tell Him what's on your heart. What Sovereign does that? That's stunning. So we do. We praise Him and we thank Him and we confess our sin to Him and we make supplications to Him. Sure, partly because we're commanded to, but, more importantly, because He wants us to and we need to.
Prayer, in its basic form, is a deep and certain acknowledgment that we need Him. We can't do it ourselves. We aren't enough. We don't have what it takes. We don't ask someone else for what we can provide, right? No, prayer is, at its core, a plea that begins, "I need You," voiced or not. Which is very much where we need to start, stay, and end.
2 comments:
The more I've dwelled on the holiness of God and my sin, the more I've been driven to prayer. How can I not desire to talk to the One that saved me. If someone saved you from drowning, you'd want to communicate with them frequently, I'd think. How much more awesome is the salvation of eternity?
I for one do not hesitate to declare that I need God. I need Him for everything--from taking my next breath to preserving my eternal soul and everything in between. I cannot fathom how people live without God in their lives--He is that crucial to my existence. Like the hymn lyrics go, “I need Thee every hour.”
Interestingly, we seem to be considering hymn lyrics a lot lately (i.e. Sunday, yesterday, even today). They are certainly good food for thought and meditation! I imagine you could pore over a hymnbook and get inspiration for a new post for many, many days in a row! (Perhaps you are doing that! :)
Post a Comment