Prayer is
an important part of the Christian life. It is the way we communicate with the
Lord and praise Him. To understand the purpose of prayer, it is important to
first understand what prayer is not. There are many wrong views in the world
and culture about prayer, even among Christians, and these should be addressed
first. Prayer is not:
• bargaining with God.
• making demands of God.
• only asking God for things.
• a therapeutic, meditation-type exercise.
• bothering God and taking up His time.
• a way to control the Lord.
• a way to show off one’s spirituality before others.
Many people believe that prayer is only about asking God for things. Although
supplication is a part of prayer (Philippians 4:6), it is not the sole purpose
of prayer. Praying for the needs of ourselves and others is needed and
beneficial, but there is so much more to prayer. A. W. Tozer warned,
“Prayer among evangelical Christians is always in danger of degenerating into a
glorified ‘gold rush’” (Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings,
compiled by Gerald Smith, Moody Publishers, 2008, entry for Feb. 26). But God
is not a magical genie who answers our every wish, nor is He a weak God who can
be controlled by our prayers.
The best way to learn about the purpose of prayer is studying the example of
Jesus during His earthly ministry. Jesus prayed for Himself and for others, and
He prayed to commune with the Father. John 17 is a great place to see
Jesus’ use of prayer. He not only prays that the Father be glorified but also
prays for His disciples and “for those who will believe in me through their
message” (John 17:20). Submitting to the Father’s will was another aspect to
Jesus’ prayer life, highlighted in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Yet
not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). With any request we have, we
must submit to God’s will.
In addition to interceding for others, prayer is also a way to strengthen our
relationship with God. Jesus set the example, as He prayed to the Father
throughout His earthly ministry (Luke 6:12; Matthew 14:23). Those in
relationships will naturally seek to communicate with each other, and prayer is
our communication with God. Other good examples in the Bible of those who spent
time in prayer are David, Hezekiah, and Paul.
Ultimately, the main purpose of prayer is worship. When we pray to the Lord,
recognizing Him for who He is and what He has done, it is an act of worship.
There are many examples of prayer being an act of worship in the Bible,
including 2 Kings 19:15, 1 Chronicles 17:20, Psalm 86:12–13, John
12:28, and Romans 11:33–36. How we pray should reflect this purpose; our
focus should be on who God is, not on ourselves.
Interestingly, the model of prayer that Jesus gave the disciples in Matthew
6:9–13, known as the Lord’s Prayer, has all these elements. The first part
includes praise and worship of God (Matthew 6:9), and then the second part
moves on to praying for God’s will to be done (Matthew 6:10). After this, there
is supplication for ourselves and others (Matthew 6:11–12), as well as asking
for strength to deal with temptation (Matthew 6:13). Jesus modeled this prayer
for His disciples, and it shows all the reasons for prayer with the central
focus of worship.
Prayer is an important part of the Christian life, and one’s prayer life should
be developed. Not only does prayer affect our lives and the lives of others,
but it is also a way to communicate with the Lord and grow in our relationship
with Him. At the heart of prayer is an act of worship to the Lord. God’s Word
places an emphasis on the power and purpose of prayer, and, therefore, it
should not be neglected.
- Provided by "Got Questions Ministries"