Why Pray?

Prayer can be looked upon as a convenient tool. We use it when we need it. If everything is going okay in my life, I don't need prayer at all. It's when I'm in a jam that I must "try" prayer to see if it will fix what is wrong in my life.

This view of prayer misses completely the nature of what God had intended for this activity. It is not something we use whenever it is convenient. Prayer is foremost for developing our relationship with God.

Think about the relationships in your life? Would your friends, for instance, only want to hear from you when you had a complaint? They might feel that they are being "used" in some way. You don't consider them in the totality of their being.

We must remember that prayer helps us to maintain our relationship with God. God doesn't just want to hear our complaints, but also our thanks and praise for all that we have received. God wants to be part of our lives in the big as well as the small matters of life. Every little thing matters to the one who has made us.

God wants to know that we have trust and faith by how we live. We dare not take this relationship lightly. It is an intimate relationship that God wants just like a parent would have with a child.

What does prayer mean to you? Is it like the spare tire in a car - only needed in an emergency? Or do you consider prayer as a means of growing in your relationship with the God of heaven and Earth?