Feb 10, 2011 Why We Pray
Originally posted on January 15, 2008
When we know why we are to do something, doing it ceases to feel like duty and the discipline required to do it is gladly undertaken. As you know, Grace Community Church is in a 14-day season of prayer. What you may not know is why. But we must know why we pray, and believe the reasons we pray, so that our praying is not meaningless duty but a delight that is enjoyed through regular disciplined choices to pray.
We could find many reasons to pray in the Bible, but numerous passages point to three reasons that we highlight at Grace.
1. We pray because spiritual activity requires spiritual power that we don’t have in ourselves. We are to be born again (John 3:16), walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), love God, our neighbors, and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39), kill sin in our lives and live for God (Romans 6:12-13), and take the gospel to all the nations (Mark 16:15).
How are we going to do that? Not by our power. We don’t have what it takes to do what God commands. We need God’s power. He must grant what He commands.
2. We pray because God gives the power for spiritual activity through prayer. We pray for people to be saved because God saves people (I Timothy 2:1-4). We pray for God to show us spiritual truth because God opens our eyes to see truth (Psalm 119:18). We pray for God to work in our lives to make us more like Christ because it is God who works in our lives (Romans 8:26-29). We pray because God answers prayer (Jeremiah 33:3; John 14:12-14).
Our gracious Father has called us to a life we can’t live, but provides His own power to us through prayer.
3. We pray because God commanded us to pray. We pray alone (Matthew 6:6). We pray together (Romans 15:30). We pray at designated times (Acts 3:1). We pray at all times (I Thessalonians 5:17).
Though we pray because God commanded us to pray, praying is not a meaningless duty. The discipline we exercise to pray is a delight because prayer takes us into the presence of God where we find what we need, what we don’t have, but what He gives- mercy and grace to help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Let us pray,
Pastor Scott