Read Hebrews 4:16.
“God already knows everything, so why am I praying?”
I’ve had this thought many times before, and it usually comes when I feel like I’m going through the motions with the Lord. However, over the past few years, I’ve been learned a few fundamental lessons that have answered this question.
God desires a relationship with us. That’s His heart. And to have a relationship, there has to be communication. God wants us to talk to Him as He speaks to us. The Creator of the universe desires to be close to us and make His home in us (John 14:34). Prayer helps our relationship with God deepen.
God is jealous for us. In fact, one of God’s names is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). His jealousy for us is driven by His deep desire to have an intimate relationship with us. When we turn to someone or something else as God has given us His everything, He is righteously jealous. Prayer is a way to continually turn to the Lord.
God wants us to cooperate with Him for the Kingdom. King David gives us a great example of this is 2 Samuel 7. David loved God so much that he wanted to build Him a permanent house. Though the intentions of David’s heart were good, he was given orders that his son Solomon would be the one to build the house.
God has prepared our works for us in advance, but how are we to know what those are if we’re not in a close relationship with God as David was (Ephesians 2:10)? God loves us so much that he desires we cooperate with the works he initiates. Prayer helps us understand what those works are.
Finally, every prayer is important to God. Each prayer blesses God just as much as the evening sacrifice from King David in Psalm 141:2. God always hears us, and by grace alone we can confidently go to Him with all of our needs and praises (Hebrews 4:16).
Lord, we praise you that you care about every little detail of our lives and cherish time with us. Thank you for hearing every prayer. Amen.
-from a member of our IT Department