I want to take a look at the role of prayer in the Christian's life, and there is too much to put into one post, so I'm going to spread it out a bit.
The question always comes, if God knows everything already, then why should I pray? Or put another way, does prayer really work? I’ve prayed and nothing happened—therefore, I’ve concluded that prayer doesn’t actually work and furthermore, there must not be any God.
Part of our problem with prayer comes perhaps, from a misunderstanding of prayer. We read verses that seem to tell us that God will give us anything if we just ask. Matt. 7:7-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matt. 7:9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Or Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Or John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
1John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
We see all those “whatever you ask” verses and we say ok…I’m asking…but I’m not receiving. And we wrongly conclude that God isn’t there because He didn’t do anything.
Ever asked your parents for something and were told no? You didn’t conclude that since you didn’t get it, they must not exist. They simply said no. You might not have been happy with the answer, but you never questioned their existence.
Did you know that sometimes God says no. Look a little more closely and notice something else. Jesus actually taught that there were some conditions on prayer. Go back to 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."Do you see the first one? If we ask anything according to HIS will. Too often, we are asking according to ours. He's not a vending machine...He is the God of the universe who wants RELATIONSHIP...with YOU! More to come.
