What is Prayer & Why Should We Pray?

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What is Prayer?

Let’s start at the beginning to try to understand the word PRAYER and then figure out why we should pray.

So, what exactly is Prayer?  How do we define this word or act?

Here is what Oxford Dictionary says about Prayer (in relation to God/Deity).

PRAYER: a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.

That is a good definition, but I feel it is missing something.  Prayer is not only a request or an expression of praise, but it is a direct line of communication from us to God.  Anywhere, at any time, we can talk to the Lord.  

Isn’t that amazing? You could be driving in your car, walking through the store, in your kitchen, or at your office. It doesn’t matter where you are you always have full bars.  Full reception.  Crystal clear connection.  Anywhere you are, you have full cell service to communicate with God. 

That is quite a thought.  

Why is Prayer So Important?

One way to answer the question, of why should we pray, is to find out why Prayer is so important to begin with. As you may likely know, prayer is a vital aspect of many religions and spiritual practices. It can help us to connect to our faith and to the divine as we see that.  Prayer can be helpful in allowing us to reflect on our lives and move forward with hope. 

Praying can also provide us with a sense of purpose and comfort, as well as help to build relationships with others through shared beliefs and spiritual practices. It can also offer peace of mind and a way to express our gratitude and appreciation for the blessings in our lives. 

Prayer can be useful/helpful for us in many ways, no matter our faith, but what I am going to delve into here is the Christian version or expression of Prayer.  Or at least how I see it. 

Why Should We Pray?

For me, I pray because prayer is a powerful way for me to connect with God. But what it also does is provides me with a way to unburden my soul.  Sometimes the things in life weigh so heavily on me that I cannot bear them.  At times the problems or people in my life are very concerning to me and my well-being.  I get worried or confused or even feel helpless. Have you ever been there? 

Being able to pray is a way for us to release those issues or concerns our Heavenly Father.  In scripture, Jesus tells us to give Him our burdens and He will take care of them and in return give us rest or peace.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  ~Matthew 11:28-30

My goodness. That sounds incredible, right?  Can you imagine having the opportunity to give all your troubles to someone else to manage? Sounds good to me.  When we pray to God and share with him our concerns and requests, that’s exactly what we are doing. And we can trust that He will work things out for us, in some way, somehow. 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

Being able to pray to God is a blessing in and of itself. Having access to Him 24/7. Our prayers don’t have to be formal.  We can talk to Jesus like we would talk to a trusted friend. And our prayers help us to foster a deeper relationship with God.

What is God’s Role in Prayer?

With all that being said, I don’t want you to miss out on one other important aspect of prayer.  As I mentioned earlier, prayer is a conversation between us and God.  And how does a conversation work? One person talks, the other listens, and vice versa. It’s a two-way street.  

What does that mean? Does God actually talk back?  Well, I think that God has a variety of ways of communicating back with us. Now mind you, most of the time it isn’t audible.  I can’t say I know of anyone who actually heard out loud God speaking to them.   What I am referring to is the response you get during or even after your prayer.

One of the ways I feel God communicates with me is through a sense of peace.  I know that many times after I have been deep in prayer over something that has me torn up inside, I usually feel better afterward. Somehow God had given me a sense of His other-worldly peace or calm that can help me move forward.

Another way, God reveals Himself is through His scripture.  Have you ever come across a verse just at the right time? One that you needed to hear to help you get through something? I know I have. 

God doesn’t have to speak audibly to us for us to hear His message back to us. He could even use another person to share what He wants us to know.

God loves us so much and wants to have a relationship with us, and PRAYER is one of the most effective ways to grow closer to God.

Final Thoughts & Prayers

If you haven’t prayed in a while, or even ever, I invite you now to do so.  Anything will do. Take that first step and say…Dear God.

Prayer Sample:
Heavenly Father,
I haven’t prayed in a really long time, (or even never), but I want to grow in my relationship with you and I am not sure where to start.  Help me, God to have a desire to get to know you more and a desire to pray to you often.
  You tell us we can come to you with any issues or concerns we have, and I am here now trusting that you will hear me and help me through my doubts and worries.
In Jesus Name We Pray. Amen.

I hope this has inspired you to lean into and onto the Lord and desire to connect with Him in a more meaningful way.

A great way to get started is to request our 40 FREE Prayer Prompts

To go along with that , I have also designed a Daily Digital Prayer Journal that would make a great companion to your prayer life and this challenge.   It is a beautiful  journal that you can use to jot down prayers, scriptures, gratitudes, reflections and more!

Grab yours now:

Daily Prayer Journal

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Blessings to you as you embark on your New Prayer Journey!