and posted in Q&A Corner
When I was at school, there was a boy in my class who was particularly gifted at creative reasoning, especially when it came to reasons his homework was not in. One excuse that stands out was for a history assignment.
"You see, the thing is Miss, I've been listening to you in class for the last few weeks, and I've come to the conclusion that you actually know a LOT about the Second World War - much more than I do. I've not done my essay because I've realised, there is nothing I could tell you that you don't already know."
If prayer was simply an exercise in giving God information, then it would be pointless - there is nothing we can tell God that God does not already know. Jesus himself points this out when he's helping his friends get their head around prayer in Matthew 6:8. But Jesus seemed to think it was still worth bothering with - so why?
When we pray we are making two powerful statements. Firstly, that we believe God is real. Secondly, that we need God. Two very simple but life transforming statements. You'll read this again and again on ignite: being a Christian is about being friends with God.
When you are friends with someone, you want to spend time with them, you care about what is going on with them. If your friend is going through a hard time, you are hardly going to say, "Don't bother telling me about it, I already know." God cares about what is going on with you.
God wants to hear from you, God wants that relationship with you. It brings God tremendous pleasure whenever we share ourselves with him.
Just like with other friendships, you need to spend time hanging out in each others company if the friendship is going to turn into the kind of friendship that sticks with you for your whole life. Prayer is the best way of doing that.
Prayer is a place to laugh with joy, cry in pain, scream about our frustrations and shout out our praise. It's a place to say sorry, to say thanks, to find comfort and to listen to what God wants to share with you. In all these ways and more, prayer acknowledges that we depend on God for everything, from our every breath to the opportunities we have in life.
Prayer is about God shaping us and changing the world. When we pray for God's concerns, they become our concerns, and our concerns can become actions that help to impact the world. When you pray, "Your kingdom come," God mysteriously (and this is a whole other question) uses our prayers to accomplish his purposes. Sometimes God even asks us to become the answers to our prayers ourselves.
So why not take some time out to pray?
Just sit and be, acknowledging that God is with you.
Be thankful for the little things as well as the big things.
Share your hopes, your fears and your dreams with your perfect Heavenly father.
Allow God to shape you and equip you to live out your faith.
Join with God in changing the world.
It might just change your life.
