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Forum Topic: Why do we pray?

Ashley: Although this seems like an easy question, every time I think about it, my head starts reeling. God is sovereign. God knows all. He never changes His mind, so why do we pray? I always go back to Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah because it seems to indicate that Abraham could change God's mind by praying. Yet each time Abraham prayed, the Lord ultimately knew he would not find even one righteous person in the city. So even though Abraham prayed, the Lord's will ultimately prevailed; which it always has and always will. It makes prayer seem pointless. But I think that means we often miss the point of prayer- aka communication with God. Last year I heard my college pastor say, "If God knows all, why would we want Him to change His mind?" Prayer isn't about changing God's mind. It's about changing us. Every time I pray about a situation, I feel like I'm giving God my attitudes and desires and taking His.

Sarah: I really agree with Ashley about how prayer changes our hearts. One part of prayer for me is letting go of my own wants and desires and putting them down before the Lord. I am able to say "God, this problem, need, concern belongs to you and not me. Please take it from me. Change me so that I line up with what you desire from me and who you have made me to be." Sure I ask for things during prayer, I ask for the things that weigh on my heart. But I do think an important part of prayer is letting go of ourselves and asking God to change us to be who he wants us to be.

Shannon: Yes, I agree totally! Why do I pray? When I actually stop to think about the action of "prayer," I am amazed that I have access to GOD or "the keys to the kingdom" so easily! At any time I can be before the throne of the King of Kings worshipping, loving, confessing, thanking or asking of Him. There are no formalities required! I can pray to my Savior at all times of the day in any circumstance. In fact we are encouraged to pray in all occasions with all kinds of requests. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Eph 6:18. I also pray because I just LOVE my "Daddy!" He is so GOOD and I cannot help but praise Him and exalt Him! His love is unending and unconditional! Who could ask for more?

Natalie: I completely agree with Shannon and Ashley! Prayer is an amazing gift of the Lord. We have an open invitation to sit and talk to the Holy of Holies -Our Father- everyday, 24/7! Imagine the change that would happen to your heart if you sat before the Lord for just a couple of hours everyday. Literally sit, pray, worship, sing, meditate-- just be in the presence of your Loving Father. He loves our attention and can't wait to bring us wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-19) to know Him better. Close communion, aka prayer, allows our hearts to be completely open to this happening.

Prayer does change us. Like Shannon so beautifully put it, "God puts me in tune with what is on His heart and refocuses me on HIM, His desires and His plans instead of my own." Oh how prayer shifts my heart! We should be desperate and hungry for Him to shift our hearts when we pray.

One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Shadowlands based on C.S. Lewis' life. In the movie, he is praying for a woman he loves who is fighting cancer. Her health begins to improve and his friend tells him that it's from his hard prayer. I love the response: “That's not why I pray, Harry. I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me.”

I absolutely bawled over hearing that line in the movie...luckily, I was alone in my living room. Ha-ha. But it completely touched my heart. Because it is Truth! We have access to all that is His! (John 16:14-15) We should be hungry to align our hearts to His will so that we can begin to become more like Him! He wants and will reveal Himself to us in prayer!

The exciting thing is that prayer can have so many formats! Most people think of prayer as quiet "in the privacy of your home" quiet time. But prayer can be a song, it can be taken directly from the Word, it can be a loud battle cry! Prayer can be any creative form the Lord inspires within you! I, personally, love to sing prayers! I will literally make up a song of prayer so that I can enjoy praying for over an hour while I'm cleaning or taking a relaxing bath. Or if I get up early in the morning and I'm too tired to think, I will open to a Psalm and pray one of them aloud and then go back over scriptures that I really enjoyed and pray it over again (basing my prayers from the Word). This is one of my favorites formats so that my prayers stay on track with God's will. :) I also love to pray and dance. I pray the words of the song I am dancing to before the Lord! Just as you can't put God in a box, don't put praying before the Lord in a box either. :)

Did you know that there are actually intercessor missionaries who pray specifically for our world, nations, and cities?! The Lord is raising up 24 hour prayer houses all over the world! Luke 18:1-7 is an amazing example of why we should always pray and never give up! To come before Him on behalf of others and our own wisdom and revelation!

Ephesians 1:18: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength."

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