If you pray, why do you pray? That may sound like a silly question, but it’s not. Many people don’t understand the main reason God gave us prayer. I often meet people who tell me that they pray a lot. When I ask them what they are praying about, the answer usually relates to what they want God to change about their lives. Their prayers are centered on having better health, better relationships, or less stress.
It is true that bringing our physical needs to God is an important part of prayer (Matthew 7:11), but here is a challenge for all of us: Praying for things is NOT the main purpose for prayer.
I think Pastor John Piper hit the nail on the head when he said that “…prayer is not finally about getting things from God, but getting God.”
Prayer, in other words, is primarily a way to get to know God better. The Bible talks a lot about having a passion to know God better: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God” (Psalm 42:1); “Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness” (Psalm 119:40); “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:2).
If we have surrendered our lives to Christ, then we have been adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5). Our Father in heaven wants us to spend intimate time with Him, just as anyone does in a good relationship. Because we are so prone to forget how much we need God, He often uses difficult circumstances to remind us to spend more time with Him. Hard times reveal what is in our hearts. That is how prayer reveals our heart. Do we just want to be comfortable, or do we want to experience more of God’s presence?
I recently found a quote by George MacDonald (1824-1905), a Scottish author, poet, and Christian pastor that challenged my heart: “How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.” Charles Spurgeon said much the same thing in a different way: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” “Rock of Ages” is a common name for God. It is the storms of life that show us how much we need Him.
If you long to know God better, then every genuine prayer of yours will be a success. I know this is true because God has made this promise: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Do we just want God to do things for us, or is it our heart’s desire to be closer to Him?
Pursuing Christ in private prayer is important, of course, but Rev. Donald Whitney points out that “praying regularly with others can be one of the most enriching adventures of your Christian life.” Praying with others who also love Jesus helps us pursue a closer relationship with God. That is why we have regular times of prayer here at Bethel Chapel Church (Wednesdays at 7:00 PM and Sundays at 9:15 AM). All in the community are invited.
We would love for you to join us as we seek to get closer to Jesus. We want to partner with you as you pursue a better relationship with the God of the universe through Christ. “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).
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