The purposes of prayer.

Why pray?

Some people honestly ask this question.  They see prayers seemingly go unanswered, they wonder if there is any reason to pray.

They look for a purpose in prayer.

I want to name a few purposes that prayer serves.

First, there is power in prayer.  Prayer is communion with the Lord, and the Lord is all-powerful.  When we come into His presence, we experience that power.  The power of the Holy Spirit.  The power that was promised to come when Jesus returned unto the Father.  When we pray, when we commune with God, we become more powerful against the enemy, and more of His Power, His Spirit comes through us.

Second, we are perfected in prayer.  “As for me I will behold Thy face in righteousness.  I will be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness.”  Spending time in His presence… in prayer… perfects us.  It makes us more like Him.  He rubs off on us.

Third, there is provision in prayer.  When we draw near unto Him, when we see His glory, when we know His love, when we pour out our desire and our need – needs that He knows before we do – we get provision.  Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, lives up to His name.  And His provision is not just financial, but spiritual, emotional, physical… and things we don’t even understand.

Fourth, there is protection in prayer.  Consider that when you pray you enter His presence, you go through His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise.  You are in a safe place.  A protected place.  In prayer, in that conversation… in His house… you are safe.

Fifth, prayer reveals our purpose.  We begin to know who we are when we get to know Who He is.  When we find our identity in Him… when Who He is defines who we are… we see who we were meant to become.  We see what we have been placed here for.  We understand that our purpose to glorify God.  And when we pray… we find purpose.

Sixth, prayer proclaims God’s glory.  We do not pray to a god who cannot hear.  We pray to the One True God, our Lord, who hears us.  When we pray… He proves Himself.  When we answers prayer the world… even if just one person in it at that moment… sees Him and knows that He IS!  Because we can pray… because our Lord hears… prayer… the conversation… proclaims Him!

SDG