(NIV)
Why do we pray?
1) We're supposed to. Church and the bible say so.
2) It helps us work out our thoughts; we mentally organize (on a personal level) and we discover, or are enlightened or nudged (from the divine).
3) It's good for the people we pray for.
4) Why not? Ask and you shall receive (Mark 11:24).
Humans developed language as a way to organize our thoughts and emotions, and as a way to share them with others. According to the text in Matthew, we don't need human language to communicate with God--He doesn't need our self made form of communication to understand what we need; He knows before we take the stuff of our souls and organize it into a languaged thought or word. So why do we pray out loud in church? Why do we pray in large groups? Why do people feel empowered by this? Is this the power of prayer? If He knows what we need before we ask, why do we pray at all?
Prayer in this ask and receive (or not) manner, seems one dimensional to me; God must be more.
Dear God, please help Jimmy get better. Amen.
If the Father knows what we need before we ask Him, do we need to say anything to God--or do we need to listen? Hopefully our praying doesn't turn into a to do/wish list, on a personal or selfless and communal level; a conversation that is heavily one sided.
How do you pray? What forms of prayer work well for you?
