1571) This may surprise you, but there have been times I’ve wondered, why should I pray? God already knows everything that’s going on; he knows my thoughts and reactions, too. Why tell him? It’s like a child telling the same story to a parent over and over and over. Yes, the parent knows the concerns of their child and it isn’t necessary for the child to repeat it.
Why pray for someone who is ill? After all, God already knows what’s best for them. If I pray for someone to get better and God does not have this in mind, doesn’t that mean my prayers are just floating around somewhere, sort-of-speak? If we are trying to get God to bring healing and he allows it when it really would have been better not to….Do you see my struggle?
Jesus addresses the subject of prayer in Luke 18:1-8. Here, he tells a parable, (and we remember that the purpose of a parable is to make one point), about a widow who is seeking help. She goes to a judge and asks him for justice. The judge keeps refusing, but the widow comes again and again until finally; the judge is so tired of hearing from her; he gives her what she wants.
Jesus then says if an unjust judge finally gives the best gifts to someone who asks, how much more does God hear and answer our prayers? I get this point, but it still leaves me to wonder if my prayers can be counterproductive.
I think the simple answer to this dilemma is to pray simply Thy will be done, yet this still makes me wonder if God gives me what I ask for, is it the best? I think James 1:17 has this covered. It tells us that any gifts God gives are good and perfect. He will not give them to us if they aren’t.
So, why should we pray? First, because God wants us to come to him with all our thoughts and needs. (Matthew 11:28) Second, we can honor God by recognizing that him only gives us good things. Third, the difficult things we face aren’t from God, but God allows it for our good and we can talk to him about facing the things that are difficult.
Yes, God already knows everything that concerns us but he still wants us to talk them over with him. This fact is amazing!
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17)
