1666) I have a confession to make and that is, I find the subject of prayer confusing. Why? Let me see if I can explain.

I know there are verses throughout the Bible that admonish us to pray, 1Thessalonians 5:17, for example. (Pray without ceasing.) I know most of these verses by heart, but what role does prayer play?

God is omnipotent; he knows everything. I’m asked to pray, and God already knows everything. So, am I just being redundant? Does having a group of people praying “weigh” more in God’s mind, therefore, he’ll grant what I’m asking? Is one person praying about something just as “good” as a group of people praying. Should I continue to ask for something specific, even when I know God will always act for my good?

I know there are theological answers to many of these things and I won’t go into them here, but I think most of them lend to the astonishing idea that God wants a relationship with us and sharing prayer concerns with him is part of that relationship.

The most mysterious thing about prayer for me is that God would want to have a relationship with me and that alone is motivation for prayer.

So….pray without ceasing.