Why pray?

I confess. I hardly prayed. Most of the time, my prayers were trite and rushed:

"Lord, please help me find a case study."
"Lord, don't let me be stuck in traffic or I'll be late." 

My prayers come out of desperation. They come when I feel like I've exhausted everything, done all that I could, to no avail. Prayer for me is an appeal for divine intervention when all hope is lost. In short, prayer usually becomes my "last resort." 

The same is true to many. When we are faced with adversity, we often try to weed our way out of our problems with our own efforts. We trust so much that our abilities and strength are enough to help us overcome our obstacles. But as humans, we are limited. We can only do so much. Trying to solve our troubles with our own effort is much like rowing against a mighty current. We may row as hard as we can, for hours on end, but it will all be in vain for we are fighting a stronger, more formidable force. If there is one thing I learned, is that I CANNOT overcome my problems on my own. And I don't have to. I learned to trust in a higher power. Now, whenever I have to cross turbulent waters, I let go of the oars, hand them over to my Savior through prayer, and let Him steer the boat wherever He wishes to lead me.

My changed perspective on prayer

Prayer is submission to a higher power. It teaches humility. It is admitting our shortcomings to the Lord and knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).

We are all made to suffer adversity. Jesus himself had said, "The world will make you suffer." (John 16:33). Jesus warned his children that in the world they will face persecution, famine, rejection, and all sorts of tribulation. However, Jesus did not end there. There was a "but" statement. The whole verse reads, "The world will make you suffer, BUT be brave! I have defeated the world."

Remember that Jesus Christ was flesh. He roamed the earth among sinners. He too, went hungry. He too, suffered persecution. He, like us, had been betrayed. He was tortured, crucified and died for sins he did not make. The world made Him suffer, just as it did us sinners. But there is ONE thing He did that we cannot. "...he rose again on the third day" (1Corinthians 13:4). By overcoming death, Jesus defeated the world.

Let me offer a little context. Death is often regarded as the "great equalizer." It is inevitable, and it happens to everyone -- it happens to both the rich and the poor, the sinner and the saint. When Jesus rose from the dead, He proved that His power is above us. He did what none of us, or those before us could do. That even though He lived as flesh and blood, He is Lord even over death.

And while we most certainly deserved our lot, Jesus did not. He needed not suffer. But He endured these sufferings in order to save us and make us right again in the eyes of the Father. It was all out of love -- a holy and immeasurable kind of love.

Having a deeper understanding of Christ's love and sacrifice has also taught me the value of prayer. I know that there is a God who loves me, and has suffered with me and FOR me. A God who knows the way the of the world, and yet did not conform to the world. Praying means trusting Him who had overcome the world and all its tribulation. Praying means the Lord is our ally. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:28)

Why pray?

Some people find it hard to pray. Friends have told me they don't know how to pray (as if there is a template or guideline to follow). Some find it embarrassing. While others think praying should be confined in church and other "holy" places. My own misconception was that I didn't need to pray because God already knows my heart's desires. But the truth is, God is pleased when we turn to Him. Don't our earthly fathers love it when we run to them for advice or help with our problems? Same is true with our heavenly Father. He wants us to be dependent on Him. In fact, the bible tells us to "pray without ceasing." (1Thessalonians 5:17).

So why do we pray?


1. We pray because God tells us to do so. There are numerous references to prayer in the bible:

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Luke 11:19) 

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7) 

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24) 

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2) 

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." (Matthew 26:41) 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in anything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

2.  Prayer is a conversation with God.


Praying is a privilege to commune with God. He is a personal God. He loves it when we talk to Him about our problems and ask Him for help. Doesn't the bible refer to Jesus as our friend? ("Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends." - John 15:13) Jesus is our friend. He wants us to tell Him our secrets (although He knows them already, He wants intimacy with us. He wants to know we trust Him with our secrets, the way we share to our friends.)

When I went through a difficult phase in my life, I had lost many of my old friends. With no one to turn to, I learned to talk to God. And believe me, the conversation is not one-way. God answers when we talk to Him. Like what Ms. Dyan Castillejo (yes, the famous TV personality, who became a good friend because of our bible study group) said, God is spirit, so He will speak to our spirits. His is not an audible voice (although many claimed to have heard an audible voice of God.) His message could come in the form of a bible verse, a song, a line from a book, etc. We should always be keen enough to discern the voice of God. Also, it helps to have a deep understanding and personal relationship with God in order for you to "hear" His voice. Just as we recognize a friend's voice from constant communication, talking regularly to God in prayer will help you identify His voice amid a multitude of noise.

3. Prayer provides comfort and rest.

Submitting to God our problems through prayers is like lifting our burdens off our backs. It is giving God the authority to step in and take the reins from our hands, because we know that we just cannot do it alone. Isn't it comforting to know that there is an almighty God who offers to carry your load for you when it gets too overwhelming to bear? God has called all those who are weary and burdened, and promised to give them rest (Matthew 11:28). God does not wish for us to strain our backs with all our heavy baggage, He promises to carry it for us as long as we trust Him for the job. If He had died on the cross for our sins, then I don't see what else He cannot do for us!