Why Is Prayer Important For The Christian
What Does Christ Teach Us About Prayer
Most believers and non-believers alike ask the question, “why pray”? What is important about prayer and why should we engage in it frequently? Well, one source who can answer this question is Jesus Himself. In His many examples He teaches us the importance and the areas we should focus on while praying. His most famous prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer is rich in substance and it encompasses a structural model to help instruct us to pray correctly.
Jesus not only taught us the model prayer, He frequently engaged in it as well. He lived His teachings and exemplified them. Not only were His disciples moved but others who witnessed Christ were amazed as well. So for clarity purposes, Jesus is Lord and he is a part of the Holy Trinity.
Well, what can we learn from Jesus’ model for prayer? First let’s define prayer and establish what it is not intended to be. God is not a genie, neither is He a vending machine where you input money (prayer) and expect an output (answers to prayer). Prayer is a method of communication with God, and its purpose is to serve as an open communication to speak to our Heavenly Father frequently and consistently. Although it’s true that we often bring up a petition or request when we pray, however, it’s not the primary purpose.
In the Gospel of Luke 11:1-13 we can read a perfect example of the Lord’s stance on prayer and how He taught His disciples. The chapter begins with His disciples seeing Him pray and asking Him how to pray.
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Jesus breaks down prayer into two parts – Praise/submitting to the Lord and Addressing needs (seeking sustenance, forgiveness and protection). The fist point Jesus addresses is that we must approach Him properly and with honor/reverence. Prior to speaking about our needs, we have to acknowledge the Lord, thank Him followed by submitting our will to Him.
Secondly, Jesus teaches us what we can ask for. The concept of daily bread is a vast one that does not simply imply bread alone, instead it signifies all of our needs. Think about what your needs carefully and determine what your truly need – not want. In Matthew 6:25 – 34 Jesus says the following:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Clearly, our Heavenly Father knows what we need; however, He still encourages us to pray seeking His providence. When we rely on Him, He will surely provide. Jesus says the following Matthew 7: 7-11
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Furthermore, the Apostle James says the following in the Book of James 4:2-3
2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
These verses teach us the key to prayer and our Lord’s concern, which is us. Continuing in the prayer format, Jesus proceeds with asking for forgiveness of sins and protection from evil. The key point in the forgiveness section is for us to realize the significance Jesus emphasizes regarding forgiving others prior to seeking forgiveness. He provides us with multiple examples of the importance on forgiving others as a form of mercy and becoming more like our Lord in this aspect. Jesus teaches us the following on mercy in Matthew 18:21-35 – The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Basically, we are all guilty of sin, therefore we need the mercy and forgiveness of our Lord. When we receive the forgiveness, we should extend it to others who wrong us as well.
Lastly, Jesus ends the prayer with asking for protection. Once more emphasizing the battle we face with the forces of evil (Satan and his fallen angels). Paul the Apostle supports this prayer request when he states in Ephesians 6:12 the following: 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
What have we learned from the Lord’s Prayer? First, prayer is meant for mankind to communicate with God. Secondly, it’s a way for us to praise and worship the Lord. Thirdly, prayer allows us to communicate our needs and to rely on the Lord for our needs. We address God as Heavenly Father because we have Father/child relationship with our God. Thus, continue to pray to the Lord, believe that God can answer our prayers (whether with a yes or no response), and let’s remember to mold our will to the Lord’s will. By doing so, our prayers will mold and align to the will of our Heavenly Father. At Illuminating Faith, we courage you to always be in prayer. AMEN.
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