Purpose in prayer

[sunlight]

What is the purpose of prayer? Sometimes when I pray I have a hard time knowing what to say because I have already previously asked him for what I need in prior prayer, and he already knows what has been goin on, an what I'm going through in even greater detail than I do... So then what is the purpose of prayer? a measurement of where I am? So he/I can see what is important to me? 

Sometimes it's hard to get out of the Lord/servant relationship and into the friend one where I can just talk... Maybe because I never do that in real life either? Always so guarded? 

[Lynx]

If you have a friend who knows a lot about cars and your car is having trouble, and your friend happens to stop by, would you ask him to take a look at it?  If a friend knows computers and... wait, you already did.     Though God already knows, the Bible says to ask - indeed, multiple times we are told that sometimes we don't have what we need because we haven't asked.  But if it's just a Lord/servant relationship then you start thinking you have to work for what God does for you, or be good enough to deserve it. 

There's an old song I really like that says "I start my day with a prayer of thanksgiving / I start my day with a prayer filled with praise / Let me tell you, I have found the joy of living / And it's based upon the way I start my day."  Though my prayer time is at night, the same principle applies.  When I talk to God I start with going over the day and thanking God for how well things have gone.  If I've made a mistake, hurt someone's feelings, maybe lost my temper, I talk it over with God - how it happened, why I let it happen and maybe how to avoid it again.  (Usually that's the hardest part, as it's always easier to see the other guy's side when you're talking to God, who has a better perspective, but I don't always WANT to see the other guy's side...)  I don't really have any pressing needs now but if I do, or if I have a friend who is in need, I mention that.  I go over what I intend to do tomorrow and make sure I'm not about to make a big mistake.  One of the best things about knowing God, I'd say even better than anything God does for me, is that God knows a lot more than I do and He'll advise me if I ask. 

When I talk to God there are no illusions, no masks, no way to impress Him with my wit or intelligence.  Sometimes it's easier to talk to Him when I know I'm where I should be.  Sometimes it's harder because I know I've messed up, I know He knows it and I have to face up to it.  But I am always better for talking to God, and I always FEEL better for talking to God, because He is my friend.  He is a friend who can do anything, has everything, knows everything and can give good advice on anything, but most importantly He loves me. 

Ever read the Lord's Prayer?  Notice there is only one line about things we need God to do - "Give us this day our daily bread."  Then study what all the other lines are about and talk to God about those topics. 

Sorry, this turned into a sermon... 

[Melody]

Prayer is our relationship with God.  We are to pray without ceasing.  Crazy perspective, but yeah, talking to Him throughout the day.  It doesn't omit reverence,  it's being with Him in the little things and w/o really asking for anything.  For me: I find I hear Him when I'm seeking Him and seeking wisdom.  The pursuit of wisdom is a deeply personal journey.

I feel like I'm just getting to know Jesus as my friend and it's changing me.  For me though, I didn't get here right away.  I most certainly started out with God as my knight in shining armour, saving me.  Bigger than life.  I can look back how God is drawing me closer with each revelation.  From to Saviour/pathetic weakling to King/servant to Father/daughter to Suitor/maiden to Councillor/patient to Lord/disciple to Brother/friend.  And none cease, it just expands and deepens. 

When you go to prayer, though we can ask Him for things & He wants us to, it is to talk WITH Him.  To hear FROM Him.  We die daily and transform our minds by not so much comparing and measuring but by seeking what He wants WITH us.  As in He wants to be in whatever your relationship is with Him, very much 2 party goal.  You're in business together and it's a total adventure.  He is the primary share holder, has the vision and experience.  You are excited to be a part of it, you believe in His entire cause, you believe He can and will do it and you want to be a part of it.  You're following His lead and He uses you as you grow. You want to be JUST like Him.  Not as a God but as He showed Himself in the flesh.  Showing forth compassion to others toward truth, because that is what He has done for you.  Even though God takes the lead, He believes in you to be a part of carrying out His vision.  In that, you are more than King/servant, you are friends. 

God in part was manifest in the flesh to example as a brother, what God was about.  WE needed that someone to both identify with and follow from where we are at to an Almighty King that is a Spirit.  He has walked where you have walked.  He was NOT divine flesh.  He was all man and all God.  When He hung on the cross, what did He say?   "My God, why have you forsaken me?"  So that EVEN in flesh He knows what it feels like to feel disconnected from God because of sin.  He calls us brethren, not just because He was one of us but because when we are sold out to His cause, we are one of Him.  There is an honor He extends to those who give their lives for taking this gospel to the world.


Years ago I was given a little help book on prayer and it really helped me grow there.  I don't have it anymore and can't find the exact one online but it was similar to this:



This gave me FAR more to do than praise and pray for things/people.  It also deepened my experience in intercession because the Word comes so alive when it's a part of our prayer.  I often will pray Psalms because I'm not nearly as eloquent as David and He coins so well how I also feel. 


I don't know if that helps or not.  It's so hard to know what a person is looking for.  But I will tell you one more thing that made huge impact in my intimacy with God.  I had to be desperate for Him.  Not that I was going to die in 5 min. if I didn't get a lightening bolt from heaven but that I had to be very real with the fact that I need Him and that I am not satisfied with how things are, even if they are good.  haha, it reminds me when I had only been in church as an adult for a little while and it bothered me that my tongues seemed to be barely more than stammering lips.  I look back and think how silly I was to care about such a thing.  But the point was really that I wanted a deeper relationship with Him, I wanted something more.  I'm human, and God is compassionate to that, and so often makes concession to increase our faith.  So I was fasting and Andrew was in school and I just decided that I was going to pray for God to change me.  And I did.  Though I was thinking I was going to be praying for like a week straight with fasting and no sleep, cause I was that silly... lol  But after about four hours there was such a move of God on me that to this day stirs my spirit.  God moved and I felt like He took my face in His hands like a Dad does to his kid when He wants to look them in the eye lovingly.  My head really did feel enclouded.  And it was in that moment, however long it lasted that my tongues changed very distinctly.  I just had to be tenacious that I am but am also more than His servant, I love Him with all my heart and that if I didn't for Him to please show me how to love Him more.  It's not ok with me to just be "saved" I want to know Him, really know HIM.  I'm so very curious about this God that has and does so much for me, that loves me beyond understanding. 

When you get to heaven Chel, it's not going to be a long list of thank you's of all the prayers He answered.  It's going to be finally getting to be face to face with the person you have spent so much time with somewhat veiled.  You FINALLY get to give God a Chel hug!  whatever that looks like in heaven...lol 

I used to worship Him as the alabaster box story.  Picturing that when I get to heaven I would give obeisance non-stop.  And I will, but John, His brother layed his head on Jesus' chest.  So also I will have that intimacy and closeness that not only am I a servant but also a fellow laborer of what He put into motion for the Church to do, His body.  And my best friend who I've whined to, laughed with, and bore all my secrets to.  Yes, God knows it all, but He definately enjoys you talking to Him about it. 

Hope that helps. ♥

[Lynx]

Well put MellowYellow.

I was thinking about this just tonight at work and realized I left out something important.  One of the most crucial, needful results of talking to God is I resync my perspective with His.  On my own I can only see things from my perspective, which is distorted because I cannot see or know everything.  It's like being in a maze where you can only see to the next corner.  When I can see from the top down it's much easier to see how to navigate.  And when I get my perspective back in line with God's, everything in my life just makes more sense. 

When dealing with people especially, I need a better POV than my own, because frankly I'm not that good at dealing with people. 

[Raven180]

More than anything, I suppose the purpose of prayer is to fulfill God's will. More than anything, He wants us to pray to Him. Therefore, the purpose is nothing more than obediently pleasing God by fulfilling His desire/command.

It may sound crazy, but perhaps we should think more about what God gets out of us talking and praying to Him, rather than all the myriad reasons and needs for why we pray and what we get out of it when we do.

For example, I could say "My purpose in praying is to petition God for various things". This is, of course, true. But I might instead wonder, "What does God get out of my petition for various things"? Answering such a question might go a long way toward finding out what the purpose of prayer is from God's point of view.

For example, the answer from God might be something like this:

By praying, I help you establish an intimate relationship with Me that you otherwise couldn't have. When I ask you to pray, it's because I intend to build within you an ability to love and trust Me as your Creator. When you pray to Me, I peel back the layers of corrupted flesh that cause so many problems, and in so doing, I allow you to have a pure experience of what heaven is going to be like. My invitation to pray is a call to you and for you to be healed, to be restored, and to be made whole. I seek and desire your prayers for the same reason you seek and desire to pray: I want to be in close, harmonious, loving contact with your soul, and prayer is the only way that can happen. Your prayers are My delight. Just as much as you seek to bask in my Presence, so it is my joy to present Myself to you in order to accomplish that very thing. I get as much out of you praying as you do in praying.

Just a thought, saints. Maybe I'm wrong.

Peace