Do we really need to pray? Does God need our prayers to work?
Prayer, which is one of the pillars of Christianity, is simply the art and act of communication with God. Prayer is a dialogue, that means, it’s a conversation, not a one-way thing or a monologue.
What is the implication of this?
It means that prayer isn’t just about us doing the talking alone, it’s also important that we listen to hear from God. We must expect God to speak back to us.
This is where Christians have challenges the most, because often times, we just reel off whatever we have to say and expect God to work on them. We think prayer is just dishing orders and requests to God while we continue with whatever we are busy with in life.
No.
We can’t get the best from our prayer life this way.
Prayer is more enjoyable when we make it a dialogue (that it really is) between us and God.
With that being said, a lot of Christians have wondered why they should pray at all. What’s the need to pray to an all-knowing God? He’s omniscient, He knows everything – about us, our family, and even the whole world.
Why would an all-knowing God need the prayers of mortals to work? Couldn’t He just work without us asking him (in prayer). Why does God wait on us and our prayers to work? Is His ability to work dependent on our prayers? What if we don’t pray, won’t He work?
I’ve asked these questions many times as well before I finally found answers to them, and this has completely transformed my perspective on prayer, and also helped me to understand the power of prayer.
Here’s why God needs our prayers to work:
Genesis 1:27-28
In the beginning when God created the earth, He put man in charge of it, to cultivate it and to dominate it.
God has put us in charge of the affairs of the earth, and He’s not a man that He should lie or the son of man that He should repent.
Numbers 23:19
He’s a consistent God who honours His Word; thus, He respects this spiritual law He has set in place. He respects our decisions and choices. He won’t intrude on or interrupt human affairs without us letting Him in.
So, prayer opens the door for God to work in our lives, in the lives of people we pray for, and even in the world, because God has given us authority over the earth. To rule and to dominate it. We have the power to determine what happens on the earth.
Ezekiel 22:30
In the above scripture, God was looking for a man that’d stand in gap, someone who will open the door for Him to work.
Another powerful scripture is Matthew 18:19, “….if two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.” NLT
Can you see that?
If we agree on anything on earth….God will do it.
Can you imagine the power accrued to us by God almighty?
Even Revelations 3:20 says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” NLT
See that?
Jesus stands on the door and knock. Knock at the door of human hearts. He doesn’t just barge in even though He can.
Jesus respects us.
Do you see why we need to pray now? We need to stop thinking that our prayer isn’t necessary because God is omniscient and He’ll do what He wants anyway.
But, does it mean that God cannot do ANYTHING at all except we pray?
No. Sometimes, God works without our prayers. That’s why He’s God.
Sometimes, out of His infinite mercy, love, and grace, He interrupts human affairs to work.
This is a call for us to pray more and complain less. Instead of complaining about the things that are not working in our lives and in the world, instead of blaming God for the wicked acts of humans, why don’t we channel our energy into praying and opening doors for God to work?
More so, if we don’t pray, how do we grow in faith? How do we know when God grant’s our requests, thereby helping us to grow in faith?
As believers, our prayers are needed more in the world today because humans are becoming more inhumane by the day.
May we receive grace to pray more.
Amen.
