What is the purpose of prayer?

what does the bible say?

Prayer is the God-given means by which we cultivate a living, relational connection with Him (Philippians 4:6). Throughout Scripture, prayer is shown as honest communication including praise (Psalm 150), confession (Psalm 25:18), requests (Psalm 86:16), thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), and surrender (Matthew 26:39). This kind of honest communication with God is modeled powerfully by both David and Jesus. At its heart, prayer is meant to align our hearts, minds, and wills with God’s (Romans 12:2). God invites us to bring every burden to Him and allows the Holy Spirit to intercede when our words fall short (Romans 8:26; Matthew 11:28). God uses prayer to transform us, deepen our dependence on Him, and accomplish His redemptive work in our lives and the world (John 10:10–18; Luke 1:76–78).

from the old testament

• The Psalms supply wonderful examples we can use for our prayers such as imploring for physical healing (Psalm 6:2), seeking a good relationship with God (Psalm 19:14), repenting over sin (Psalm 25:18), making requests (Psalm 86:16), and praising God with exuberance (Psalm 150).

from the new testament

• Jesus gave us a model of prayer we can look to even today in Matthew 6:9–13. In it, we see the many different aspects of prayer, from worship to request to repentance. He also advised against needless repetition, being overly wordy and doing it for show in public places (Matthew 6:6–8).
• The purpose of prayer is to align our hearts, minds, and wills to God. The best example of this is from Jesus when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
• In Matthew 11:28, we are reminded to bring our burdens to God. Through welcoming Him to shoulder our burdens with us through prayer, we learn to depend on God and walk through life with Him.
• We are not meant to conform to this world but to be transformed through our relationship with God (Romans 12:2). Through prayer, we foster a deeper relationship with God in which there is more room for transformation to take place.
• Sometimes we don’t know what to say or how to pray, but the Bible assures us that the Holy Spirit is a continual intercessor for us “with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). This shows us that though there is a practical side of our conversation with God, there is also a mysterious side the Holy Spirit brings that we cannot.
• Philippians 4:6 says: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” A big aspect of prayer is thanksgiving. Before we go into asking God to grant us requests, we should start with expressing thanksgiving for what He has given us and for who He is.

implications for today

At its most basic function, prayer is for nurturing a relationship with God. It is also to pursue God’s will even at the expense of our own comfort or desires. Jesus was an excellent example of this, because although He brought to God His pain and desire to avoid the cross, He ultimately submitted to His Father’s will (Philippians 2:6), so that the salvation plan for humanity could be fulfilled through His sacrifice and later, glorious resurrection (John 10:10–18; Luke 1:76–78). As seen in Jesus’ life, prayer is also part of how God accomplishes His purposes in our hearts and in the world. If we minimize our prayers merely to a list of what we want God to do for us, we may find our prayers feeling flimsy or frustratingly repeated. However, if we bring those same requests to God and ask Him what His will is for that situation, this may open a door into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father as we learn to fully trust Him. Just as we get to know other people through conversation, so, too, do we develop our communication with God through the conversation of prayer.

Recap

understand

• Prayer nurtures a personal relationship with God.
• Prayer aligns our hearts with God’s will and is transformative.
• Prayer helps us depend on God.

reflect

• How consistently do you bring your burdens, praises, and requests to God in prayer?
• How has prayer helped you align your desires with God’s will?
• How has prayer brought transformation or deeper dependence on God?

engage

• How does our understanding of the purpose of prayer influence the way we communicate with God?
• How does recognizing prayer as a means of transformation affect how we prioritize it?
• How does individual prayer reflect the purpose of prayer differently than corporate prayer?