WHY Should You PRAY?

"YOU do ask, and yet you do not receive, because you are asking for a wrong purpose . . .Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you." (James 4:3, 8)  Those words of Jesus' disciple James may well prompt us to consider our reasons for praying. 

Prayer is not just  a means of telling God what we need.  In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:  "Your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him." Yet, Jesus also said:"Keep on asking, and it will be given you. (Matthew 6:8; 7:7)  So Jehovah does want us tot ell him what we feel we need. But there is much more to prayer than that.  True friends do not communicate only when they need something.  They are interested in each other, and their friendship grows when they express their feelings. Similarly, prayer has a greater purpose than merely asking for necessities. It affords opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Jehovah by expressing our heartfelt devotion to him. 

Yes, God has granted us the privilege of prayer so that we might draw close to him. This can happen only if we express our own feelings to God instead of reciting memorized prayers. What delight it is to talk to Jehovah in prayer!  Moreover, a Bible proverb says:  "The prayer of the upright ones is a pleasure to him." -Proverbs 15:8. 

"As for me, the drawing near to God is good for me," sang the psalmist Asaph.  (Psalm 73:28)  But to draw near to God, we must do more than pray. Notice how the following account indicates this:  "A certain one of [Jesus'] disciples said to him:  'Lord, teach us how to pray.' "  In reply Jesus said:  'Father, let your name be sanctified, let your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' " (Luke 11:1, 2  Could we pray meaningfully in this way without first learning what God's name is and how it will be sanctified?  And could we pray in harmony  with these words of Jesus if we  did not understand what God's Kingdom is?  An understanding of these matters is available if we examine the Bible carefully.  The knowledge  thus gained  will help us to know God and understand his ways. Furthermore, becoming acquainted with Jehovah God will make us feel closer and more devoted to him. In turn, this will help us to speak to him more freely in prayer. 

Next time: Prayer Can Solve Problems

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000