“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” – Jude 1: 20 NKJV
Why do we pray?
Many people often assume that the sole purpose of prayer is to present their needs to God. While it’s true that prayer allows us to express our needs, this is not its primary purpose. Those who view prayer this way may lose interest once their needs are fulfilled. But prayer is much more profound, offering a deeper connection and a way to align our hearts with a higher purpose.
Prayer does more in us than it does for us. Our anchor scripture states that prayer build us up. You might be surprised, but prayer changes you more than it changes your circumstances. It helps to set your priorities right and your desires towards God. While praying, we strengthen our spirits in faith and deepen our relationship with God.
You can draw the purpose of prayer from Jesus’ prayer life. At crucial times in the life and ministry of Jesus, He was found praying. At His baptism, Jesus was praying (Luke 3:21-22). Just before His death, He had heartfelt prayers, preparing for the journey ahead (Matthew 26: 39-44, Luke 22:43). To walk in God’s plan and purpose for your life, you must be given to prayer. It prepares you to follow God’s plan and will for your life. Through prayers, we are also able to discern the enemy’s schemes and withstand them.
More so, we pray to see the will of God established on the earth. As said earlier, when we pray, our humanly desires are replaced with God’s desire and purpose- to see all the nations of the earth come to the light of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This was what Jesus prayed about just before His death (John 17:9-26). The reason why we are here today is because Jesus prayed for us (John 17:20-21). Your prayer can go far ahead of you into generations that you may not be present to witness or even places you may never visit. We pray until we see the whole earth flooded with the knowledge of Christ.
Prayer is an instruction from God that we should obey. The Scriptures are replete with instructions for the believers to pray. In Ephesians 6:18-20, we are instructed to pray for all saints and leaders in the faith. In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, Paul instructed us to pray for the spread of the gospel and the preachers. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are further urged to pray without ceasing. When we don’t pray, we reveal our self-reliance and a belief that we can navigate life without God’s help.
Dear believer, remember that prayer is not just about making requests—it’s about transforming you. It profoundly changes you and helps you align with God’s plan for your life.
Now you know why we pray; keep praying!
Bible Reading Plan: Luke 21