The Importance of Praying

Discover the importance of prayer with these 4 enlightening reasons, grounded in inspirational and comforting Bible verses.

When it comes to our relationship with God, prayer is a vital part of a growing and trusting relationship with our Father in heaven.

Many of us might have grown up taught how to say short prayers as children that we would repeat at dinner or at bedtime. As children, this is often meant to teach us to depend on God and to show daily gratitude.

As adults, we’re introduced to so many circumstances, experiences, life stages, and decisions, that our dependence on God does, and should grow, rather than be a shadow of our younger days.

As we read Scripture, we see that prayer is not only a crucial part of maintaining a relationship with God, but it is also something we are commanded and encouraged to do, not only in some circumstances but in all circumstances.

Sometimes it’s easy to treat prayer as a wishing well for when we need things, and forget that there is a personable God on the other side of our prayers.

The same God, who despite our sin, sent His Son to die in our place.

The same God, who spared us, and made a way for us to have peace with Him, when we were once His enemies.

This same God, is the one who brings us from death to life, from slavery to freedom, from a cold and unresponsive heart to a heart that is made of flesh, and responsive to His word.

This is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who showed His faithfulness from generation to generation. The God who sought after us, and whose love we can never be separated from.

Think for a moment what it would be like if we took some time to really grasp who we get to talk to whenever we pray.

• How would that change our approach to prayer?
• How would that change our hearts toward prayer?
• Would we begin to understand what an important absolute gift that prayer is?

It is a mystery, and such a great privilege that the God who created all the world and everything in it, cares for each one of us, and desires to hear us when we pray, and answers us.

Though at times we might not get the answers that we are seeking, there is a change that is being made as we submit ourselves humbly before God, and that change is in our hearts.

If you’re trying to grow in your relationship with God, or you simply want to learn the importance of prayer in our daily lives as believers, here are a few reasons why prayer is vital.

The Importance of Prayer

1. It’s How We Communicate with God

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” – James 4:8

There is one key component that always comes up when we talk about thriving relationships, and that is communication. The saying, “communication is key” is not only true for our earthly relationships but it also applies to our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

If we are not spending time in prayer, it is like ignoring someone who is right there, all the time. The amazing thing about prayer is that it does not require us to go to a certain building, or wait for a certain time, or be in a certain position.

We can pray as we walk down the road, as we wake from our sleep, as we set aside intentional time for Bible study. God is the friend that never leaves our side, yet, we can so easily go for long periods of time without acknowledging that He is there.

We know that communication works two ways in every relationship. The way that God communicates with us primarily, is through the Word. We get to know Him, and His character, as well as what He requires of us.

These are just a few things that God, through His word, communicates to us. We, in turn, respond to God through prayer. A growing relationship always involves communication. There is no greater friend, father or confidant to have than Jesus. Why would we not communicate with Him, and draw near to Him?

We have been given a gift, a relationship with God our Father. We can nurture it through prayer, as we learn to trust and depend on Him more and more. We can draw closer to God, as we turn to Him as our confidant, guide, and friend, in every circumstance.

2. God Uses Prayer To Change Us

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5

Sometimes we may have the idea that prayer is a means for us to get God to change His mind or to twist His hand to give us something specific. But the truth is that prayer is less about changing God’s mind and more about changing our hearts.

If you’re in Christ, God has given you a new heart that is responsive to His word. Because we still live in the world, our flesh, and its desires do not go away entirely. In fact, we are told to put to death our fleshly desires, and this is something that we do daily.

But this process isn’t something that takes place overnight. For as long as we live on this earth, we will experience temptations, we will sin, and we will choose our flesh many times. But, there are also times when we will feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and we will respond to it, we will flee from temptation, we will avoid circumstances that can lead us to sin, and specific desires we once had will grow fainter.

This is all a part of what we call the sanctification process, and this happens over time, as we grow in our relationship with God, and we submit ourselves to His word.

One of the ways we do this is through prayer. We can ask God to transform our minds, to help us put His word into action, and to change our hearts. Through prayer, God changes us, and makes us more like His beloved Son, Jesus.

3. We Can Pray For Ourselves & For Others

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Everyday life comes with its challenges, responsibilities, needs, and concerns. It’s easy to crumble in fear and anxiety when we don’t see a way out of a circumstance, or feel hopeless. But there is something else that scripture tells us to do, in every circumstance, and that is to pray.

Sometimes our first instinct is to panic, or to figure out a way to fix things ourselves. But through prayer, we not only deny ourselves, and lay down our control of things, and our dependence on ourselves. We also get to experience the peace of God as we bring our worries, troubles and needs to Him in prayer.

I can think of a handful of things that cross my mind on a daily basis that can cause anxiety to rise within me. I am sure you can too, and it is those things that scripture tells us we should bring to God, instead of dwelling on them with anxiety. I know it is sometimes easier said than done, but the more we make a habit of turning to God in times of need, the more we will see His peace reign in our hearts and His hand work in our lives.

But it is not only for ourselves that we can pray for, we can also pray for others. We can ask God to reveal Christ to those who don’t know Him. We can ask God to supply someone’s need, to heal someone, to provide for someone, to guide someone, and so much more.

We can pray for our country, for other believers, for the church, for our teachers, and the list goes on. There is always something that we can pray for, or someone who we can lift up in prayer.

4. Through Prayer We Seek God’s Will & Submit Ours

“Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” – Luke 22:43

When we come to God in prayer, in the way that scripture tells us to, just like the tax collector who bowed his head in humility, we quickly learn that we are not trying to force our will upon God, but rather we are growing to submit to His. This is all a part of the process of sanctification, where God purifies our hearts, and makes us look more and more like Jesus.

One of the things that happens in prayer is that we put to death our old selves and the desires of the flesh. Through prayer, we can ask God to help us submit our will to His. Sometimes we hope that God will submit to a certain will of ours, but His will might not be what we will.

It can be hard to submit our will to God’s will because many times we allow our flesh to lead us, instead of His Spirit. As we come to God in prayer, and ask Him to help us submit to His will, we begin to grow in trust in God, knowing that His will for us is better than our will.

Jesus is the greatest example of what this looks like, and we will follow in His footsteps. In Luke 22:43, Jesus is praying to the Father, and He is about to be captured, condemned, beaten, and crucified. It is clear that He was in great pain, yet He did not try to sway God’s will.

This is what He prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Is that something we can say to God? It is something that we will find we need to say on a daily basis. It is important for us to remember that God’s will is backed by His infinite power, unlimited knowledge, sovereign hand, and loving heart.

When we realize that, it is so much easier to see the wisdom in submitting ourselves to His will, over our own.