Can God answer our prayers? Absolutely.
Does he want to hear from us? No question.
Should we tell him what is on our mind and what we need? Sure.
But what is the purpose of prayer? Is it our appointed time to give God our list of grievances, or should it be something more?
We can learn all sorts of things about God, but prayer is our primary avenue to actually know God. In prayer, we have the opportunity to meet with the creator of the universe.
If I were to have the chance to meet some phenomenal drummer one on one, it would be foolish to tell him what I saw as his weaknesses. If I were to meet with an icon in my industry, it would be pointless to tell him what I have found to work for me in my business. These aren’t perfect analogies to prayer, but there is something there. While we would probably not choose to do the sorts of things I’ve given as examples, we have no trouble doing it with God. We have the chance to learn from the master, but we spend most of our time complaining about our problems and asking for presents. In many ways, God has been reduced to Santa Claus.
Ravi Zacharias said that “Jesus’ reminder to us in the Lord’s Prayer is to pray much more for our relationship with God and a better understanding of his kingdom than it is a wish list of what I want for that day.”
Prayer is not about me trying to get God to see life through my eyes – he has already done that. Prayer is about me trying to see my life through God’s eyes. Prayer should not be about us asking God to help us avoid consequences for our actions, it should be to change us so that our actions don’t have bad consequences. Prayer is not a way to avoid dealing with our problems, it’s a place for God to meet with us and point out our problems. The ultimate goal of prayer is not to get our issues resolved, it is resolving to align our heart with God’s.
If the purpose of prayer were solely to get our needs met and our questions answered, why were some of Jesus’ prayers unanswered? He asked for “the cup” to be taken from him. He prayed that we be one as he and the Father are one. Neither of these happened. Paul asked for the “thorn in his side” to be taken, but it wasn’t. They knew that prayer is about a relationship, not a punch list. So, while it is ok – and completely appropriate – for us to express our thoughts and desires to God, it’s all in the context of his will, not ours. Prayer is about getting to know God, being honest with him, and allowing him to change us.
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