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.
What if you woke every morning and said something like this to your wife:
“Good morning dear. I trust that you slept well. I hope that you have a wonderful day full of happiness. Be safe and apply yourself well. Manage the house with diligence. I love you.”
I mean you said that same thing – exactly – every morning. Same words, same meter, same inflection. I’ll bet her heart would be overflowing, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t that sound sincere?
It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? And cold and impersonal and meaningless. Yet we do this every day in our homes and every Sunday at church. We say the same thing, the same way. Could your kids chant along with your prayers at dinner, or the ones given from the stage at church? Maybe that’s not such a good thing.
Consider the following examples:
