What is the purpose of prayer? I believe this is an important topic because there is a common misconception here.
The misconception is this: the purpose of prayer is to make our wishes come true. It’s as if God is there to fulfill our desires through prayer.
That, however, is not the truth. That is not the purpose of prayer.
The purpose of prayer is not to make our wishes come true. Instead, the purpose of prayer is to make God’s will be done.
We can see it in the Lord’s Prayer:
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:9-10)
It says “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. This is the purpose of prayer! This is what prayer is all about. The purpose of prayer is to make God’s will be done.
Jesus gave us another example when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane:
And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
Again, the purpose of prayer is to make God’s will be done. That’s why we need to pray according to His will:
And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. (1 John 5:14)
So what would happen if we don’t pray?
If we don’t pray, God’s will may not be done in our lives. It means that we would miss something that could actually happen. The Scripture says:
You do not have, because you do not ask. (James 4:2b)
On the other hand, it’s wrong to pray only according to our desires.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3)
So what you need to do is this: pray that God’s will be done in your life. Ask for it to happen. Aim that God’s will for you and others be manifested fully.
Yes, God’s will might not be our will, but don’t worry because He knows best:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:8-9)
So let’s make prayer a divine weapon in our lives. See you next time and God bless you!
