The other day while preparing for a small group discussion on Jonah's prayer in the belly of the great fish, I really stopped to ask myself, "Why do I pray?"
I didn't really like the answer that I found. Many times I pray so that God knows what I want. It's like I think that God needs me to review things with Him just so He won't miss any of the important details. Prayer is not giving God our laundry list of requests with a few polite thank yous and flattering words thrown in for effect.
Other times I pray so that I can process stuff going on inside of me. I tend to treat God at times like the best free shrink in the world. All too often, I find myself coming to God on my terms not His. God is our father and the Lord of all creation not Dr. Phil.
Oh, and I talk way too much when I pray. The old cliché is true. God gave you two ears and one mouth because you should do twice as much listening as talking during prayer. I used to struggle with the thought that we are supposed to pray without ceasing until I realized that prayer is more about listening than talking. We are to constantly listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and seeking to commune with God.
Prayer connects us with God in community. We don't tell God things that are completely new to Him when we pray. Prayer exists primarily to foster a deepening relationship between God and man. People grow in the revelation of God's character as they pray. Prayer is automatically a humbling experience because we admit that God is so much greater than we are. Prayer provides the fertile ground for change in our lives.
In prayer, we get a deeper revelation of who God is, and that glimpse of God's glory changes everything. It gives us confidence to trust that God is trustworthy. It helps us know that He is bigger than our problems.
Are you transformed in prayer? Do you draw closer to God through prayer? If your answer is "No," maybe you should consider listening more and talking less.
