What Is the Purpose of Prayer?

Why do we pray? We may pray for many reasons. We pray in church, for those on our prayer list, and we have specific prayers at mealtime or at bedtime. But when is our prayer life usually most authentic, consistent, and heart-felt? When we’re in need. What does that say about our motivations? While God wants us to pray for the needs of ourselves and others, prayer is meant to be so much more. Prayer is a spiritual connection with our Heavenly Father. The purpose of prayer is to build and grow in relationship with God. This means keeping it real and sharing everything. In prayer we can share our joys and our sorrows, our needs and our thanksgiving, our sins and our repentance, our fears and our praise. Prayer doesn’t require the perfect words, only authenticity and an open heart.

In the Psalms, David addressed a wide variety of issues when he spoke to God. Although he would sometimes vent his frustrations with God, he remained reverent by accepting that God was ultimately in control. Our savior, Jesus, modeled a perfect prayer life. He also taught much about how we should pray.

1. We should pray frequently.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 5:16

2. Prayer should be intentional.

 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Mark 1:35

3. We should pray in solitude to focus on God and avoid distraction.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:6

4. Prayer should be authentic.

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:7-8

5. Prayer does not need to be perfection.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26

Jesus instructs us how we should pray using the most essential components of prayer in the order of importance.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

When we come to the Father in prayer it should be with full appreciation of who God really is. Our loving heavenly Father is also the King of heaven and earth. He is the timeless, all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe! As flawed as we are, God still loves us and desires a relationship with us. This realization should fill us with reverent awe as we approach Him in prayer.

Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Our priority should be to see God’s Kingdom come. This is accomplished through the spreading of the gospel, acceptance of Jesus as savior, and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. God alone sees the bigger picture and the path that will bring glory to His name. Therefore, our prayers should demonstrate our willingness to yield to God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Our prayer should be faith-filled and present focused. We should ask God only for what we need each day trusting that that He will provide. We don’t have to live in fear of the future when we walk with Him in faith each day. God has already provided for our greatest needs- forgiveness and redemption. Yet, we can’t expect to receive that which we’re unwilling to give to others.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Lastly is to guard our hearts and minds against temptation from the evil one. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). Even when we have the best of intentions we can fall prey to temptation and our own selfish nature. Only God can provide us with the strength needed to withstand temptation.

So how does your prayer life measure up to Jesus’s example? How often do you forget God’s greatness? Are you praying for the right things? How often are your prayers aligned with God’s will? Are you willing to yield control? These are questions we must each ask ourselves as we reflect on the true purpose of prayer.