Why Pray ?
Hi! It's me, PB (Prayer Blogger), with some added thoughts/questions - about why pray and what is a prayer.
Why Pray?
In our first installment/post we didn’t dig really deep about this. This is not a question of what we pray for or how we pray, but why do we or should we pray. Is it for answers? Or, is it for guidance? Or, is it for specific things/outcomes? Or, is it for someone else? Or, is it for peace of mind?
Don’t we pray because we have needs? Not just needs like “daily bread,” which we do need, but what about our thinking? Based on the principle that what we think often leads to what we do, I often find my prayer is for clarity of thought and guidance. As Pastor Leanne wrote in her blog post earlier this month: “I decided to adopt prayer as an attitude ... my thinking would be praying ….” What do you think?
Why do you pray? Why pray? Maybe our question should be, “Why not pray?”
What is a prayer?
Think about this for a few minutes before reading on.
Some possibilities:
Can a prayer be as simple as saying something like, “Thank God for the rain”? Did you really mean to thank God, or were you simply glad that we had rain and you were just commenting on it? Or, were you expressing a comment of your thanks for someone or for someone having done something? Can a comment be a prayer?
Does prayer have more to do with intent? Did you intend to thank God? If you do intend to thank God, how would you do it? Quietly in your mind? Openly, verbally in a group, for example, “Thank you God for this evening's meal and for _____ having prepared it”?
What about saying to someone, “I thank God for you”? Did you really? Or, if you say to someone, “I will pray for you.” Will you?
Is it a hymn or praise song? For example, the last verse of a familiar classic hymn:
Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Does a prayer have to be something really deep (a deep thought)? Example: “Lord, I pray for the people of Ukraine. Why do others need to prey on or oppress other nations? Please bring peace to the world.”
Is this one of those “all of the above” multiple choice question answers?
Here’s one of my prayers:
“Lord, I have dwelt on that piece of my past for too long. Forgive me for that action. Holy Spirit, guide me with a new perspective on what you want me to do.” My reference comes from Paul’s letter in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “So if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!” (NRSV) “Anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges!” (The Message)
Thank God for fresh starts!
What’s your prayer? Please comment below.
PRAYING FOR YOU!
PB
Community Presbyterian Church
32202 Del Obispo
San Juan Capistrano. CA 92675
949-493-1502