One may think, "why pray?"...

One may think, "why pray?" After all, life happens: circumstances are not perfect but we can overcome, human bodies all fail, we all face hardships and experience good times. Nothing new under the sun. God knows everything that is happening. He knows when we face a difficult situation. He knows when we are suffering. He knows everything. So why pray about those things? What difference do prayers really make?

One thing we can see when we read the Bible is that Jesus prayed and that He also asked His disciples to pray (Matthew 26:38). Jesus recommends pray for different situations as well, such as in setting the child free of the mute spirit in Mark 9:29.

Let's look at it from God's perspective for a minute. When He created the earth, He created man in His image and likeness and told them to rule over the earth and subdue it. He gave man authority here. Man even named the animals, thus co-creating this world with God. Man was a co-worker with God in overseeing this world. Man had a say in how things would go here on earth.

After Jesus' death and resurrection, all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18). With that authority, Jesus commissions his disciples to go into the world and make disciples and any who believe, signs will follow them (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16: 17-18). In other words, He gave spiritual authority back to men that believe in Him.

Putting these things two things together, that God originally intended for man to rule on the earth with Him and have a say in how things go on this earth and that Jesus, having all authority, gave authority to believers, these two things are grounds for why we should pray: BECAUSE GOD INTENDED FOR US TO MAKE AN IMPACT WITH OUR PRAYERS! :)

When we talk to God about what is going on, when we make declarations of His truth over our situations, when we command things to come into existence or situations to change, there is power in our words that are in agreement with the Lord, his heart, ways and truth. God desires for us to pray; things that happen on earth are not just going to go a certain way because that is the way that they are going to go. Situations can be changed. We can co-work with God to change lives, events and history.

Some may think, I don't know what to pray or how to pray. Well, Jesus taught some things on how to pray in Luke 18 and Matthew 6 that we can look and learn from. But know this: we should not worry to much about how to pray; just pray. What do I mean by just pray? Start by just talking to your Father in Heaven, your Creator, the One that knows us inside out. We can talk to Him just as you talk to our parents, spouse, or best friend.

Also, spending time with God reading and thinking about His word or talking to Him in pray and getting familiar with His Holy Spirit's voice is essential to developing a fulfilling prayer life (whether it is prayer time or throughout the day talking to God). The Scriptures tell us things that the Holy Spirit will tell us: teach us all things, comfort us and remind us of His truth (1 John 2:27, John 14:26). God will help us to know His heart so that we can pray in agreement with Him. 

Praying is one way that we can fulfill God's will for our lives as His co-ruling creation.