What is the purpose of prayer? For some it seems to be a way of getting things. We pray for healing from illness or for the end of financial hardships, or for stability within our relationships. When we pray like this, it is as if we believe that God makes us suffer so that we will beg God to do something for us. Is this really the nature of prayer? And if it is, then why doesn't God always answer us? Is God too busy to hear all the prayers that are offered? I have heard it said that "God always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is 'no.'" How does God choose which prayer to answer? Is it the person with the most faith? Or the one who prays the most often? Perhaps God answers the prayers of the ones who give the most money to their church. Or maybe, prayer is not about getting what we want from God.
While watching a televangelist one morning, I heard him say that if you worship correctly, God would give you what you want. Proper worship meant watching his program, and setting up a direct debit of 10% of your income to go to his church each week. And to show that this worked, he had a couple on that spoke of how they wanted a new car, so they worshiped for it. They attended the church via their satellite dish and sent their drafts off with due diligence. And it worked. The man's mother was killed in a very bad car accident. The family hired a great lawyer, and got a multi-million dollar settlement because of her death. With the settlement they were able to buy a new car and sent a tithe to the church.
If I were to worship or pray for something, I am not sure I would find it comforting that God killed a family member in order to help me get it. Does a loving God kill innocent people in order to help out other people? If that were the case, then I don't think I would want anything to do with that God at all!
In fact, there is only one real thing to ask for from God, as far as I can tell, and that is forgiveness of sins. Hear this parable of Jesus:
Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
Prayers of petition, I believe, should be about recognizing our need for God, especially our need for the forgiveness of sins. The tax collector went away justified because he asked God to forgive him of his sins, and God did. Prayer is not about bragging on who we are or what we have done. It is not about asking for things, for material gifts. It is about our relationship with God, and as Christians, it is about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is about keeping us centered in our recognition of what we truly need from God, which is not the material or physical things of this world, but the spiritual gift which prepares us for the next world. Prayer is about communion with God. Communion: a common union. Through prayer we have that common union with God. And God, like the father of the prodigal son, welcomes us into that union every time we ask God to. God always answers the prayer which asks that our sins be forgiven. And the answer is always a resounding yes.
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