One of Christianity’s most common questions is “What’s the point of praying?”
The prevalence of this question is likely a surprise to some and not to others. While many seem to have their prayers answered on at least a semi-regular basis, others struggle with feeling that God outright ignores them. Some carry this forward to a theological approach—that certain types of prayer are not for us in this day and time—while others simply cease praying altogether.
The subject of why some prayers seem to receive a clear and positive answer, while others do not, is a subject unto itself and far too large to cover here. What I want to address is the question itself: “What’s the point of praying?” Because I believe we see evidence in heart-prayers like Psalm 109.
In this psalm, no punches are pulled nor words minced. There’s almost an aggressive stance to David’s heart here; he’s asking God to intervene in his struggles with his adversaries, in pretty graphic ways—he’s requesting some pretty serious spiritual firepower against his tormentor.
Why is he asking all that? Because David understands a fundamental aspect of prayer: it invites God to work in our circumstances. And that is a powerful aspect to seeing prayers answered.
We are free will beings; we have every right in the physical and spiritual to choose to carry our burdens and problems ourselves. We are also in relationship with God—we need to be communicating our needs, desires, and struggles with Him. Does He know about them anyway? Yes, He’s God! But consider how you would feel about an omnipotent deity who knew everything about you and acted in your life without giving you any say whatsoever, deciding without your input what was going to happen next and how to steer the course of your life.
Chances are, you’d be pretty upset. In fact, the idea of God as a chess master moving us like pieces down the board is a common reason many non-believers cite for avoiding the Faith. Both Christians and non-Christians alike often miss the reality of the relational nature of our standing with God…and that there is give and take within it.
So, what’s the give? Prayer is a huge part of the give! We must give voice to our needs, our desires. We must air the cry of our heart and invite God to move within our circumstances. We can either choose to face our foes alone or we can “tap God in” and bring His strength into the struggles of life. That’s a huge point of praying—presenting before God our willingness and desire to have His help in what we face!
If you find yourself questioning what the point of praying even is, I invite you to imagine this: you’re in a boxing match and you’re getting thoroughly beaten. God is outside the ring, ready to fight on your behalf in ways beyond mortal reckoning…but it’s your match and He’s not going to step in, toss you out, and take over. You need to tap Him in; you need to invite Him into the ring to take back the fight.
Our prayers move powerfully in the spiritual realm in ways that manifest in the physical. But it often takes us going that first step—lifting a matter in prayer—to get things moving. Let’s not be deceived into thinking prayer is pointless; let’s remember the prayerful hearts in the example our faith-forerunners laid and be fervent in praying for God to move mountains in our lives!
