Dear God...?

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us --whatever we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him. -1 John 5:14-15

What is prayer? Why don't we get what we ask when we pray for it, if this verse says what it seems to say? What did Jesus have to say about prayer?

I've noticed throughout my life that people can be characterized by how they pray. Some people when they pray become very reverent when they pray, and maybe even look like they're about to pray. Some people pray for what seems like hours, saying the same things over and over again and using big words. Some people say "Lord", "God", or "Father" every two words. Some people don't even like praying when they are around other people. And then there are those people who don't even sound like they're praying, but actually preaching to the people around them.

How then, should we pray? Should it even be a public thing? And how does God answer prayer?

Jesus gave us the example of how to pray in his sermon on The Mount:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
-Matthew 6:9-13

So basically, when we pray, we should find a place alone, quiet, without any distractions. We should then glorify God, pray for provision of needs, and forgiveness. Then we should pray for protection. Jesus also said that we should not be hypocritical when we pray. Prayer is between God and me; other people do not play a role.

What about corporate prayer? And you still haven't answered the question about answers to prayer.

Corporate prayer...we do it all the time in church. Some people are really comfortable with it, and others not. Some people make lots of noise during prayer: "Mmm...yes Lord...amen". Sometimes it can be distracting, other times uplifting. The book of Acts tells us that the early church met regularly to pray together, meaning this has been a tradition from the beginning. Meeting together like this can be uplifting, and it is meant to unify the body of Christ. We should come together and pray in the name of Jesus, and this unifies us in action and spirit. There are also countless times in the Old and New Testaments when people pray for healing, for well-being, and for God's provision, so this has its place in corporate prayer as well.

So why aren't those prayers always answered? The verse in 1 John seems to indicate they should ALWAYS be answered.

Ya, that definitely is what it seems like. There's also a passage in Matthew that seems to indicate the same thing. But read it again...."according to his will." God is sovereign. If we ask what is according to his will, we will receive it. But if it is not in his will, then the answer will be no. And no is still an answer.

This brings me to my main point: Prayer is not about getting what we want. It is about having communion with God, and discerning his will for our lives.

I think scripture makes it clear: prayer is communicating with God. We communicate in order to know what other people are thinking, doing, feeling, desiring. We communicate to build relationship. And this is exactly what prayer, communication with God, is. Just as one can ask a friend for something and that friend refuse the request, so to can God answer no to our requests. This is in order that we might pray for his will to be done in our lives, as Jesus said, and to learn what that is we must continue to pray.

Let us then pray with the intent of growing close to God, and to know his will.

Pray continually...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
-1 Thessalonians 5:17-18