January 8: Is There any Purpose in Praying?

By Bassey Ekong

What's the purpose of prayer? Does God not do whatever He wants, anyways? Why should we have to pray when God already knows everything? These are valid questions. To answer them, we first need to understand essential truths about the nature of God and His purpose for mankind that makes prayer necessary. Let’s take time to look at God’s original intent for mankind and for prayer.

To begin, let us remember that God does everything for a reason. He’s a God of purpose. He does not take actions arbitrarily. “The Lord Almighty has sworn, “surely, as I have planned, so will it be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand” (Isaiah 14:24). “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purpose of His heart through all generations”(Psalm 33:11). “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails(Proverbs 19:21).

God is a God of purpose, and everything He has created in this world, including us, humans, has been created to fulfill His purposes. The creator’s commitment to His original intent for creation is a priority for Him that motivates and regulates all His actions. We can trust that God’s purposes are steadfast and that they will guide us into His perfect will for our lives.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46: 10-11). God never turns His back on His creation. He wants to always bless all that came out of Him to life. He made us in His own image and wants us to be blessed all the time. He wants us to confess our sins and to worship Him in spirit and in truth. He has promised to bless us and our land and give us peace and joy. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV).

Note: Everything God does is driven by His purposed desire, which never changes. This is one of the purposes for praying. Please develop a praying habit; your sins will be blotted out, and your prosperity will break out and you’ll be blessed, in Jesus’ name.

Let’s pray: Almighty father, you are a God of purpose. Thank you for including me in your purposes for this universe. Please, Lord, use me to help fulfill your plans for the human kind. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Today’s reading: Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6: 1-18

It's Good to Understand Why We Have to Pray.