Why do we need to pray?

[God Is Love]

Common questions people ask, and i would love to have them answered :)

1. why do we need to pray?
2. whats so important about prayer?
3. doesnt God already know what i want, so why do i need to keep praying?
4. he doesnt listen so im not going to pray
5. i go mass on sunday isnt that enough, what more does He want?

Im sure i have more, i just have to think of them
thanks for all the help
God Bless you and keep you in His most Sacred Heart :)

Joyce zeitouni

[DavidObeid]

Hi Joyce,

I think you need to start by answering the question "what is prayer?" before you can make sense of the answers to the questions you asked.

Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. It is communion with God. More to the point, it is interpersonal communion - relationship - with God.

With this in mind:

Q1. Why do we need to pray?
A. So we can have and grow our relationship with God.

Q2. What's so important about prayer?
A. It is the means of personal union with God.

Q3. Doesn't God already know what i want, so why do i need to keep praying?
A. Personal relationship is about persons relating.

Q4. He doesn't listen so I'm not going to pray.
A. (Excuse the bluntness of this reply, but some questions need brusque answers) Maybe you aren't listening or being a jerk. Being more of a jerk probably isn't the answer.

Q5. I go Mass on Sunday isn't that enough, what more does He want?
A. No, it isn't enough. God doesn't want some of your time, He wants you.

[jacquelinetrad]

Hi Joyce,

Prayer is our primary means of communication with God.
He encourages us to communicate with him as we would a friend / father / mother etc..
He wants our all, our undivided attention and is interested in the details in our life we deem unimportant.

We are here for his purposes and in prayer and the Holy Spirit he reveals his will for our lives.

At Mass today the homily was about listening for Gods instruction and in particular, clearing our minds to hear the voice of God. Fr Van concluded with: Let us ask God to reveal what he wants us to do and ask him for the courage to do it.

This is the mission of our lives, to do Gods will. Prayer is the means by which it is done.

(I reccomend you read "Christ is passing by" by St Josemaria Escrivia)

[Matthew]

Some things God only wills to give us if we ask for them. If we don't pray for those gifts then we won't receive them. That's the prayer of petition. A father may be willing to give something to a child but only if the child asks the father to have it. Not everything is given on a platter so to speak.

The other ends of prayer (adoration, thanksgiving and reparation) all have as their purpose the development of a relationship with God. If we receive a gift and do not thank the person then that results in ingratitude and pride. Adoration likewise is giving what belongs to God and reaffirms where we stand in relation to Him. Reparation helps to restore our relationship where it needs mending.