But WHY should I pray? (Part 2)

If there is one question most parents with small children understand very well, it is "but why??" 

And yes, it doesn't matter what answer or explanation you come up with, there will always be another … but why?

Sounds familiar?

Then, after trying to explain for about 20 minutes, the last resort is... because I say so! My experience shows that these words most often get the job done!

Unless … it is followed by another but whyyyy???

You get the picture, I know!

So, why should you pray? 

"Because the Bible says so!"

Yes, but whyyyy? 😶 Why should you pray if God already knows what you need, even before you ask Him? What impact does your prayers have on your life, other people's lives, and even world events?

Let’s cut the 20 minutes of returning to “but why” short, shall we?

Honestly, this question has baffled me for a very long time. I've studied this topic for some time now, and I've discovered so many reasons we should pray. Today I'm going to share just one of them with you.

TO PRAY IS TO ENTER THE THRONE OF GRACE

Hebrews 4.16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• boldly – to be confident and fearless; to come with full and open speech; without reservation; with frankness.

 

This means that you don’t ever have to shy away from coming to God.

 

Often people run away from God when they’ve done something wrong or have committed some kind of sin. 

 

No, the invitation is to come confidently, without fear or any reservation. God is never caught off guard by our mistakes. That is why Jesus died – to forgive us and give us full access to the presence of God.

 

• to the throne of grace – note that God’s throne isn’t one of judgment or condemnation. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8.1).

• obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need – mercy refers to our past failures, sins, and mistakes, while grace refers to God’s help for the present and future.

It is too common for the children of God to think they must be perfect to be accepted by God. You can rest assured that no person on earth is perfect. 

The only perfect person who ever walked this planet was Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.  He died for an imperfect world to make us perfectly acceptable in the sight of our Father.

GOD’S GRACE IS ALL WE’LL EVER NEED

Mercy and grace are obtained when we pray according to God’s will. 

Right from the beginning of His ministry Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner:

Matthew 6.10 – Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Paul begged God 3 times to take the thorn in his flesh away; God chose not to do it.

2 Corinthians 12.9 - And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  

Paul had a choice of how to respond. He could become bitter or fall into self-pity. He could go around, proclaiming God’s unfairness, or even doubting God and His love for him.

Yet, he chose to submit and accept God’s will for his life. As a result, he often experienced God’s supernatural ability to endure all the hardships that accompanied the call upon his life!

You can read through the list of hardships to appreciate how God’s grace enabled him right through his life!

2 Corinthians 11.23-27 - Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness …

How is God’s strength or power made perfect in your weakness? 

Here is how a couple of translations describe it:

• His power works best in our weakness (NLT).

• It becomes visible when we are weak (DB).

• It finds its full expression through your weakness (TPT).

• It shows itself most effective in our weakness (AMP).

• His power is brought to perfection in weakness (CJB). 

• His power is greatest when you are weak (GNT).

When we are strong or capable in ourselves, we don’t need God! Or so people believe.

Being aware of our weaknesses or disabilities makes us realize that it's only through God's power that we can overcome life's challenges.

Our Lord Jesus Christ begged the Father 3 times in the Garden of Gethsemane that the cup of bitterness might be taken away from Him!  However, He submitted to God's will every time He asked to have it removed!

Matthew 26.39, 42, 44 - He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”   42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

We’ve got a Saviour who knows exactly what we are going through. And again, without any condemnation!

• Jesus had the experience of wanting God's will, but at the same time not wanting it.  

• He understood what it meant to act out of love and still be afraid of the pain that often came with it.

• He comprehended the desire for righteousness and obedience, even when His flesh was screaming against it.

You see, this type of inner conflict is not sinful. It is human.

It is a common experience for believers. It reminds us that we need God's strength and power to overcome our weaknesses and follow His will.

Jesus Himself experienced this conflict in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He desired God's will but also felt the weight of the pain and suffering to come. He submitted His humanity to God's will and thus became our Saviour and High Priest who knows exactly what we are going through.

In our moments of weakness, God's power is made perfect in us as we surrender our desires and trust in His strength to guide us.

WHAT IS HIS GRACE?

• Grace is a God-given, powerful resource that empowers us to accomplish His plan, endure hardships, and access Him.

• Grace is a manifestation of His power, which exceeds what we could ever achieve through our own efforts.

• Grace is the supernatural ability that God grants us to sustain, endure, and maintain our calling to become all that He wants us to be in Christ.

Our success or endurance doesn’t depend on our strength but on God’s strength in and through us.

TO PRAY IS TO ENTER THE PLACE OF EXCHANGE

2 Corinthians 13.4 - For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

• To pray is to exchange our weakness for His strength by submitting our flesh to His will.

• It is to exchange my unbelief for His faith!

• My doubt for His assurance.

• My unfaithfulness for His faithfulness.

• And my fear for His boldness.

What if ... Jesus didn't submit to the Father’s will? We would have been lost for all eternity!

What if ... Paul didn’t accept God’s grace? The heathen world wouldn’t have heard the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

What if ... you didn’t read this article or chose not to enter the throne of grace to accept God’s grace? 

What if ... you choose not to go and pray in the Place of Exchange (your own Gethsemane)? 

What if ... spending time with your social media apps remains more important than spending time with God in prayer?

• Then you’ll never grow spiritually. 

• You’ll never experience Christ’s victory in and through your life. 

• You’ll never be able to testify to how God’s power flows through you in your weakest moments.

Is it worth the risk?

ALL THIS BEING SAID, WHY SHOULD YOU PRAY?

He's opened His heart and door to you, inviting you to boldly approach His throne of grace. 

His mercy and grace are waiting for you there, ready to empower you to thrive. Without it, you'll struggle to survive. 

So step into His presence confidently, knowing that with His grace, you have all the power you need to live a victorious life. 

Until next time

STEF ESPAG