7 Reasons Why God Wants You to Pray

Prayer is a central theme throughout the Bible, something that is very important to God. If you know your Bible, you may be able to recite verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which tell us to “pray without ceasing,” Colossians 4:2 which says to “Devote yourselves to prayer” (New International Version) and Romans 12:12 which encourages us to be “continuing steadfastly in prayer.”

Through prayer, we communicate with God. This is something we should be doing every day of our lives. We might be most inclined to pray when we’re facing difficulties and we want God to fix our problems for us, but we should also pray when things are going well for us. Our prayers need to be spoken from the heart, conveying our deeply felt desires and concerns.

Admittedly, though, we might not always get the quality prayer time we know we should have. Maybe we get busy or sidetracked with the day-to-day pressures and responsibilities of life, and somehow we don’t find the time to communicate with God. Or, we might just go through the motions without putting much thought into what we’re saying. Perhaps we’re unsure exactly what we should be praying about, or what we’re actually accomplishing, which might make us even less inclined to pray.

Something I’ve found that really motivates me to pray is to reflect on the reasons prayer is important—to really understand what prayer does for us and why it is beneficial. Granted, we may know prayer is a biblical command. That is the number one reason we should make prayer a priority. But aside from that, there are many specific reasons why God wants us to pray to Him, and numerous benefits of doing so.

What follows are seven big reasons God wants us to regularly communicate with Him. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather just some of the top reasons. When we better understand what prayer can accomplish, it can help us see how to pray in a way that is truly effective and pleases God, and prod ourselves to pray like we should.

1. Prayer is how we present our needs and desires to God.

Philippians 4:6 says we should pray to “let [our] requests be made known to God.” While it’s true that God knows our needs before we even ask for them to be fulfilled (Matthew 6:8), He wants us to take the initiative to request His intervention in our lives (Matthew 7:7).

Much of what we ask for may relate to our physical needs. We might pray for a new job when we’re unemployed, a buyer for our house if we’re trying to sell it, for protection when we’re traveling, to be healed of a disease, or for guidance when making personal decisions.

But we shouldn’t stop there. We should also be making requests that relate to our spiritual lives. Colossians 3:2 reads: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV). That might mean asking God to mold and shape us, and prepare us to serve in His Kingdom (Isaiah 64:8), asking Him to show us our shortcomings we need to work on (Psalm 19:12, Psalm 139:23-24), asking for wisdom and discernment (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Kings 3:12-13 and James 1:5), or asking God to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (Matthew 6:12; 1 John 1:9). God wants to see that we’re setting our minds on what has eternal value, specifically, that we’re striving to think like Him, overcome our shortcomings, grow in godly character and internalize biblical precepts.

2. Prayer underscores our dependence on God.

We may think we’ve got “everything under control” and can find the solutions to our problems all on our own. Particularly in Western society, we’re often encouraged to be “self-made”—to strive for success by relying on our own limited human strengths. But that is not how God wants us to live. God wants us to always remember how much we need Him, that it is He who sustains us, and that we can do nothing apart from Him. This is something Paul emphasized at the Areopagus when he said, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

When we seek God’s help and deliverance through prayer, we are humbling ourselves and showing God that we know we don’t have all the answers or resources at our disposal to solve all the big problems that are out of our control. We are reminding ourselves how much we depend on Him. And truly, being dependent on God is a good thing. Deuteronomy 31:6-8 says God will never leave us or forsake us. God has all the “tools” at His disposal to remedy our situation, even if we don’t, and He always has our best interests in mind. Remembering this will put our minds at rest.

3. Prayer helps grow our faith and trust in God.

Faith is at the foundation of Christianity. When we trust God and have faith in Him, it pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6). Prayer is one way faith is built in us. When we talk to God about our concerns and challenges, He becomes “more real” to us as we see how He responds. This might mean God fulfilling our specific requests. But it doesn’t have to happen in that way, and indeed, often doesn’t.

I can think of numerous times in my life when God did not give me exactly what I had prayed for, but He was still answering my prayers because He did give me what I needed or what was best for me, (even if I hadn’t considered those outcomes as “solutions”). That still helped build my faith, as I eventually came to see that what I had been longing for wouldn’t have been good for me.

Similarly, a friend shared how years ago, when she battled a cancer diagnosis, she prayed that she would be immediately healed. “God didn’t take away the tumor all at once, but I still know God was with me every step of the way,” my friend related. “Having to go through all the diagnostic testing and treatments helped me overcome my fears and build courage. I could see God was using this trial to help me learn a lot of lessons about myself, and to learn to trust Him more fully. I came to see that I would have missed out on this growth opportunity if God had instantly removed the tumor.” Whether God grants our exact requests or answers our prayers in ways we don’t anticipate, it still helps build our faith.

4. Prayer is a vehicle to offer thanks and praise.

God wants us to praise Him. Prayer is one of the main ways we do this. The model prayer outlined in Matthew 6:9-13 instructs us to begin and end our prayers with praise. Extol God for His virtues—His love, mercy, power, creativity and way of life. Thank Him for His plan of salvation and Christ’s sacrifice, and for the specific blessings and ways He has intervened for you. Thanking God is a form of praise, because it shows Him we realize He is the provider of all good things. Praising God gives us serenity, reminding us God has the strength and ability to deliver us during times of trouble.

Moreover, expressing thanks to God helps us remember all the good things He has done in our lives. It could be for something tangible, like the food on our tables or receiving an unexpected bonus from our employer when we’ve been struggling financially. Or, it could be for something less tangible, like following God’s commands and experiencing firsthand the joys of living His way of life. Some of my greatest blessings have been when God helped me see how to better apply biblical principles to help work through personal struggles.

By acknowledging our blessings, it helps shift our focus from what we lack to what we’ve been given, fostering a grateful mindset—something God definitely wants us to have, as it helps keep our hearts in a right relationship with Him.

5. Prayer is a way to petition for the needs of others.

God wants us to use some of our prayer time to address the needs of other people. Think about individuals you know who are in need of particular breakthroughs in their lives, and ask God to strengthen them and intervene in their lives. Pray for those who are suffering through health crises and other trials. The Apostle John set an example of praying that the brethren would “prosper . . . and be in health” (3 John 1:2). James 5:16 instructs us to “Pray for one another, that you may be healed.” There are many examples of biblical figures praying for those who are sick, including Jesus Christ, Elijah (1 Kings 17), John (3 John 1:2), and others.

Try not to limit your concern for your friends, but pray for your enemies as well (Matthew 5:44), as they also need God’s help. Intercessory prayer is a way to show our concern for others, and get our minds off our own problems, which is something God wants to see in us.

We should also pray for the servants of God (which includes the ministry as well as others who are involved in the work of the Church). The Apostle Paul saw the value in these kinds of prayers, as he requested believers pray for him (1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1). In Hebrews 13:18, the ministry asks the local brethren to “Pray for us.” Pray that God would strengthen His servants physically and spiritually, protect them from harm, and guide and inspire them. When we pray fervently for others, God hears us.

6. Prayer helps us align our hopes with God’s “big plans”.

We’re told in the model prayer to pray for God’s Kingdom to be established on earth (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2). That is God’s top priority; it should be ours too. However, it’s easy for us to get caught up in the circumstances going on around us, good or bad, and start giving all our attention to that instead of the need for Christ’s return.

When we pray, we should talk with God about why we long for His Kingdom. You might point out specific problems you see in the world right now that you know will be addressed once His Kingdom is established on earth. Pray that God will support and guide His Church so that His Work will be done, that new “doors” would be opened to preach the Gospel, that God would send out more laborers to do His Work, that Christ’s return to this earth would be soon, and that God wouldn’t allow the world to suffer any more than necessary in order for His plans to go forward. God can be moved by our heartfelt prayers. And as we talk about His priorities with Him, we start to focus our minds more on that, so we’re not just absorbed by the “cares of this world” (Mark 4:19).

7. Prayer deepens our relationship with God.

Praying in the ways mentioned here tells God that we want his involvement in our lives and that we’re striving to value what He values. Just making time for prayer every day (and perhaps multiple times each day) demonstrates to God that we want a relationship with Him. God desires a close connection with us, but He wants us to seek Him out. If we do, He will reciprocate. Psalm 145:18 assures us that “The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” James 4:8 adds: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Keep in mind that a genuine relationship requires two-way communication. That’s true with our relationships with other people, and also when it comes to our connections with our Father in Heaven. God communicates with us primarily through what’s recorded in the Bible. We communicate with Him through prayer. We will only be able to have a deep connection with God when we have frequent, quality conversations with Him.

In closing, prayer is the lifeline that connects us to God, who then directs our paths and shapes our lives. Regular communication with God helps us focus on what has eternal value, fosters true joy and peace of mind, and provides us with the guidance and perspectives we need to make better life decisions—all benefits of having a consistent, vibrant prayer life.

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