May 15, 2019
Author: Pastor Gordon Cook
May 15, 2019
Psalm 61 “Why Do We Pray?”
I have one question to prime the pump of our praying: Why do we pray? How many reasons can we give? We pray because we need help for our personal needs. We pray because God expects us to pray. This is evident in Jesus’ teaching His disciples to pray; also, we are commanded to pray (Matt 7). We pray for guidance to know God’s will (Prov 3:6). Philippians 3 reminds us to pray with thanksgiving. We pray for forgiveness – to confess our sins. We pray because we have a familial relationship with God. He is called our Father. We want to spend time with those we love. We pray to enjoy our sonship privileges. We are given the Spirit of adoption. We pray to grow in grace (Ephes 4); one way to grow is by seeking God’s face and asking for His help. We pray for God’s glory – “hallowed be Thy Name”. This is the biggest reason. How many attributes are on display when we pray? All of them. God’s glory is displayed as the backdrop of answered pray. The psalmist says, “O how I love You; You answered my prayers.” We pray for the salvation of the lost (Matt 6) and for our own sanctification. We can also pray for peace and unity in the church. We have many reasons to pray.
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