Why Do We Pray?

Some people ask me Why do we Pray. Your children might ask you the same question - “Mum/Dad why do we pray ?”

How would you answer them? First you would need to explain the meaning of praying.

To ‘Pray’ means to ‘Communicate’ and in this context it means to ‘communicate with God’.

Remember always that Communication is two ways – you have to convey your message, but you also have to LISTEN to the other person’s message.

Now it will be easy to discuss with your child as to ‘why do we communicate with God’, or Why do we pray?

It is the same as ‘Why do we have to communicate with Mom or Dad’? Because:

• We love our parents and we need to show our love for them
• We know that they love us and we feel overjoyed when we experience their love for us.
• Our parents would guide us to do the right thing and take the right path.
• They would explain things when we don’t understand and we question them.
• We would want to thank our parents when we are given a gift or a helping hand.
• Our parents care for us when we are sick or when we are in trouble.
• They would advice us how to keep away from trouble.

It is the same reason as to why we communicate with God or pray to God.

• God shows us his love
• We feel joy when we experience God’s love within ourselves or through the kindness of others
• God guides us in prayer to take the right path and be out of trouble.
• Through prayer we will be able to understand things that confuses us.
• We can thank God for the wonderful gifts and talents we are given.
• God consoles us through prayer when we are troubled.
• We know that God can heal us, when we are sick physically or emotionally.

However, the blessings through prayer are much more.

• We are granted wisdom through the Holy Spirit for right judgement and right understanding.
• We are granted courage to face difficulties or challenges.
• We are granted the graces of helping others.
• Parent’s love can be conditional, but God’s love for us is unconditional.
• We know that when we do wrong and repent, God will forgive us, no matter how bad the situation is. God’s mercy is unlimited.
• God gave us His son, so we can have eternal life – something that we can always thank God for.

So, why do we pray ?

Because we know that God loves us and that God will take care of us as God is our BEST FRIEND.

What is the point of having best friends and if we don’t talk to them? Therefore, praying to God is like communicating with your best friend. Hope this explains the question as to why do we pray ?

This brings you to the next question; 'How do we Pray?'. Click on link 'How to Pray' for more details.

There are many ways of praying. Some of them are:

• Vocal Prayer – as individuals or in communities
• Praise and worship Prayer in the form of music, song and dance
• Meditative and Contemplative prayer

However, you can also be in prayer twenty four hours a day. I mean all hours that you are awake and may be even when you about to fall asleep. The Fiddler on the Roof is a wonderful movie to watch about a man who prays during his normal day to day work.

Praying in such a way would mean, talking to your best friend all the time as though he was there right beside you. If you believe that God lives within your soul, communicating to God all the time becomes easy.

I have read somewhere, that Heaven for us means, to go to God and live within God’s presence.

But, for God Heaven means, to come to us and live within us. The only way we could let God live in Heaven is, by always acknowledging God’s presence within us.