If God already has a plan for me, why should I pray? If He already knows what I want, why should I tell Him?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

We are supposed to offer heartfelt prayer to God. God’s Word presents many examples of people opening their hearts to God with vulnerability, submission, and trust as seen in the case of Hannah (1 Samuel 1:11), King David (Psalms), and Jesus (Matthew 26:39, 42). The purpose of prayer is to foster a closer relationship with God, not merely get what we want. In fact, Scripture says that we should pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and if we are truly living this command out in our life, we have far more to talk to God about than just our requests. For example, we can bring our anxieties to Him (Philippians 4:6) and ask Him for divine wisdom (James 1:5) that will in turn help us step into His plans for our life. Philippians 2:12-13 tells believers to work out their salvation but that can only be done through God, so prayers should reflect that reliance on Him. God has good plans for believers (Ephesians 2:10), but as believers pursue those plans, they should seek God and pour their hearts to Him in prayer, every day.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• We should fervently pray that our good desires are fulfilled through the Lord if they are within His will. For example, Hannah was distraught that she couldn't bear a child, so she expressed her desire to God in passionate prayer. In 1 Samuel 1:11, she surrenders her desires over to God, promising that if He blesses her with a son she will consecrate him to the Lord. Later on, she discovers that having a child was a part of God’s plan for her life after all, and after she weans Samuel, she fulfills her promise. God then blesses her with even more children.
• In the Psalms, David frequently pours out his heart to God in prayers of lament and supplication (Psalm 13), trust (Psalm 23), confession (Psalm 51), and thanksgiving (Psalm 30).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus prayed to God in the garden of Gethsemane, on the night He was betrayed over to His enemies. Although He knew His purpose on Earth was to save all who believe in Him, He prayed to the Father to take away the pending suffering and death. Even so, Christ’s ultimate prayer was for God’s will to be done (Matthew 26:39, 42). This should be the believer’s model for prayer: Praying what is on our heart but showing our trust in God by praying that His will be done.
• Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We should pray for God’s direction in the plans He has prepared for us.
• God has ordained not only the ends (His plans for us) but also the means—heartfelt prayer being one of these. Jesus made it clear that our sincere prayers matter to God: “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8).
• Philippians 4:6 says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Many times, when we don’t get what we want, we start to get anxious and impatient. We should bring our anxieties to God in prayer.
• First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to "pray without ceasing." God has a plan for us, but He still commands us to keep going to Him in prayer. When we do so, we are living in obedience to His word, we are pursuing a more intimate relationship with Him, and we are demonstrating our reliance on Him.
• James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” When we live our life according to God’s wise direction, we are better equipped to step into His plans for our life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Our prayers are often so much smaller than God’s plans for us. Maybe our prayer is to attend a specific school and earn a particular degree. But God’s plan may be to grow us spiritually into a leader or a teacher who is devoted to Him. Prayer allows us to seek God’s heart and purposes for us. In so doing, we grow in our relationship with Him and allow Him to transform our hearts to align with His will.

Because of this, we must be careful that we do not view prayer as primarily a way to get God to do what we want. Many times, prayer goes like this: We see our situation, we understand where we want to go, and we ask God to carry out the steps to get there. Or we realize (or fear!) that God may have different ideas, so instead of asking for what we want we just don't pray at all. But what we want for our lives may not always be what’s best for us. God wants the best for us. Seeking Him reveals our love for and dependence on Him. Prayer transforms us as we seek Him.

Like Jesus, we can pray to God for what we want, but we should always make it clear that we defer to His will even if it is opposed to our will. This shows trust in Him as the omniscient, omnipotent, loving God.

UNDERSTAND

• Prayer transforms us and aligns our heart with God’s.
• Prayer builds relationship, not information — God knows the outcome already, but He invites us to seek Him.
• God knows the plans He has for us, and we are wise to seek Him to discover them.

REFLECT

• In what ways do you struggle to understand the connection between prayer and God being sovereign?
• How do you ensure you pray seeking God’s will instead of giving Him a list of wants?
• How does understanding God’s love and care along with His sovereignty strengthen your prayer life?

ENGAGE

• What is the importance of prayer in our relationship with God?
• How can we encourage one another to pray with trust in God’s plan rather than focusing only on our requests?
• How might sharing examples of answered prayers help others understand that God uses prayer to shape our faith and dependence on Him?