Why do we pray? It is like asking, "Why do we breathe?" We breathe to stay alive—we can’t help breathing. Prayer is like that—spiritual breathing. Prayer connects us to God in an intimate way. When our lives are prayerless, we shrivel up. Without deep times of prayer, we never really grow up in the faith.

One of the reasons we pray is because God answers prayer. We have stories of healing and deliverance, restoration and providence. God answers prayer—sometimes beyond our expectations. Other times in ways that we did not expect or ask.

But there are still questions about prayer, even the mechanics. God is sovereign as the King of the universe. God does not get new information and thus make a new plan. God does not change his mind the way we do. He is not fickle. So, some have wondered, does it matter whether we pray? Won’t God do what he wants to do anyway?

There is a really simple answer to the question, why do we pray?—God told us to. Verse 6: present your requests to God. The scripture is full of God telling us to pray. Therefore, we should pray. When should we pray? Without ceasing, all the time. What do we pray? What is on our hearts. Don’t fuss—pray. God will take care of you. That is what this passage says.

Do we need any other reason to pray? No. Besides the fact that God told us to, are there other reasons to pray? Of course. Here are a few points taken from Calvin’s Institutes (III. 20.3).

The first reason for prayer that he gives is that praying anchors us in God. A small child is anchored in Mom. They do something they think is cool. "Mom, look at this!" They scrape their knee up. "Mom!" They feel the injustice of the world. "Mom, Timmy took my toy." They are hungry. "Mom, what’s to eat?" They get on TV at a football game. "Hi Mom." On and on it goes.

The tether to our parents gets longer as we get older, but the reverse is true without relationship to God. The closer we are to God, the more anchored we are. Psalm 131 gives the image of the child of God resting in God the way a small child rests in his mother’s arms. There is the anchor that holds when the storms of life attack us. There is the safe place when life gets complicated and dangerous. The more we pray, the more we take everything to the Lord in prayer, the more anchored we are.

A second reason for prayer is that our desires may be purified by God's presence. When you pray, you bring your concerns and desires to God. You are aware that God is listening. In fact you want him to be listening. But there are things that you never pray for. Do we ask the Lord for an opportunity to harm someone? Do we ask for an opportunity to commit adultery? Of course not. When we realize that God knows our wicked thoughts, we are embarrassed.

What if we took everything to God and we knew that he was looking at our thoughts and desires? Our desires and thoughts would start to change. "Lord, this is what I want" will change to "Lord, what do you want?" "Lord, I want to want what you want. Help me clean the closet of my mind."

A third reason for prayer is to remind us to be thankful, knowing every good gift is from God. James writes that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. God showers us with gifts all the time. Every breath we take. Every thing we eat. Every smile we see. They are gifts from God. But we so often are not ready to receive them as such. We enjoy God’s gifts without thinking about God at all. This is not good for us.

When you pray for something, you get ready to be thankful for it as God’s gift. You receive it as an answer to prayer. You receive it as God’s answer to your prayer. And receiving it will make you thankful to God. God loves grateful hearts.

Notice how all three of these reasons affect our relationship with God. Prayer ties us to God. As we pray about more areas of our life, those areas get tied to God. Prayer changes our hearts when we realize that God is listening and our desires get changed into the things we know will please God. Prayer makes us thankful to God for all we receive. Prayer deepens our relationship with God.

Do you want a deeper relationship with God? Pray. Do you want to know God and his power in every area of your life? Pray. When you pray, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.