The Purpose of Prayer (1 of 3)
Open Your Bible
Psalm 145:18, Matthew 7:7-11, 1 John 1:7-9, 1 John 5:14-15, James 1:5-8
BY Guest Writer
Text: Psalm 145:18, Matthew 7:7-11, 1 John 1:7-9, 1 John 5:14-15, James 1:5-8
There’s a constant deluge of calls in my life. Literal phone calls, voicemails, emails, texts, tweets, messages—not a day goes by that I don’t feel the pressure to respond to someone in some way about something.
I remember things being simpler when I was small. The way to reach someone at my house was to call the landline or, as was more common in our neighborhood, just come on over and knock on the front door. The point of contact was just that: to come into contact, to touch, to be near one another.
Sometimes it seems we’re further away than ever from family and friends. I can’t remember the last time I hugged someone just for the sake of hugging them. These days we call because we need an answer, words of comfort, information—rarely just because we need nearness.
Psalm 73:28 says, “The nearness of God is my good,” and these days, I need to remind myself of these words often. This week alone, our little family has a hundred different prayers that necessitate a hundred answers:
Will my husband get the job? Will we move? Will we lose money on our house here? What if they knock down our cozy 1800s farmhouse to build a high rise? What if we have to leave another church and our friends? Will we find a new church? Will we have friends? Will we stay here? For how long?
My counselor recently asked me how God and I were doing these days. I abashedly told her that sometimes it feels like God and I aren’t on speaking terms: I’m speaking to Him, He’s not answering, so I’m shrugging and moving on. “Do you feel far from him?” she asked. My answer was truthful when I said no, that I know He is near. “That isn’t what I asked,” she said. “I asked if you feel far from Him?” And sometimes, I do.
I read in Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity.” With integrity. I don’t know what integrity looks like in this season. I know I wear the robes of righteousness gifted to me from Christ, so I couldn’t be more righteous if I tried (Isaiah 61:10). But integrity? Do I come to the Lord with my palms empty, my heart open, my eyes set on Him, and the integral understanding that God is good, right, true, and faithful?
Do I come with integrity when I call on Him?
Integrity means “authentic, whole, and undivided”—and if there’s one thing I know to be true of me, it’s that my heart is utterly divided. I don’t come to Christ just to be near Him or to know His nearness. I come to Him because I want information. I want direction. I want answers. I want resolution.
But prayer is not just the act of asking and receiving; it is the act of being. It is the act of knowing. It is the act of coming near to God with integrity—with a heart that is whole and undivided in its attentiveness to Him. It is knowing and believing that He is near and He hears us, that He is always faithful in His love for us, even when we don’t feel it (Psalm 25:6).
Prayer is less about the words we say and more about the availability of our Creator and King, and the opportunity each of us has to call on Him.
Do I feel near to God? No, not always. But I know He is near to me.
Lore Wilbert is the Director of Community and Formation at Park Church, Denver, and writer at Sayable.net. Find her on twitter @lorewilbert.
135 thoughts on "The Purpose of Prayer (1 of 3)"
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Thank you lord for being near to me!
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Pingback: Looking Up | always, Meghan xo
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As I am doing this study, I am also parallel reading “Crazy Love” by Franchis Chan. If you haven’t ever heard of this book, I recommend it. I immediately thought about a chapter in the book called “Stop Praying”… The first part of the chapter reads: “What if I said, ‘Stop praying?’ What if I told you to stop talking AT God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God’s presence with words. That’s what fools do. And often, that’s what we do. The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. It may seem a hopeless endeavor, to gaze at the invisible God. But Romans 1:20 tells us that through creation, we see His ‘invisible qualities’ and ‘divine nature.’ Gaze in God’s silence. Be humbled in His presence.” There is an Awe Factor video at crazylovebooks.com that you can also watch… for me, it put things into perspective and allowed me to worship in my prayer… This is where I see honesty coming in. God is so great and HUGE – He created the universe! We are SO tiny in comparison… almost invisible, but GOD LOVES US SO MUCH! Be honest with God and acknowledge his greatness and be in awe of His power! R.C. Sproul writes, “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.” <- SO POWERFUL!
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Love this! Thanks for sharing! That is a great book too :)
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Thank you for sharing! Love your inspiring thoughts!!
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This reminds me of the PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb. He explains prayer is the time to know God. To be relational before bringing petitions. Thanks for your post.
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So so so encouraging! God is great in every way. We are loved so immensely and so perfectly!
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Thank you for sharing this. I really needed to hear that. I don’t think I ever thought of prayer that way. It resonates with my soul.
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“All who call out to him IN TRUTH” – that makes me think of approaching the lord with more honesty than u do. A confession of sorts. Actually sharing my thoughts and feelings BEFORE praying them away. Can anyone relate? I am tired of wishing to be godly. I am tired of wishing to be close to him. What is my truth when I approach him? Do I come to him w it?
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Absolutely! Bring it all, bring all of it. Worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. Yes come in confession – which means agreement – agree together with God about where you’re at. We don’t have to pretend with Him. He knows. This is something I have been challenged in as well. Confession of where we are truly at is totally the starting point for knowing more of Him and becoming more like Him. There’s nothing to fear – He loves you.
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Spot on what I needed to hear today. Thank you wonderful ladies for already keeping it real.
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Wow. This is deeply convicting for me today, but I am so thankful. How often do I go to God just to be in his presence, just to linger there and enjoy his nearness and his company? Not often enough. I go to him to complain or to vent or to ask for things or to plead… If I acted this way in any human relationship or friendship, I would drive that person crazy. Thank God for his endless grace.
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