Reflecting on Truth #39

Q: With what attitude should we pray?

A: With love, perseverance, and gratefulness; in humble submission to God’s will, knowing that, for the sake of Christ, he always hears our prayers.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Why does this matter?

Our natural selves are transactional. Just look at the false religions that humans have created with their imaginations and creativity. The concept of prayer is not foreign in those religions. And it is evident that prayers in those religions are primarily, if not exclusively, transactional. Our natural selves desire our deeds to be recognized and eventually rewarded. However, as Christians, we are not immune to praying the way those of false religions pray. So how should we pray?

As Christians, we shouldn’t pray out of greed or self-importance. Just like how we desire to communicate with the people we love, we communicate with God because we love Him. Because we love God, we communicate with Him with love.

We also pray to God with perseverance. As a people who trust in God, we trust that He answers our prayers in His own time. As such, we can and should pray persistently with perseverance. However, we don’t pray persistently like people who don’t trust that God is in control. Instead, we pray persistently because we desperately rely on God; that is, we pray in humble submission to God’s will.

Lastly, we pray with gratefulness. The Gospel reminds us that God has no business listening to worms such as us, let alone responding to us. However, by His grace, God has adopted us in Christ as His sons and heirs. Not only are we now saved, we are also heard by God and responded by God as our Heavenly Father. What a glorious truth. What a gracious God.

What does this mean for us?

Our natural selves are transactional. Just look at the false religions that humans have created with their imaginations and creativity. The concept of prayer is not foreign in those religions. And it is evident that prayers in those religions are primarily, if not exclusively, transactional. Our natural selves desire our deeds to be recognized and eventually rewarded. However, as Christians, we are not immune to praying the way those of false religions pray. So how should we pray?

As Christians, we shouldn’t pray out of greed or self-importance. Just like how we desire to communicate with the people we love, we communicate with God because we love Him. Because we love God, we communicate with Him with love.

We also pray to God with perseverance. As a people who trust in God, we trust that He answers our prayers in His own time. As such, we can and should pray persistently with perseverance. However, we don’t pray persistently like people who don’t trust that God is in control. Instead, we pray persistently because we desperately rely on God; that is, we pray in humble submission to God’s will.

Lastly, we pray with gratefulness. The Gospel reminds us that God has no business listening to worms such as us, let alone responding to us. However, by His grace, God has adopted us in Christ as His sons and heirs. Not only are we now saved, we are also heard by God and responded by God as our Heavenly Father. What a glorious truth. What a gracious God.