If God knows everything actual and possible in the universe why do we need to pray? This type of question has come at me more than once in the past week or two. It’s a good question, one we can answer, but probably never completely understand all that it involves.
We’re supposed to pray in secret according to Jesus. He said, “when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father” (Matthew 6:6). So what about praying in public, or in groups, is that to be avoided? A good litmus test for this type of prayer probably would be found in the verse right before the one we just read. Matthew 6:5 says, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.” When I pray in front of others, am I earnestly speaking to my Heavenly Father or am I concerned with how I sound to the people around me?
Prayer is about communication to be sure, and it’s an act of faith. Prayer requires faith, and it’s been said that the Lord responds to our faith, not our need. Many of the healings Jesus performed are attributed to that person’s faith in Him. (Mark 5:34, Mark 10:52, Matthew 8:10 and Matthew 15:28 for example). Last Sunday I had a chance to pose this question to a group of 6-9 year old children, “why do we need to pray if God knows everything?” I was really curious to see where they would land, and they basically decided that praying is a way of talking to God and showing that we trust Him. Well said.
As Coaches, we have a tremendous opportunity to influence and impact lives. No one can argue with that. Do we realize the importance of praying for those whom we influence? In the Legacy Builders Discipleship Series, Rod Olson compares praying for our athletes to nurturing seeds that are planted. (In Book 3 of the series, Rod also poses the question, “Do you believe you can change God’s mind?” More on that later.)
I can plant a seed, but that’s not enough to produce a plant. In order for healthy plants to grow, the seeds must be cared for after they are planted. In this analogy, praying = nuturing the seeds. Finally, God turns the seeds into plants. None of us can perfectly explain how that happens. It’s a miracle. We plant seeds, nuture them, and trust God for the outcome.
So what about it, do you believe you can change God’s mind? I don’t know how it works, but I do believe it. I can read “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). I can read the account in Exodus 32 of Moses intervening on behalf of the Israelites who engaged in golden calf worship, or 2 Kings 20 where King Hezekiah pleads for his life and is rewarded with 15 more years of living. I can also read in Ezekiel 22:30-31 how the Lord poured out His anger when no one was found who would stand in the gap and pray for His people.
Faith building, trust showing, worshiping, and interceding for others, all the while growing closer to our Father? That’s a pretty good deal.