For this reason....

Have you ever wondered why God told us to pray, especially if he already knows our needs and what’s in our hearts?  Why and what are we to pray about, and what kind of prayers get answers?

We will start on a journey of looking at prayers in the bible to see what we can discover:

In II Samuel 7, God makes a covenant with David, with words of hope and assurance for a good future.  In response to that word of comfort from God, David prays.  In that prayer, David exalts God.

For this reason You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (verse 22)

Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. (verse 28)

We have the same promises from God of a hope and a future – it says so in his Word.  So one prayer we can pray that is effective in reaching God’s heart and in lifting our own spirits is one of thanksgiving and praise to God for who he is, what he has said in his word, and for all his promises that are true.

Somehow, when we begin our prayers with praise, our long list of petitions gets shorter and shorter, because we know the God we serve takes care of his children.

Today…praise Him for the great God that He is.