At a study group I was leading not very long ago, someone raised a question about prayer. It's not the first time I've been asked this question. “If God already knows everything – even what it is that we're going to ask – then why should we bother asking in the first place? What's the point of even praying?”
Really, it's not a bad question. Looked at logically, it does seem like a bit of a pointless exercise, to ask someone something even though they already know what we're going to ask for and what we need. Are we wasting time and energy by praying? And, of course, there are those who reject the idea that there could be a God who knows everything. I've sometimes heard the argument that even the most advanced and complex computer we could imagine wouldn't be able to know everything that people of faith claim God knows. Which, of course, represents a problem in the perception of God. We perceive God according to what's possible for us, and we find it difficult to imagine that a God could exist who can do things that we're not capable of doing. We could go a long way talking about that point, but I'm more interested in the question of why we pray if God already knows what we're going to say.
I suppose, first, that we pray simply because it's an act of faith. Praying to God is a way of demonstrating (whether to God or to ourselves) that we believe. We surely wouldn't waste our time praying to a God in whom we don't believe, so praying becomes a very open and personal way in which we express that simple concept that “God, we believe.” The fact that we pray demonstrates that we have faith. The fact that we have faith causes us to pray. Each strengthens the other.
Second, we pray in order to build our relationship with God. We believe in God, so we want to be in relationship with God. But, of course, it's pretty hard to be in relationship with someone if you never bother speaking to them. I try to spend some time early in my day in prayer. It's a way of saying, “Good morning, God. I'm glad you're still with me.” It reminds me as the day begins that it always begins with God present. Praying reminds me that God is always with me. Praying makes me feel closer to God.
Third, we pray to build our relationships with others and to increase our sense of community and connectedness with those around us. When we gather together in worship, there's always a part of the service set aside for what we call “intercessory prayer” or, in some traditions, “prayers of the people.” These are the prayers we address to God seeking help for those who have need. We know that God already knows about these needs. We're not giving God any information or knowledge that God doesn't already possess. But we pray for each other because it reminds us that we're a community – a family; the family of God – and that we care about each other. It means a great deal to me when people tell me that they've been praying for me. It binds us together with each other. It's part of being a caring community.
Finally, we pray because it's good for us – in a lot of different ways. It's good for us spiritually for all of the above reasons. Prayer is good for us emotionally because prayer can be almost cathartic – it gives us a way to express our deepest feelings to someone who will never hold anything we say against us; it allows us to be completely open and honest. Prayer is even good for us physically. I've seen studies that suggest that those who pray (or engage in other spiritual disciplines on a regular basis) are generally healthier. They have lower levels of stress, lower blood pressure, and other positive physical results.
We don't pray because we want to tell God something that God already knows. We pray because it's good for us – in all sorts of ways!
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