WHY PRAY?

Prayer is simply communication with God. It is also much more. There are many kinds of prayer, seven of which are further explained in 7 Kinds of Prayer.

There are many “gods” in the world, so it is critical that you understand the prayer that is advocated at the Gateway Prayer Garden is to the Creator God, the True God “Who made heaven and earth.” He is the One presented and described in the Bible and His Son is Jesus. (Psalm 115:15, 121:2, John 14:6,7)

We are encouraged to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and whether you are praying for yourself, your friends, family members, co-workers, or even those in authority, know this is the God Who “never slumbers nor sleeps”. (Psalm 121:4)

Men and women have prayed since the beginning of time and their prayers have shaped history. Whether their stories are told in the Bible or in the annals of men, God has always partnered with mankind to accomplish His desired purpose on earth. Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Prayer is where we begin to solve our problems and Holy Spirit changes and improves our thinking in the process.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." (James 5:16)

REASONS FOR PRAYER

LOVE PRAYS. If you love someone, you want to communicate with them. When we get glimpses of how much Godloves us, we want to talk with Him. Prayer is where we experience relationship with God. (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 136:26, John 3:16)

GOD ANSWERS. God has promised He will always answer even if it seems delayed. When we pray for things in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for. (I John 5:14-15, Psalm 130:5, Isaiah 64:4)

CREATES THANKFULNESS. It keeps us thankful. Ingratitude and gratefulness cannot co-exist and without thankfulness we become hardhearted and proud. (Psalm 68:19-20, 71:22, 107:8-9, Luke 17:11-19, Philippians 4:6)

HEAR GOD’S VOICE. It is where we not only hear His voice but also understand His heart and how He feels about us, our circumstances, and our futures. (Acts 13:22, Romans 8:26)

GET WISDOM. It is where we gain wisdom and the understanding of His will. The world has knowledge. God has wisdom and revelation. What do you want? (Psalm 25:4-5, 32:8-9, Proverbs 4:7, James 1:5)

DEPEND ON GOD. We pray to acknowledge our dependence on Him. As He is the Source of all things, we depend upon Him for our very breath, our health, and our spiritual understanding of the cosmos. (Isaiah 40:31, John 5:19, 30, 15:5)

STOP INJUSTICE. God seeks those who will partner with Him and stop the injustice in the earth. (Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:16, II Chronicles 16:9)

DEFEAT OUR ENEMY. We pray to defeat the forces of darkness in the earth, knowing that God has granted us that authority through the death of His Son on the Cross. (I John. 3:8, Luke 10:19, Eph. 6:10-12.)

INFLUENCE GOD. Prayers can move the heart and mind of God. (Numbers 14:12-20, II Kings 20:1-7, Jeremiah 26:2-3, Amos 7:1-6)

WHAT JESUS DID. Jesus, the manifest Son of God, prayed. If He thought it was worthwhile to pray to remain in the Father’s will, why wouldn’t we do the same? (Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Luke 5:16, 18:1)