November 6 - LD 45, Day 2: Why is Prayer Necessary?
by Rev. G. Van Baren
Read: James 5
Prayer is necessary,
states the Catechism, because it is the chief part of thankfulness and also,
because God gives His grace and Holy Spirit to those only who ask them of Him
and are thankful for what they receive.
There is nothing more
satisfying to our God than that we pray to Him. The Catechism does not state
that prayer is the only way of thankfulness, but it is the chief part
of thankfulness. It is the fruit and evidence of the work of God in saving His
people. So: how do we pray? How often do we pray? This would give us some idea
of how thankful we truly are for our salvation.
Secondly, God gives His
grace and Spirit only to those who sincerely ask them of Him.
Many consider prayer as
some sort of emergency tool (e.g. "break in case of fire"). When one
faces sudden and devastating trials, then one will earnestly pray to God. Those
on an airplane apparently ready to crash, are later
reported to be "all praying". Others regard "prayer" as a
way to express themselves forcibly (e.g. "Oh, my God!) Some find it
necessary to request hundreds of others to pray for them--as though God will be
swayed by numbers. Others believe that if they pray to God for anything, God
must surely give that for which they ask.
The Christian prays for
such things as God teaches him to ask of Him. He is not as a little child who
is convinced that if he asks God for a bike, God must give it to him. Jesus
taught us to ask for those things necessary for body and soul.
Why should God require
that His people ask of Him anything? In His providence, has He not eternally
determined everything we would receive? He has. However, God has also
determined that we would receive these things in the way of asking Him for
them. God rejoices in our petitions to Him. He teaches us important truths. We
learn thereby that we are unable to provide for ourselves. We learn that we do
not earn anything of Him. We learn that God gives graciously and freely. We
learn that He often gives more than we could ever think or ask. We learn that
His grace to us is only because of what Christ has done on the cross.
Then our hearts overflow
with thankfulness to God. Think: the infinite, eternal and almighty God
condescends to do these for creatures who are less than specks of dust before
the Almighty.
Do you desire these of
Him? Do you ask in sincerity? Are you thankful for what He provides? If so, you
begin to have a proper understanding of prayer.