Prayer: Why Does it Matter?

There is really nothing as essential towards having a relationship with God as prayer.

Yet, doesn’t it seem like prayer is challenging? Prayer can be hard, tiresome, and often dull.

Most often we are too busy, too tired, too stressed, too distracted to even begin to pray. And when we do find time to pray we may wonder “What good does it do anyway?”

The aim of this post is to answer these two questions: Why is it important to pray? How do we pray?

Prayer is the most basic way to have a relationship with God.

Why is it important to pray?

Prayer is important because it connects us with the God who made us. God has wired us for lasting happiness. Lasting happiness is found when we are connected with God.

God made us free and God will not force us to love Him.

Prayer is a way of saying to God “I want a relationship with you.”

What is prayer?

One of my favorite saints is St. Therese of Lisieux. She explains prayer like this:

“Prayer is, for me, an outburst from the heart; it is a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and of love in the midst of trial as in the midst of joy! In a word, it is something exalted, supernatural, which dilates the soul and unites it to God.”

Prayer is not necessarily about saying “formal” words. It is about showing up to pray because we want a relationship with God.

Not everyone prays the same. We are all different, so there are different ways to pray.

Here are some ways to pray:

  1. Pray to God by just speaking to God like you do with a friend

  2. Pray for the people in your life

  3. Thank God for the blessings in your life.

  4. Say sorry for the ways we could of been better

  5. Read the bible. (Start with Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, or the Psalms).

  6. Pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet

  7. Read a spiritual book.

I started praying with formal prayers like the “Our Father.” Then I became more comfortable just talking to God. My favorite way to pray is with the Rosary and with Scripture.

What is important is that we are consistent in showing up to pray. Consistent prayer allows us to keep nurturing our relationship with God. Imagine the friends in your life. You take the time to keep in touch with them. This is similar to our relationship with God. Prayer is keeping in touch with God.

There are moments when it is so difficult to pray that we simply forget and don’t do it. That is okay. God loves you and God is always waiting for you to start again.

We don’t go to God because we have it all together, we go to God because we need God.

Be patient with yourself. Praying for 5 minutes a day is better than nothing!

Sometimes we may wonder “Does God even hear us?

Eleven years ago, my guide to Jerusalem said to me:

God always answers prayer in one of 3 ways. He says “Yes”, He may say “Not now”, or He says “I have a better plan.”

God’s answer to our prayers may not be what we expect, but it will always be the best for us.

Prayer is not about changing God, prayer is about changing us.

  1. Prayer helps us love like God does.

  2. Prayer helps us want what God wants.

  3. Prayer helps us recognize the important truth that we are totally dependent on God.

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16