Daniel Addo

Philippians 2:9-11
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow ….and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The spiritual disciplines of fasting, Bible study, and prayer are not ways we earn God’s attention, but ways we enjoy the attention He has already given us because of Jesus Christ.

Jesus addressed the tendency in all of us to turn spiritual disciplines into a performance (Matthew 6:1–18). We may pray to show others how devout we are. Or sometimes we think that longer, louder, and more eloquent prayers grant us an audience with God (Matthew 6:8).

But Jesus frames prayer as a conversation between a loving Father and His children (Matthew 6:9). He says that our Father sees us in secret, even when no one else can; we already have His attention. Jesus also says that our Father knows what we need before we ask.

If we already have God’s attention, and He already knows what we need, then why pray at all?

Because, as children, we are dependent on our Father. Because we obey our Father’s command to come to Him in prayer. Because we love our Father and enjoy His company. Because, in prayer, we become like our Father.

This is why we pray!