one day jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “lord,teach us to pray.”

LUKE 11:1

WHY PRAY?

We’re currently on a 21-day encounter with God through prayer—one of the most significant things we do as a church. Prayer shouldn’t be limited to a few weeks on the calendar, but there’s something powerful about aligning our hearts together with the same focus.

Now, I’m no expert on prayer—but I’m learning that a huge part of walking with God involves talking to God. It’s about living in constant awareness of His presence and keeping those lines of communication open throughout the day.

So, why pray?

Maybe you’ve asked that before. What’s the point? If God already knows everything, does prayer really matter? Can it change anything? Does He even hear us?

Email, texting, social media, etc., have become a way of life for most of us in this high-speed wireless culture. Sure, it’s quick and convenient, but it can be frustrating, too. Have you, like me, ever sent something important and have it mysteriously vaporize somewhere out there in cyberspace?

Prayer can feel like that sometimes.

In 1942, way before the fast-paced, tech-driven world we’re in, George Buttrick wrote:

We seem to have less time for real face-to-face conversations, let alone reflection. And the ironic thing about the speed of technology is that we are moving faster than ever before, but we’re left feeling jumpy, frazzled, tired, anxious, and running way behind.

So, in this busy life, how do you fit talking to God into your schedule? Is prayer “just a spasm of words lost in a cosmic indifference?”

I would argue it’s simply because we can’t help it.

Every religious faith has some form of prayer. Tribal cultures plead, sing and dance before “the gods.” Muslims stop and face toward Mecca five times a day and pray to Allah. People in AA or NA begin to pray to a “higher power” to help them get their unmanageable lives back on track.

I think it’s because it’s hardwired within us—our souls long to connect with The One True God who made us.

I mean, hit some unexpected turbulence on an airplane… everybody’s praying. We can’t help it.

In fact, the Latin root of the word “prayer” is precari-os, where we get the word “precarious.” We pray in uncertain situations—when we’re empty, overwhelmed or out of options. We pray.

And all throughout Scripture, we see people doing the same. Abraham prayed. Moses prayed. David prayed, Nehemiah prayed, Daniel prayed, Ezekiel prayed, Ruth prayed, Elijah prayed, Mary prayed, Peter prayed, Paul prayed, and most importantly, Jesus prayed.

Jesus often slipped away to quiet places to pray. It was His lifeline. His joy, peace, strength, and love all flowed from that connection with the Father. So when the disciples saw it, they didn’t ask for a miracle lesson or a sermon tip. They asked: “Lord, teach us to pray.” They saw something real. Something powerful. And they wanted it too.

So maybe over the next few weeks—or for the rest of our lives—we could ask the same question: Lord, teach us to pray.

And maybe we will begin to see it as a conversation between two people who love each other.

PRAY

Father, thanks for giving us this longing to connect with you, even when we don’t always understand it. Remind us that you’re never too busy to listen, that no prayer is too small or too messy.

Teach us to talk with you honestly, to keep the conversation going through all the ups and downs of life. Would you help us get past our doubts and just keep showing up?

Lord, teach us to pray—not as a performance, but as real conversation between people who love each other. Draw us closer over these next weeks, and help us remember that you’re always ready to meet us.

In Jesus’ name, amen.