Why should we pray to God?
What must we do to be heard by God?
How does God answer our prayers?
COMPARED with the vast universe, the earth is
very small. In fact, to Jehovah, “the Maker of heaven and earth,” the nations
of mankind are like a tiny drop of water from a bucket. (Psalm 115:15; Isaiah 40:15) Yet, the Bible says: “Jehovah is near to
all those calling upon him, to all those who call upon him in trueness. The
desire of those fearing him he will perform, and their cry for help he will
hear.” (Psalm 145:18, 19) Just think of
what that means! The almighty Creator is near to us and will hear us if we
“call upon him in trueness.” What a privilege we have to approach God in
prayer!
If we want Jehovah to listen to our prayers,
however, we must pray to him in the way that he approves. How can we do this
unless we understand what the Bible teaches about prayer? It is vital for us to
know what the Scriptures say on this subject, for prayer helps us to draw
closer to Jehovah
WHY PRAY TO
JEHOVAH?
One important reason why we should pray to
Jehovah is that he invites us to do so. His Word encourages us: “Do not be
anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with
thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that
excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians
4:6, 7) Surely we would not want to ignore such a kind provision made for
us by the Supreme Ruler of the universe! 
Another reason to pray is
that regularly praying to Jehovah is a way to strengthen our relationship with
him. True friends do not communicate only when they need something. Rather,
good friends are interested in each other, and their friendship becomes
stronger as they freely express their thoughts, concerns, and feelings. In some
respects, the situation is similar when it comes to our relationship with
Jehovah God. With the help of this book, you have learned much about what the
Bible teaches regarding Jehovah, his personality, and his purposes. You have
come to know him as a real person. Prayer gives you the opportunity to express
your thoughts and innermost feelings to your heavenly Father. As you do, you
draw closer to Jehovah.—James
4:8.
WHAT REQUIREMENTS MUST
WE MEET?
Does Jehovah listen to
all prayers? Consider what he told rebellious Israelites in the days of the
prophet Isaiah: “Even though you make many prayers, I am not listening; with
bloodshed your very hands have become filled.” (Isaiah
1:15) So certain actions can cause God not to listen to our prayers. For
our prayers to be favorably heard by God, therefore, we must meet some basic
requirements.
A primary requirement is
that we exercise faith. (Mark
11:24) The apostle Paul wrote: “Without faith it is impossible to please
[God] well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he
becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Hebrews
11:6) Having true faith is more than merely knowing that God exists and
that he hears and answers prayers. Faith is proved by our actions. We must give
clear evidence that we have faith by the way we live every day.—James
2:26.
Jehovah also requires
that those who approach him in prayer do so with humility and sincerity. Do we
not have reason to be humble when speaking to Jehovah? When people have the
opportunity to speak to a king or a president, they usually do so respectfully,
acknowledging the ruler’s high position. How much more so should we be
respectful when approaching Jehovah! (Psalm
138:6) After all, he is “God Almighty.” (Genesis
17:1) When we pray to God, the manner in which we approach him should show
that we humbly recognize our position before him. Such humility will also move
us to pray from our heart in sincerity, avoiding routine, repetitive prayers.—Matthew
6:7, 8.
Another requirement for
being heard by God is that we act in harmony with our prayers. Jehovah expects
us to do all that is within our power to work at what we pray for. For example,
if we pray, “Give us today our bread for this day,” we must work hard at whatever
available job we are able to perform. (Matthew
6:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10) If we pray for help in overcoming a
fleshly weakness, we must be careful to avoid circumstances and situations that
could lead us into temptation. (Colossians
3:5) In addition to these basic requirements, there are questions about
prayer that we need to have answered.
ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT PRAYER
To whom should we pray? Jesus taught his followers to pray to “our Father in the
heavens.” (Matthew 6:9) Our prayers, then, must be directed only to
Jehovah God. However, Jehovah requires that we acknowledge the position of his
only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As we learned in Chapter
5, Jesus was sent to the earth to serve as a ransom to redeem us from sin
and death. (John 3:16; Romans
5:12) He is the appointed High Priest and Judge. (John
5:22; Hebrews 6:20) Hence, the Scriptures direct us to offer our
prayers through Jesus. He himself said: “I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John
14:6) For our prayers to be heard, we must pray only to Jehovah through
his Son.
Must we assume a special position or posture when praying? No. Jehovah does not require any specific
position, either of the hands or of the whole body. The Bible teaches that it
is acceptable to pray in a wide variety of positions. These include sitting,
bowing, kneeling, and standing. (1 Chronicles 17:16; Nehemiah
8:6; Daniel 6:10; Mark
11:25) What is truly important is, not some special posture that can be
seen by others, but the right heart attitude. In fact, during our daily
activities or when we are faced with an emergency, we may offer a silent prayer
wherever we are. Jehovah hears such prayers even though they may go completely
unnoticed by those around us.—Nehemiah
2:1-6.
What may we pray for? The Bible explains: “No matter what it is that we ask according
to his will, he [Jehovah] hears us.” (1
John 5:14) So we may pray for anything that is in harmony with God’s will.
Is it his will that we pray about personal concerns? By all means! Praying to
Jehovah can be much like talking to a close friend. We may speak openly,
‘pouring out our heart’ to God. (Psalm
62:8) It is proper for us to ask for holy spirit, for it will help us to do
what is right. (Luke 11:13) We can also ask for guidance in making wise
decisions and for strength in coping with difficulties. (James
1:5) When we sin, we should ask for forgiveness on the basis of Christ’s
sacrifice. (Ephesians 1:3, 7)
Of course, personal matters should not be the only subjects of our prayers. We
should broaden out our prayers to include other people—family members as well
as fellow worshipers.—Acts
12:5; Colossians 4:12.
Your prayer can be heard on any occasion
Matters relating to
Jehovah God should be given first importance in our prayers. We certainly have
reason to express heartfelt praise and thanks to him for all his goodness. (1 Chronicles 29:10-13) Jesus gave the model prayer, recorded
at Matthew 6:9-13, in which he taught us to pray that God’s
name be sanctified, that is, treated as sacred, or holy. That God’s Kingdom
come and that his will be done on the earth as it is in heaven are mentioned
next. Only after covering these important matters relating to Jehovah did Jesus
give attention to personal concerns. When we likewise give God the most
important place in our prayers, we show that we are interested in more than
just our own welfare.
How long should our prayers be? The Bible does not place any limit on how
long private or public prayers should be. They may range from a brief prayer
before a meal to a long private prayer in which we pour out our heart to
Jehovah. (1 Samuel 1:12, 15)
However, Jesus condemned self-righteous individuals who made long, showy
prayers before others. (Luke
20:46, 47) Such prayers do not impress Jehovah. What is important is that
we pray from our heart. Hence, the length of acceptable prayers may vary
according to needs and circumstances.
How often should we pray? The Bible encourages us to “pray continually,” to “persevere in
prayer,” and to “pray incessantly.” (Matthew
26:41; Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17) Of course, these statements do not
mean that we must be praying to Jehovah every moment of the day. Rather, the
Bible is urging us to pray regularly, continually thanking Jehovah for his
goodness to us and looking to him for guidance, comfort, and strength. Is it
not comforting to know that Jehovah puts no limit on how long or how often we
can talk to him in prayer? If we truly appreciate the privilege of prayer, we
will find many opportunities to pray to our heavenly Father.
Why should we say “Amen” at the end of a prayer? The word “amen” means “surely,” or “so be
it.” Scriptural examples show that it is appropriate to say “Amen” at the close
of personal and public prayers. (1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm
41:13) By saying “Amen” at the end of our own prayer, we affirm that our
expressions were made with sincerity. When we say “Amen”—either silently or out
loud—at the end of someone’s public prayer, we indicate that we are in
agreement with the thoughts that were expressed.—1 Corinthians 14:16.
HOW GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS
Does Jehovah really
answer prayers? Yes, indeed! We have a firm basis to be confident that the
“Hearer of prayer” answers sincere prayers offered by millions of humans. (Psalm
65:2) Jehovah’s answer to our prayers may come in a variety of ways.
Jehovah uses his angels
and his earthly servants to answer prayers. (Hebrews
1:13, 14) There have been many experiences of individuals who prayed to God
for help to understand the Bible and were soon thereafter contacted by one of
Jehovah’s servants. Such experiences give evidence of angelic direction of the
Kingdom-preaching work. (Revelation
14:6) To answer our prayers offered in a time of real need, Jehovah may
motivate a Christian to come to our aid.—Proverbs
12:25; James 2:16.
Jehovah God also uses his
holy spirit and his Word, the Bible, to answer the prayers of his servants. He
may answer our prayers for help to cope with trials by giving us guidance and
strength by means of his holy spirit. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Often the answer to our prayers for
direction comes from the Bible, where Jehovah gives us help in making wise
decisions. Helpful scriptures may be found during our personal Bible study and
as we read Christian publications, such as this book. Scriptural points that we
need to consider may be brought to our attention by what is said at a Christian
meeting or through the comments of a concerned elder in the congregation.—Galatians
6:1.
In response to our prayers, Jehovah can motivate a Christian to
come to our aid
If Jehovah seems to delay
in answering our prayers, this is never because he is not able to answer them.
Rather, we must remember that Jehovah answers prayers according to his will and
in his due time. He knows our needs and how to care for them far better than we
do. Often he allows us to ‘keep on asking, seeking, and knocking.’ (Luke
11:5-10) Such perseverance shows God that our desire is very deep and that
our faith is genuine. Furthermore, Jehovah may answer our prayers in a way that
is not obvious to us. For example, he may answer our prayer regarding a
particular trial, not by removing the difficulty, but by giving us the strength
to endure it.—Philippians 4:13.
How thankful we can be
that the Creator of this vast universe is close to all who call upon him
properly in prayer! (Psalm
145:18) May we take full advantage of the precious privilege of prayer. If
we do, we will have the joyous prospect of drawing
ever closer to Jehovah, the Hearer of prayer.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
·
Regularly praying to
Jehovah helps us to draw closer to him.—James
4:8.
·
For our prayers to be
heard by God, we must pray in faith and with humility and sincerity.—Mark
11:24.
·
We must pray only to
Jehovah through his Son.—Matthew
6:9; John 14:6.
·
Jehovah, the “Hearer
of prayer,” uses his angels, his earthly servants, his holy spirit, and his
Word to answer prayers.—Psalm
65:2.
For more information please see the book 'What Does The Bible REALLY Teach' at www.jw.org
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