Theology :: Prayer

• What is prayer?—“Communication with God”
• Is prayer a means of grace? (a way by which God delivers the Gospel to me) No. Prayer is not a means of grace. It’s a right response by the Christian who has received God’s grace. Prayer is really our activity. In prayer the Holy Spirit does comfort us but often because he is delivering the Word to us.
• So why do we pray? God wants us to. He desires a relationship with us. He promises to hear and answer our prayers because we have fellowship with God in Jesus and the Spirit intercedes on our behalf.
• But does God change his mind? If not then why should we pray? We are told to pray as if everything depends on our prayer. We pray that God's will would heed our will, but the best thing is that God’s-will would be accomplished.
• The best prayer is “bend my will to yours.” We should pray with full-confidence knowing that God hears and God answers. We should pray continually. If God doesn’t answer with our desired outcome he had a different plan. A good example of this is to look at King David, he pleaded with intensity for the life of his child, but once the child died he got up and moved on. If there’s a chance pray like crazy, once God’s will is revealed line yourself up with God’s will.
• Does God answer every prayer of the Christian? Yes. He might say no but he answers.
• Does God promise to answer the prayer of non-Christians? No. God could in his mercy but there’s no promise of this because it's not in and through Jesus.

(adapted from a lecture by Prof. Joel Biermann, Concordia Seminary)