As I went through Session Two of the New Life series, Matthew 6:8 stood out to me. It’s a beautiful reminder of God’s intimate care. But it also raises a question I’ve heard people ask, and I’ve asked myself too: If God already knows our needs, why should we pray? This question and the Scripture that stirred it, prompted me to reflect more deeply, and to share what God has been teaching me.
God is all-knowing, yet He invites us to pray. On the surface, it might seem redundant to ask for what He already knows. But prayer isn’t about informing God – it’s about being with Him. It’s an invitation into relationship. God, our loving Father, isn’t a distant observer. He longs to meet with us – not just to hear our needs, but to draw us close. Prayer grounds us, anchors our souls, and reminds us that He is the source of every good and perfect gift.
It’s easy to slip into the mindset that prayer is something we do to get results. But Jesus reminds us that our Father knows us and sees us even before we speak. That changes everything. It means prayer is not about impressing God or persuading Him. It’s about drawing near, listening, resting and aligning our hearts with His. It’s a space where we grow in trust, surrender and love. We pray to rest in His presence, to yield our will and receive His peace.
Jesus, knowing the Father’s heart better than anyone, still prayed constantly. In Gethsemane, He prayed in deep anguish. On the cross, He prayed forgiveness over those who crucified Him. And He taught His disciples how to pray – not so that God would know, but so that we would come to know God more intimately. Even when we don’t know what to say, Scripture reminds us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). And when words fail, God still hears the cries of our hearts.
Matthew 6:8 might seem to make prayer unnecessary. But when we look at the full counsel of Scripture, we discover that prayer is not about filling God in – it’s about forming us.
- Prayer is about relationship, not information
- Prayer expresses dependence and trust
- Prayer humbles us and shapes us
- Jesus prayed and taught us to pray
- Prayer invites God’s involvement in our lives.
We don’t pray to inform God, but to commune with Him, to submit to His will, to participate in His work, and to be transformed by His presence. Knowing that He already knows what we need doesn’t make prayer pointless, but deeply personal. What a comfort to know we are fully seen, fully known and still deeply loved. My hope is that this truth not only deepen your understanding of prayer, but also draws you into a richer, more intimate walk with the One who listens.
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