In a previous article, I wrote about how there is no prayer too small to be brought before the throne of God. I wanted to follow up a bit more about the concept of petitionary prayer and why we need it.
There are generally four types of vocal prayer in Christian spirituality (by “vocal prayer” we refer to that type of prayer where we speak to God):
- Praise = giving adoration to God in His Glory
- Thanksgiving = give gratitude to Him for all of his blessings
- Penance = asking God for forgiveness for your sins
- Petition = asking God for your needs
We are called to ask God for our needs and the needs of others. We pray for peace in the world, the healing of the sick, for our daily bread, etc. We are commanded to bring our desires up to the Lord.
But the question arises: why?
Doesn’t God already know what we need before we ask it? In fact, the Bible tells us this very thing. Jesus says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask.” (Matt 6:8)
So if God knows what I need, why do I need to ask? Is God like Jack Nicholson’s character from A Few Good Men who sits up there looking down on us saying, “You gotta ask me nicely”?
Of course not. God does not ask us to do that which is pointless. Here are some reasons why petition prayer is necessary.
You can read the entire article here.
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