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Throughout the Bible, believers are called to pray. In order to develop a clear idea of prayer, we must first have a clear idea of God. Biblically speaking, God is a personal being. This is critical to prayer because it means that God is a person we can interact with, that He has a will and that we are able to relate to Him on a meaningful level. If He were impersonal, then prayer would not be meaningful. If He were personal, but uncaring and distant, prayer wouldn't serve a purpose. As Christians, Jesus should be the center of all that we are. Jesus was with God when He created us and is in complete control. Our God is not a distant, uncaring sovereign. “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” 1 John 4:8 (NKJV). Through prayer, we get to be in constant contact and conversation with Him. Interacting with God through prayer is an important thread in weaving the intricate detail of our relationship with Him. Prayer allows us to worship and praise the Lord. It also allows us to offer confession of our sins, which should lead to our genuine repentance. Moreover, prayer grants us the opportunity to present our requests to God. All of these aspects of prayer involve communication with our Creator. He is personal, cares for us, and wants to commune with us through prayer. “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” 1 John 4:16 (NKJV). Prayer is the means God has ordained for some things to happen. Prayer, for instance, helps others know the love of Jesus. Prayer can clear human obstacles out of the way in order for God to work. It is not that God can't work without our prayers, but that He has established prayer as part of His plan for accomplishing His will in this world.
Prayer reminds us that we are not in control, but God is, thus keeping us from pride. Through prayer we obtain an experiential basis for our faith. We do not ignore the intellect or reasons for faith, but prayer makes our experience of God real on an emotional level. If our prayer is answered, it can serve as a potential witness for those who doubt. Prayer not only strengthens our relationship with God, but when we pray with other believers, prayer also strengthens the bonds between fellow Christians. Not only is God personal and relational, but He is also caring and loving. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16 (NKJV). This is also important in relation to prayer. If God were personal, but uncaring or unkind, then prayer could possibly do us more harm than good. However, God is not only loving, He is all loving (omnibenevolent). In relation to prayer, this means that God always desires the best for us because He loves us. God is also all powerful (omnipotent), meaning that no prayer is beyond His ability to answer. “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” Psalm 147:4–5 (NKJV). If God were less than all powerful, then we would have no assurance that He could answer or even hear our prayers.
But in prayer even the physically weak can become strong in the spiritual realm. As such, we can call upon God to grant us power over evil. In short, another reason to pray is because prayer is always available to us. Nothing can keep us from approaching God in prayer except our own choices. The fact that God is all-knowing (omniscient) is also significant to the concept of prayer. “You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether” Psalm 139:2–4 (NKJV). If God were limited, then He would not know all that is happening in His creation, God is everywhere that we need Him (omnipresence). If this were the case, He might overlook our prayers because they might be beyond His knowledge. Fortunately, the Bible is clear that God knows everything. “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure” Isaiah 46:10 (NKJV). In relation to God’s omniscience, Jesus said, Your Father knows what you need before you ask for it. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” Matthew 6:8 (NKJV). God is also wise and holy. He knows what is best for us, as well as what will lead us to holiness rather than sin. He is also immanent, meaning that God is active in His creation in a personal way, not only directing greater matters of history, but also involved in the life of everyone. This means that no prayer is too great for Him, but also that no prayer is too small for Him.