What Is Prayer Good For?

So why pray if God is sovereign and He's going to do what He wants to do anyway? Will anything change as a result of our prayers? The short answer, according to R.C. Sproul in The Prayer of the Lord, is this: the most important thing prayer changes is us. It is good for us.

"We can see this readily enough, at least for some of the elements of prayer. Consider, for instance, the elements of adoration and confession. God's existence is not dependent on our praises. He can get along without them. But we can't. Adoration is necessary for our spiritual growth. If we are to develop an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father, it is essential that we come to Him with words expressing reverence, adoration, and love. At the same time, it is necessary for us that we mention our sins before His throne. He knows what they are. In fact, He knows them more clearly and more comprehensively than we do. He gains nothing by our giving Him a recitation of our sins, but we need that act of contrition for the good of our souls."

I think that everyone would agree with this insight by R.C. The issue becomes more complex, however, when we ask God to provide us with next month's mortgage payment and He doesn't. Why don't we get what we ask for, even when two or more are gathered in His name? Isn't prayer supposed to be practical? Why doesn't prayer always work?

Are we even asking the right questions? Stay tuned...