Pray about Your Need

"For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."

Matthew 6:8

A man had a question for his pastor. He pointed in his Bible to Matthew 6:8 and asked, "If God already knows our needs, why should we pray?" The pastor replied, "Prayer is never necessary to inform God. He knows all things. He ordained prayer as a way for us to receive from Him, but prayer is much more than asking. It is thanking God, worshiping God, as well as confessing our sins and praising God."

Someone has described prayer to be like a straw through which we drink. The straw connects us to the contents of what is in the glass or cup. That's just another illustration of understanding that prayer is a way to receive from God.

Jesus taught His disciples to ask God the Father in prayer. We are to say, "Give us this day our daily bread." He uses bread as an illustration of our daily needs. Jesus made it plain that the Father cares about our needs. When we ask in prayer, we bring glory to God that we may receive from His gracious hand.

We understand that God is Jehovah-jireh, the LORD who provides. Prayer is an exercise of our faith in God to meet our needs. The Bible teaches us to ask in faith, without doubting, to receive from God (James 1:6-7).

What is the pressing need in your life? Have you shared your need with God in prayer? Rest assured that He knows all of our needs, but he wants us to know the joy of receiving from our heavenly Father by faith. Doubt says, "God knows my needs. He may or may not provide for me." Faith says, "My God shall supply all my need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

Father, thank You for supplying our needs.