Today, we will begin a few days looking at the purpose of prayer. The purposes of prayer are as broad and diverse as there are individuals that pray. To many, prayer is an opportunity to ask God for their wants or for deliverance from their enemies. Even though prayer is more about introspection than merchandise, seeking God for His assistance in time of need is well documented in the Scriptures. The seeking of Divine benefits should still be accompanied by self-examination and introspection. The emphasis must be placed on God’s purpose for prayer and not our own. This is critical to a proper understanding for prayer. If we believe it is about our needs, then we will have missed the mark of understanding the purpose of prayer. It is about the character of God to provide for His children, to seek and save the lost, and to bring about His will on earth. We must never allow our circumstances to divert us from the true purpose of prayer. As explained by Rabbi Shraga Simmons:
“If prayer is solely for our benefit, then why (you may ask) does Jewish prayer always begin with praise of G-d? The answer is not because G-d has a frail ego and needs our endorsement. Rather, the purpose of this praise is to sensitize us to G-d's awesome capacity to help.”
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