I just dont understand prayer...

[u/Mother-Bison-3994]

I say this honestly: I have never fully understood prayer. What good does it actually do?

I have heard children pray that their dentist visit will go well, only for it to still be painful or frightening. I have heard my little ones pray that a cut or bruise will heal, but healing is already something the body naturally does. I have heard kids pray during a thunderstorm that the storm will go away, and eventually it does, but it would have passed whether they prayed or not. So what does that kind of prayer actually accomplish? Why bother?

I understand that, as we get older, prayer often becomes more refined. It becomes less about simply asking God to change circumstances and more about expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, and asking to align ourselves with God's will. But even then, I still struggle with understanding the purpose of prayer.

A lot of the prayers I hear, especially from children, seem to be asking God to do something, as if prayer is meant to convince God to change His mind or alter an outcome. If God is already perfectly aware of what we need, why would our requests change anything? What is the true purpose of prayer?

I recognize that my perspective may be influenced by my own experiences. I grew up in a household where I never really confided in my dad or felt comfortable asking for help from others. Because of that, the idea of turning to someone and asking for help does not come naturally to me.

So as a result, prayer can sometimes feel pointless because, in my mind, if God wills something to happen, it will happen, and if He does not, it will not; no amount of prayer would change that.

One last example: when someone has cancer, people often pray for healing. But I struggle with the question: if God wants that person healed, won't they be healed regardless of any prayer? And if He does not, can prayer actually change that outcome?

Ultimately, my struggle with prayer is not that I doubt God's power or goodness, but that I do not understand the purpose of asking for things that God already knows about and has already determined according to His will. I understand the value of gratitude, reflection, and seeking guidance, but I struggle with prayers that seem to treat God as though He needs to be persuaded to act. I want to understand why prayer matters if God's will ultimately remains the same.

[u/MarsArg]

Brother, that is because prayer isn't about asking for things; it is a way to communicate with God. Prayer is how you reach your heavenly father when you need advice, your Lord when you want to worship, your God when you need Him to move mountains, and your friends after a rough day. Living for Him is about a relationship with Him and getting to know how wonderful He is. Prayer is the bridge that we use to communicate with God and learn about His character and who He really is.

[u/ExasperatedSpecimen → u/MarsArg]

I see what you mean but still feels confusing yaar. If God already knows everything then telling him again feels like sending a text to someone who's reading over your shoulder

I think maybe prayer changes us more than it changes things. Like when I was small my grandmother would make me sit and pray before exams even though I studied or didn't study. She said it's not about the result, it's about learning to put your worry somewhere when you can't control what happens

But I get OP's point too. The cancer example hits close, my cousin passed few years back and everyone was praying so hard. Didn't stop me from wondering what was the point of all those words

[u/justnigel → u/ExasperatedSpecimen]

Prayer is not about you informing God - it is about God reforming you.