7 Reasons for Christians to Pray

1. Pray for the people of God. Lift up those who belong to Him and call on God to forgive. Would you rather surround yourself with people on whom you've given up or with people for whom you have hope? (As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. -1 Samuel 12:23, NIV)
2. Pray for those who have not accepted God in their hearts. Who are we not to pray for those who are where we once were? (Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. -2 Thessalonians 3:1, NIV)
3. Pray for the sick, if you have faith that God is a healer. If you have no faith, leave the sick alone; no one needs faithless prayers. (And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. -James 5:15, NIV)
4. Pray to let God know you love Him and want to be closer to Him. We can't take God for granted; even God needs to be told that we love Him, though He knows our hearts. God wants your sincere profession of love, so He may answer in kind. (Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer nor withheld his love from me! -Psalms 66:20, NIV)
5. Pray when you are happy. Share your joy with the Lord who gave it to you. (My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you--I, whom you have redeemed. -Psalms 71:23, NIV)
6. Pray when you feel helpless. Whatever trouble we bring to God, He will answer. Speak up, then listen for His response. Repeat until your trouble is over. (For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him, but has listened to his cry for help. -Psalms 22:24, NIV)
7. Pray to forgive and to be forgiven. (For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. -Matthew 6:14-15, NIV)

When our prayers are in line with the will of God, and when they are offered in the name of Jesus, who sacrificed Himself so that God could hear us, those prayers unite us with God through both our suffering and our joy. He suffers and rejoices with us. (Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2, NIV)

(Photograph by Michael Murphy)