Prayer can be both natural and something we can learn an grow in. Many people experience an impulse to pray from an early age that likely comes from being created in God’s image and seeing his glory in the world around us. We have a deep seeded knowledge of God’s existence, but sin and secularism fight against that and often that impulse to pray is lost. Likewise, prayer can be learned. Followers of Jesus can grow in their knowledge of how to pray and what to pray for. In the gospel of Luke, the Lord’s Prayer was a direct response to to the disciples request to Jesus, “teach us how to pray.” In the gospel of Matthew, it comes during the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus talks about what it means to practice the kingdom of God. In both situations, Jesus wants his people to have a model of prayer they can follow so they can grow to pray.

Community Group Study Guide — Praying to the God Who Lets Down
Psalm 13:1-6

Study Information:
Suffering may be the greatest challenge and greatest catalyst for prayer. Some circumstances show our helplessness and drive us to the Lord, other times we can feel distance and disappointment, especially when our suffering is ongoing with no end in sight. Many of us have heard a presentation of the good news as “God has a wonderful plan for your life!” What if that wonderful plan includes hardship and suffering? It almost certainly does. Another challenge is that we can often put expectations on God that he has not promised us and then be disappointed or let down when he doesn’t fulfill our expectations. We can also get trapped comparing our suffering to the pleasant and joyful lives of those who do not follow Christ and wonder what  God is up to (see Psalm 73).  

Prayer is an expression of faith and trust in God. In prayer we not only express praise to God but we ask for him to work in ways that we are powerless. This kind of prayer requires faith. Faith is an expectation that we can depend on God, that his work is for our good and that he desires for us to seek him. The gospels are filled with many examples of people going to Jesus in faith for things they could not accomplish through their own efforts and Jesus rewarding their faith and trust. This is not a formulaic way to get God to do something for us, that is superstition and something Jesus warns against (Matthew 6:7). Likewise, praying in faith does not require us to shed all of our uncertainties or doubts (Mark 9:24). Instead praying in faith is an expression of dependent trust in God and is key to a regular practice of prayer. 

Prayer is an ordinary and everyday activity in the Christian life. We have an incredible access to the God of the universe and we are invited and encouraged to bring him our needs, shift our attention to what he is doing and to talk with him throughout our day. We are not alone or distant to God. It may surprise you but praying at all times is actually a command in the Bible! This commands comes in the form of “pray always,” “be constant in prayer,” and “pray without ceasing.” Does this mean we spend out days with our eyes closed and heads bowed for all our waking hours?! No, instead this command invites us to live life with God who is always there. 

Does prayer even work? Well, that depends on what you mean by “work.” Many of us think of prayer primarily as supplication, which is asking God for our needs or for him to work in a specific way. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 to bring him our requests, God desires to hear them. We know that prayer is more than supplication, prayer is our human experience of conversation with God where we can bring our needs to God, praise him for who he is and what he has done, and experience his presence, especially in times of suffering. Yet often when we wonder if prayer has any purpose usually it is when we’re wrestling with supplication. Does our prayer change God’s mind? Does he hear our prayers? If God is sovereign, does praying even matter?