Why do we pray? How do prayers help us?

For the Christian, praying is something very usual, it is like eating or even breathing.
There are a range of reasons why do we pray. For one thing, prayer is a kind of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in the Father’s will, how much more do we need to pray?

Another reason to pray is that God intend prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in different ways and situations. We pray in preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).

We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer (Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-. Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on earth. God’s wisdom far exceeds our own.

For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer is a means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray.

A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word. We pray to show our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for (Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of “plugging into” God's power, it is our means of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16). We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.

Different people have their own reasons for praying. Some people can pray when they are in trouble, face difficult period of their lives. They pray asking God for deliverance, even if in everyday life they say there is no God and don’t bother having relationships with God on a day-to day basis. And what is even worse when God actually answers their prayers and helps them, such people then say that it was a coincidence or they did everything themselves! And continue living a sinful life, never pondering about what has happened in their life and maybe they should change their life. Some people only pray to gain something they want. Like they pray asking God to give them a nice house, a car, a job, holidays and endless lists of things that goes on and on. I suppose if God gives some things then they are happy and will turn to God only in case they need again something material for themselves. And if there are no houses or cars after the prayer then perhaps they would say that there is no God, otherwise he would reply them. Well for some reasons it is rarely when people actually ask God to help e.g. to deliver us from our pride, stubbornness, anger and other bad things that separate us from him. Unfortunately, it is a rarety but I believe there are sincere people praying to God with pure intentions and repentance.
Far for not all the Christians “praying is something very usual, it is like eating or even breathing.” I personally met a woman, a Christian in the church, when she said she doesn’t like praying, she feels embarrassed. Perhaps she meant when praying with other people aloud I don’t know. Ad if you look at the Muslim countries it is completely obligatory for everyone and majority if not every establishment closes during the time of their prayer time, it is often called Salat or namāz. And it regulated on the government level, because muslim countries actually live out commandments and requirements of their religion, despite many of those countries that claim being Christian but actually are not. And it is thought, that “a person who doesn't pray 5 times a day is a disbeliever” Another opinion can be that “the person who doesn't pray 5 times a day is just a sinner. Prayer is regarded as a dividing line between a believer and a non-believer”. So compared to this I would say that Christians are far behind in their prayers’ frequency and need to catch up!

Prayers play one of the most important roles in our life. That is my opinion, my personal opinion, because I feel the necessity of prayers and I do it in my life every day. I suppose, many people are very attentive to this theme and they think it is very intimate. And for me it is also so. This theme is very delicate. The prayers of us consist of such intimate thoughts and asks! It is very hard to discuss it. But the one thing I know for sure: many people use prayers in their everyday life and they have a conversation with God during the prayers. The conversation is very ultimate. It helps us to control our life, to control our running thoughts and even to find out the solutions of different problems, while prayers. I suppose, that the prayer is given to us for teach us to be attentive, to teach how to think, how to find out the personal answers on our questions. The real prayer makes a man think, discuss and understand the line of his life. So, the prayer is very important in many aspects. I even do not say a word about how important for a man to know that there is somebody in the Universe, who can help us every minute.

I'm trying to ask in my prayers as little as possible but to be thankful in contrary.
God knows everything, He knows what we need, but He values ​​our freedom and sovereignty. He interferes in our lives, but only if we ask it.
But prayer is not only requests to the God. This is communication, I think you do not talk with your loved one this way "give me that and give this. I really want this. Do this to me." No you talk about different topics, your share your experience or even sometimes you can say 'How can I help you? What would you like today?" Am I right?
So we love God. He is our loved Daddy, our friend. We talk to him not only to request something, but to share experiences, to ask about his desires, etc. I'm trying to be more grateful than to be requesting (though it doesn’t always work, but I have such desire).
So for me prayer is the only way to communicate with the God.
And I do believe that he hears me and that my prayer is important for him.

I can agree with AnGeLiKa that a prayer is an intimate thing. Because you express what is inside your heart, your thoughts, and it might be personal. I know many people are alright to pray in public with other people while the others are not feeling comfortable to pray aloud with someone else at all. There is a tradition normally to pray before you eat, to be grateful to God for what he has provided us with. People pray before they eat at home with their family and also in the public places, like cafe, restaurants, etc, when there are strangers around. I think that people who are new to pray for them it might be awkward to do it in public. But if you have been a believer for some time, then probably you got used to it and don’t find it to be a discomfort. Tor is also right that God” interferes in our lives”, and it might be even when we don’t ask for it. If people are seeking God and strive to do God’s will, not their own, then God always helps and corrects our lives.

Prayer - a rush of souls to God, our Heavenly Father. When the powers of the soul are exhausted in the fight against visible and invisible enemies when we enveloping fatigue and disgust for themselves from a life of sin, whereas in the heart of the Lord is born craving that so poetically and truthfully described King David "How doe tends to water flow so my soul thirsteth for thee, O God"(Ps. 42:2).

But the soul is always so hot love to leaving all earthly things, begin a dialogue with God. When the heart is cold and closed, then we must take into prayer hands and go after those who loved the Lord more than we do.
It should gradually learn the morning and evening prayers by heart. When prayers are very important to speak them in subjection, to understand spoken to prayer came from the heart and mind, with a hot feeling.

"But you, when you pray, enter into your room and shut the door and pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee. And when you pray, do not talk nonsense, as the heathen; suppose because in their prolixity that will be heard" (Matthew 6:6- - Christ says.

God shows us the condition of successful prayer: the first - is external seclusion in a separate room, the second - a secret gifts and sacrifices, that we come to God. These gifts should be self-denial, which we will leave all your worries, all thoughts of earth works, with self-denial can find a place of trust and love for the Lord, repentance, prymyrenist fellowmen and devotion to God's will.

From these gifts depends on the strength of our prayers and God's mercy for her.
Often in prayer extraneous thoughts and pictures so zapolonyuyut mind that prayer is read one mouth. Experienced spiritual teachers advise in such cases back to the words of prayer, in which attention is disconnected, and then repeat all over again. If that does not work, and - to pray with a prayer in your own words until you warm up the heart and not rest thought.

To develop feelings of worship should re-read and think for prayer included in your prayer rule to know what feelings are excited to be in prayer. St. John Chrysostom said that our soul without prayer addresses God is dead and lifeless. Spiritual Life knows no voids . Are we moving away from God, as falling under the power of the forces of darkness. Who wants to be a temple of the Holy Spirit is gradually becoming a temple of the evil spirit.

To avoid becoming a slave to evil spirits , we must pray daily, Sunday and holidays to take part in religious services, and if possible, even more frequently in the sacraments of the Church to live in peace with God and neighbor. Unique in the power of expression of religious feelings to the Lord is the book of Psalms - "Psalms" With it you can choose close to the heart psalms and memorize . Against evil spirits good read 91 ( 90) 121 ( 120 ) 123 ( 122) psalms and prayers to the Life-giving Cross.

I think that not one reader of this book hopes to find in her prayers that will protect him from the evil spirit. For such prayers, a person must have a penitential spirit, compassion for the sins soul, ready to take his words as a prayer. For prayer - it's not just words - they are her only faintly expressed, prayer is as thirsty for the Lord of the heart, the soul, which is able to sacrifice themselves and to trust God. But this, unfortunately, not everyone has matured baptized.
Each daily prayer as well as any other, if it is pronounced in a spirit of repentance and trust in God will find it and consent to it is a protection against the devil.
Jesus healed many people said, "Go, your faith has made ​​you well" (Mark 10:52), "All things shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). And where Jesus could do a miracle, explained that the people of unbelief. So, let it be given to you by your faith.