Pray to Know God

There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and to converse with him, for prayer unites us with God as his companions. As our bodily eyes are illuminated by seeing the light, so in contemplating God our soul is illuminated by him."
St John Chrysostom

Prayer is God's way to draw us closer to Him and His will. As we come to know God deeper through seeing life through His eyes we become more like Him in behaviour; compassionate, merciful, loving, angry at sin, etc.

These behaviours begin to become part of our outward expression of our inside transformation that has already happened. When we came to be known by Christ, He gave us a spirit that is totally connected and dependent on Him and He expects us to walk in that spirit. This new spirit longs to live out the desires of God! Prayer is God's way to guide your spirit into the activity of Himself.

Prayer is not attempting to convince God what you are doing is important and He should be involved with you. Prayer is your heart linking with His heart so you can see and interrupt what He is doing and how you may adjust so you can follow Him.

Praying without a knowledge of scripture can easily become a vain effort to know God on your terms. To manipulate God to do what your flesh desires. Remember, God is not tricked. He never moves unless His Glory is the final outcome. God can only do right. You must know the scriptures that reveal Him or you will create a false god in your mind and move toward it. Idols are the false imaginations of man attempting to reveal God that does not exist.

Only God can reveal Himself. No man can know or discover God without God so willing. Man's mind is continually bent to evil and self so if you pray in this mind of flesh and earth thinking your prayers will be long and vain. Jesus said, "babbling...;

Prayer is to move you into the heart and ways of God. As you come to know God through His Word, you will be brought to a God who is nothing like the world as created. God is not a giant Santa Claus dispersing gifts to all who ask. This is so alien to the true heart of God it's a shame Christians even let any of this false teaching into their home and even around their children.

God is Holy. He is Almighty. He is compassionate. He is Pure. He is full of mercy. He is a God of Wrath. He is love. He is just. He is unchanging.

Unless your one desire is to know God and be known by Him, you will always struggle with prayer. You will struggle because you basically see prayer as a means "to get" instead of a means "to know".

To know the beauty of God is the goal. To walk with Him as He brings all of His enemies under his feet is the adventure. To live with an understanding that He is ever present, with you right now causes you to purify yourself. Prayer is the awesome privilege we get to have an audience with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Prayer's purpose is to know God, to become one in Him.

1 John 3
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.