Topic: "Why do we have to pray, if God knows everything?" V. Bayko

I do not think that anyone reading these lines doubts that one of God's qualities is God's Omniscience. First of all, I myself know it because Scripture says so: "for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts" (1 Chronicles 28:9), "The LORD knows the thoughts of man..."(Ps.94:11) "For He knows the secrets of the heart" (Ps.44:21) And secondly, my personal experience with God, my relationship with Him everytime confirm, that God knows everything about me. He knows everyhting, knows in its fulness and knows about everyone. God knewwhat happened, when Adam was hiding himself behind the trees in the garden of Eden, trying to hide himself from God. He knew the thoughts of Simon, about the adulteress who knelt at His feet. He knew what would Peter do before the rooster crows thrice, He knew the thoughts on Ananias and Saphire when they decided to keep back some money from the Apostles. God says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."(Jer.1:5) So if God knows everything, knows us, knows our difficulties and problems, why do we have to repeat to God the things He knows even better than it is in our capacity to explain? What new can we say to the Omniscient God? Most often than not we think this way if we want to justify the weaknesses of our prayer lifeor experienced a dissapointment in prayer. "...at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." (Lk.18:1)

Importance.
In these following directions I would like to emphasize the value of prayer regardless of God's omniscience and to say that it is a neccessary thing for both the weak and and not experienced ones and also for firm and experienced believers alike. In our fellowship to God we have to remember that God is not a man and we tell himof our needs not because he has forgotten or unaware of those. Prayer is not just a mere occasion, which we use to remind God of ourselves and of our needs. Prayer is a supernatural privilege which God bestowed upon man for fellowship with him. In this way when God ordained the connection of Heaven and Earth through prayer, God being faithful to His word is a personal interlocutor (companion) with the praying person. In prayer we talk to God. Knowing how highly esteemed is the fellowship with the mighty ones of this world, how can we neglect the right to fellowship with God given to us?

Doubtless, that prayer is a great privilege, yet why we have to pray if God knows everything? By prayer I mean the conversation of man with God not with the purpose of informing God about something He knows better than us, but asking for His intervention, to tell God our will, desire, agreement, to open your door to Him, for according to His Law He doesn't do anything by force. God knows everything, but never enters the closed door. He acts according to the god will of man, which is pronounced in prayer.

Door to God.
First of all prayer is an expression of our gratitude, thankfulness and admiration in God. It's a pity but we devote so little time to this important part in our prayers. "Doesn't God already know what we think of Him?" you may ask. He does know that, but in confessing that in prayers we express our recognition and adoration of God before the whole spiritual world. This opens the door to God and shuts the door to satan.

Our Will.
Secondly, prayer is an expression of our will and agreement before God. Though God knows that we need food, need health, He knows our sicknesses, difficulties and allof our worries, but God does not solve them forcefully, till the man on his own free consent gives it to the hands of God. When we speak of our needs to God in prayer, by that we express our will, our agreement, giving God the opportunity to do the things asked for.

Sign of Trust.
Thirdly, prayer is the sign of our faith in God. Our decision to ask for God's help is nothing else but the act of trust and recognition of God's almighty hand over our problems. Prayer is a sign of trust to God, by doing which we show our dependancy on Him.
Therefore, God's omniscience doesn't free us from the necessity of prayer and does not deprive us of this supernatural privilege. God knows everything, but it doesn't mean that He will do everything automatically. God knows everything, but He will not do anything unless the man trust Him with that. And so use this wonderful promise: "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16)

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