Prayer as Homework (but with a Different Attitude)
Summer, practically speaking, is over. School started yesterday for Lizzy and Jake. Luke starts preschool next week. Daddy resumes graduate school in two weeks. The time of lazy summer days is being replaced with order, routine, and homework. No matter what your age, school has many attractive qualities. The concept of learning is motivational for some; meeting new friends drives others. There is also the idea that we are getting older and more mature as we progress through school. All of these are immediate benefits of school. But school has some negative qualities like homework. We all understand the necessity of homework to succeed; that does not make it likable. I noticed a parallel this week between our attitude towards homework and our attitude towards prayer.
Homework is a requirement. It is a primary method of learning; together with lectures, studying for and taking tests, we learn. That seems like an easy answer; but explaining why we must have homework to a young grade-schooler is not simple. The fact is that homework defines our school experience. I was asked another question this week: “Why do I have to pray if God already knows what I am thinking?” I was asked this question by a young child, but I know this question lurks in the heads of many people throughout the spectrum of age.
If you believe in a God who is both omniscient (all-knowing) and sovereign (in complete control), then you may wonder why we talk to Him in a way that ignores those traits. If He knows everything, why do we talk to Him as if He does not know? If He is in control, why do we talk to Him as if things are out of control? Why pray at all?
The short, simple answer is, “Because Jesus told us to.” We are “little Christs” — called to be Christ-like in this world. We fashion our spiritual role model after Jesus directly. Jesus often prayed to God, as did many others in His time. But Jesus did it different. He prayed to His “Father.” And He invites us to do the same.
Luke 11:1-2 — Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father…”
We are now called sons of God because of the loving acts of Jesus (1 John 3:1). We can now speak to God as Jesus spoke to God: as children speaking to their Father. I believe this truth envelops the core of our answer.
There are many things in life that we do not need to say, for they are already known; there are things we do not need to do, for they are already done. Imagine an argument between you and someone you care about. When the argument is over, there will [hopefully] be a time of reconciliation. The other person approaches you to apologize. But you can see in their eyes that they are sorry. The way they walk shows they are genuinely sorry. We understand this apology, yet we still expect the words, “I am sorry” to be said. Why do we want to hear those words? Do we not already know it to be true?
Imagine giving someone you love a gift. They live far away and you see them rarely. You send them a valuable gift in the mail. You know it is something they really need. The next time you see that person, they give you a big hug and are clearly excited to see you. The topic of that gift comes up and they go on and on about how much they love the gift. They get tears in their eyes when they describe their emotion upon receiving the gift. They give you a big hug again. This person is obviously grateful for the gift you sent, but we still want to hear the words, “Thank you.” Do we not already know of their gratitude?
My parents celebrate 32 years of marriage today. They know in their hearts that they love each other. Yet they have said, “I love you” to each other countless times. Do they not already know this?
The bottom line is this: when we are in a close relationship with someone, we enjoy hearing things we already know. We thrive on the obviousness of our relationship being made clear — whether it is a close friend, a child, a parent, a spouse — or God. God, like us, enjoys hearing that which He already knows. We benefit from our expressions of honesty and sorrow and anger and love to Him: they create trust, peace, joy and encouragement. Ultimately our relationship is defined by our prayer to Him.
That is why we ask for what He already knows we want; why we pray for those He already knows we care about; why we worship His greatness; why we confess; why we thank Him. Because it defines our relationship as personal.
If we can see homework as the definition of our school and our learning instead of seeing it as a painful experience, our approach will be different. If we can look at prayer as the ongoing definition of our personal relationship with God, we just may begin praying with a different attitude.
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