Lord’s Day 45: Q&A 116-119: What’s It All For?

I think that prayer is one of the most taken for granted aspects about our worship of God. At least in my experience, I didn’t have a solid theology of prayer until I was in my mid 20s. Why do we even pray? It seems like a simple question, but underlying it is a lot of theology, including how we understand salvation. Why do we ask God for things if he already knows what’s on our hearts? Are we trying to change his mind? Don’t Reformed Christians believe that God has predetermined everything? What’s the point in asking him, then? What about when he doesn’t answer us the way we want him to?

One of the main reasons we pray, says the Catechism, is because God has commanded us to do so. Not only that, but God has commanded us to ask him for everything we need in life. The Catechism also tells us that ‘prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us.’ It’s an outpouring of our gratitude to God. But more than that, prayer is not so much getting God’s will aligned with ours, but getting our will aligned with God’s. It’s submission. It’s surrender. We cast our cares on our God, knowing that we are heard, even when we can’t express ourselves fully. 

We find ourselves for the next several weeks nearing the end of the Heidelberg Catechism as we go through the Lord’s Prayer. We’ll get into more of what the prayer itself is for and how we are to pray it as we go, but as you may be aware, the Lord’s Prayer is not necessarily prescriptive. Instead, it’s a model for how we should pray. More to come on that as we get further into it next week. . .

Lord’s Day 45

Q&A 116

INTRO TO CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER (Matthew 7:7)

People of God, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Let us turn our hearts to God in prayer this morning. 

Q&A 117

CONFESSION OF SIN (Psalm 145:18-19, Romans 8:26-27, 2 Chronicles 7:14)

God of all things,

You are near to those who call on you.

We turn our hearts to you, 

God who knows our hearts.

Our hearts are weak, Lord.

We have fallen short and sin against you.

Help us in our weakness, Holy Spirit.

Pray for us when we do not know how to pray. 

Help us turn from our wicked ways, Just God.

Search our hearts, Lord 

as we confess our sins today.

[Time of silent prayer]

Hear our cries and confessions this morning Lord.

In the name of our Savior Jesus we pray, Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (1 John 5:14-15, Romans 10:13)

One: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

All: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Q&A 118

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER (Matthew 6:33, James 1:17)

Perfect unchanging God, our world is full of chaos and confusion. Our hearts and minds are confused as well. We shift and change like the wind. We abandon our friends, we forsake our commitments, and we refuse to be tied down. But you, God, are always present for us. When we let go of the illusion of control over our lives, help us to turn our hearts to you, the one who has control over all things. Father God, hear our prayers today.

[Time of congregational prayer]

Father God, offered to you all our joys and fears. Our success and our failure. Our praises and our anxieties. We have offered ourselves. We pray we continue to offer ourselves to you more and more each day. Holy Spirit, work in our hearts to seek Christ’s kingdom and righteousness more and more each day. Thank you for that assurance God, that all we need will be given to those who are part of your covenant kingdom. We pray these prayers to you Father, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.