“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
The Bible teaches us that prayer is among the most important activities we will ever engage in. Everything else we do – including time reading Scripture, teaching, preaching, and giving – all fall short without time devoted to prayer. The Apostles are not recorded asking Jesus how to teach or study Scripture, but they did ask him specifically to teach them how to pray.
But are there certain things that we should or shouldn’t pray about? Are there topics that are too trivial or unimportant to bother God with? The short answer is that nothing whatsoever is “off limits” to God, or for our conversations with him. No matter how trivial or silly a thing may seem to us (or to others), God is already aware of it. God is omniscient, so every situation, every need, every thought, is already on God’s radar. So why would we try and hide anything from him? Why would we try to separate our lives into prayer appropriate “for-God” segments, and everything else “not-for-God” segments?
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:6-8).
So, if God already knows our needs, is it okay to pray for something like a pet? How about a sports game? Or praying for clear traffic on the way to work? The answer is an absolute, resounding yes! If these things are important to you, then they are not things you should keep away from God. Every thought is already known to God, so why not direct those thoughts towards conversation with him?
2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” and by doing so “we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.”
You may be asking how this verse relates to praying about something like a sports game. God is probably busy keeping the universe in balance, so why should we bother him with a traffic jam?
The point is that when we consider topics appropriate for prayer, we are not talking about the importance of a game, a pet, the traffic, or anything else. The point is that we need to make a habit of speaking to God and listening to him in every circumstance, with every thought. If we wait to pray because we don’t feel we have anything to say that is worthy of God’s attention, then we must ask ourselves what is worthy of his attention and what is not? Who gets to make that list, and who enforces it? God created us and desires relationship with us, so by limiting what we take to him in prayer, we are limiting the relationship that he himself desires and created us to have.
When we spend time in prayer about small things, we will have a relationship and communication that holds more meaning when we go to him in the big things.
Through Jesus, we can truly experience relationship with God. A significant part of that relationship comes through prayer, and a significant part of prayer involves thanking God, praising God, and making our requests known to God. The more time we spend in prayer about anything, the more he will shape our hearts and minds to seek what he seeks, and desire what he desires. Our prayers will become less of a religious duty to discuss religious things, and more of a conversation leading us to seek the heart of God in every aspect of who we are.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
Prayer is not just a topic to be studied, discussed, or read about; it is a vital element that sets the tone for our life in Christ. Each of us has to grapple with the reality of our own faith, our relationship with Jesus and with others, and where we can share his grace in this crazy world of ours.
Since prayer is communication with the God who created us, it is a beautiful blessing and privilege offered to us. We often turn to prayer in times of sickness, dire trouble, or when we are attending church and the pastor tells us it is time to do so.
But there is so much more for us in prayer than just reciting churchy sounding phrases and making spiritual points. Through prayer, we are in communion with the one who made all things, knows all things, and desires to hear from us! God makes clear that his desire is that we seek him in all things, no matter how big or small, and make communication with him a natural part of our everyday.
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Jason Soroski is a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. Connect on Facebook or at JasonSoroski.net.