If God Knows My Needs Why Pray?

 "…; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8 (NASB)"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”  Luke 11:9-10 (NASB) At the bottom of the bucket was an old rusty chain hoist, and boy did it stink like a cat pee. I needed a hoist so I a paid a few bucks and hauled the wreaking mess home in the back of my truck. My first step was to soak the mess in diesel for a week before I cleaned it up.My daughter wrecked her car. Davidmark gave me a wrecked car with a good motor and transmission. I started looking and praying for a car that would fit that motor and transmission and would fit the budget of the insurance money. Weeks went by, and nothing. One morning in the church parking lot I saw a car with the passenger side mirror dangling by the wires. It belonged to one of our widows. I stopped her and asked if should get a replacement from Pick and Pull and fix it for her. “No need,” Helen said, “I’m getting a new car this weekend.”“What are you going to do with this one, because I have been looking for one like it?’” I asked“I’m going to donate it, it needs a new transmission.”“Would you consider selling it to me?”“No, but you can have it.”And so, a few days later I limped Helen's old car home and stuck in my garage. Turns out it is not only the exact year but also the exact model I had been looking for.I was almost finished cleaning up the last of the mess the tree made when it dropped a good sized limb on the side of Ed’s house. “Why don’t you take that home,” Ed said as he pointed up at another big branch.“Ed, I already have one of those.”“If you can reach it take it down. I used to use it to hold up my old donkey, who had a bad leg, whenever I got his feet trimmed. Buried him over there, so I don’t have any more use for that hoist. So take it.”Once I got started on changing the transmission on the car from Helen, more than once I looked up from my creeper and said, “God, I am in way over my amateur mechanic’s head, but not Yours. Please help me figure this out.” And you probably guessed it. Yup, I ended up using two chain hoists. My Heavenly Father knows what I need long before I need it.So why ask? If God knows and cares why does he still encourage me to ask, to seek, to knock? I can think of at least three reasons:

  • One of the reasons to bring my needs before God is to gain His perspective on them. To sort out what are real needs and what are merely wants. Since God already knows I have no need to inform him, but I always have a need for insight, for faith, and for peace regarding my needs.
  • Asking, seeking, knocking is about engaging with God in a real relationship. A relationship that takes place in everyday life, in real time, in real circumstances, with real needs. A relationship that goes beyond my needs to asking for the will of God, seeking the kingdom of God, and opening up our world to the Christ of God, the love of God, and the gospel of God.
  • Asking, seeking, knocking also declares my dependence on God. He has resources I do not have. He has wisdom, knowledge, insight, and foresight I lack. He has power to open the shut, to do the impossible. By encouraging me to ask, to seek, to knock, God invites me to know and experience Him as the Almighty, Holy, Glorious, Awesome, And Compassionate God He is.

To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. In case you were wondering, the car is up and running - glory