Some people say:
“Before I even pray, God already knows what I’m going to say. So why do I need to pray?”
“I’m at peace. There’s nothing I need to ask God. So why do I need to pray?”
“There’s something I want to ask of God. But it’s not in accordance to God’s will. He probably won’t hear. So why do I need to pray?”

We must understand we pray not because we have something to ask from God. There are more important aspects to prayer. We pray:

1. because it’s a form of worship
2. because we are thankful
3. to confess our sins
   These three points were raised in the previous sermon. More points will be discussed in this sermon.

Why must we pray?

1. Because prayer is the will of God for His children
   1 Thess 5:16-18
   This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you - praying without ceasing. Why? We know that only the same species/类别 can have a deep conversation. We can train a dog to understand simple, basic commands. But we can’t have deep communication with it. When we face a problem, we’d want another human being to talk to. The dog may feel its master is upset. It may wag its tail and sit around him but can’t comprehend the bitterness of its master’s heart. You can’t explain the bitterness in your heart to your dog, because you’re not of the same species/类别. But we’re the same type/类别 as God because we’re created in His image. This allows us to have deep communication with God. And how we communicate with God is through prayer. That’s why prayer is the will of God for His children. The question is: are the children of God willing to talk to Him?

Many children of God only look for God when they have problems. When they lead a peaceful life, they stop praying. Just like many children who can’t find a topic of conversation with their parents. Only when they’re in need are they able to say something. Even so such a conversation is brief. Conversely, they have much to say to their friends.

God created us in His image, with the objective of His children to talk to Him. We have so many topics of conversation with our friends on earth but none with our God above. Some conversations may be edifying for us. It strengthens relationships and allows us to understand each other better. When you’re unable to communicate with a person, the relationship becomes strained.

A comic about CNY gatherings:
A day before the new year years ago, the comic panel depicts everyone sitting around and talking to each other. A day before the new year today, the comic panel depicts everyone still sitting around but all using their phones.

Familar? Sometimes we feel that talking to some people is a waste of time. Or sometimes we feel talking about certain things will just hurt the relationship. There are some conversations that lead to sin, so we need to be careful with the topics and people we talk to. But conversations about God will definitely be beneficial.

Psa 73:27-28
The psalmist says:
“Indeed, those who are far from You will perish.”
Jesus said that He’s the vine and we’re the branches. We’re in Him and He’s in us. He sustains us. Branches cut off from the true vine will wither away and be cast into the fire. Prayer is an action of drawing close to God.

People who don’t pray appear to be alright. But actually their spiritual lives are waning and withering away. We need to learn to draw close to God through prayers. Drawing near to God is good for us. What benefit is there?

“I will make God my shelter.”
Drawing near to God makes Him our shelter - a good and important thing. We don’t see God being the psalmist’s shelter, yet the psalmist says this.

Psa 73:12-14
The psalmist observers that people who don’t draw near to God are at ease and increase in riches. “Shouldn’t punishment come to the wicked?” But in v4 they have no pangs in their death and their strength is firm. While people who draw near to God are plagued everyday (v14), as if they don’t have a shelter.

Why then does the psalmist says it’s good to draw near to God and that God is his shelter? How does he claim this in the face of adversity?

In the beginning perhaps he felt disappointed. “Why isn’t God my shelter? Why don’t I have peace when I draw near to God?” v16 reflects the psalmist’s confusion. How did the psalmist deal with this; how did he still comfort himself to draw close to God?

v16-19
“When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me - until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end.”
After much murmuring and sadness, the psalmist finally understood. He thought about the final judgement of God. Then he realised the wicked won’t have a shelter then. Under the judgement of God, they have no place to run. Then they’d regret and suffer. But those who held fast to drawing near to God will truly realise how God is their shelter; that God would protect them from the punishment of judgement.

The greatest pain in life doesn’t occur when we’re alive, because it’s temporal. The greatest pain in life is dying and facing the judgment of God - eternal punishment and pain. Draw close to God, and on the day of judgement, God will be your shelter. “You need not fear him who can destroy your body. Fear the one who can destroy your soul after destroying your body.” Understand what kind of shelter we’re looking for. This is why we need to draw near to God and have Him as our shelter. He’ll be able to protect us from the coming judgement, that we’ll be able to enter life and be with Him forever and ever.

When God created Man in His image, He wanted human beings to pray to Him, so He could become their shelter. Understand that prayer is the will of God for His children - to save us, protect us, and be our shelter.

Why must we pray?

1. Because we want to be watchful for our souls
   Luke 22:39-40, 45-46
   Jesus repeatedly told His disciples to pray lest they fall into temptation. We face too many trials and temptations in life. Too often we are lured away by temptations. Depending on our own will power and strength makes it difficult for us to stand strong. We need the power of God to help us. That’s why we need to pray and talk to God. When Jesus had to drink the bitter cup, He was willing to submit to God’s will but the cup was too bitter already. That’s why He asked God to strengthen Him.
   v43 an angel was sent to strengthen him. The bitter cup wasn’t taken away.

We have our own bitter cup that we have to drink. Some of them are very bitter. We need our Heavenly Father to strengthen us. But if we don’t pray, how can we find strength to drink this cup. We need to learn to ask from our knees. If even Jesus Christ needed to kneel down before God and pray repeatedly, shouldn’t we do so all the more?

Luke 22:31-32
Peter reckoned he was strong in faith and would never betray Jesus. But Jesus said, “Satan has asked for you. But I’ve prayed for you that your faith won’t fall and you’ll return to Me.”

How did Satan try to acquire Peter?
Luke 22:56, 58, 59
Three people separately identified Peter to be a follower of Jesus. v60 Peter denied. In fact in Matt, Peter cursed and swore He wasn’t. In actuality, what Peter did warranted death, but Jesus had already prayed for Peter.

Luke 22:59-61
“…But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”
Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord…”

At this point in time when Jesus turned and looked at Peter, it was a look of forgiveness. His gaze told Peter: I’ve already prayed for you beforehand.
This was a critical moment for Peter. When Peter saw Jesus Christ turning His gaze in love, he went out and wept, because he remembered how weak he was. He remembered what Jesus said. He understood Jesus looked at him in forgiveness and love, and had given him the opportunity to begin again. When Peter started again, he understood how weak he was. He understood why Jesus said to watch and pray lest they fall into temptation, for he was one of them who had nearly fallen into temptation and been lost. If Jesus didn’t give him another opportunity, he would’ve been lost. He understood the importance of prayer.

To pray is to be watchful of your own soul. So we see that in the future no matter how busy Peter was, he prayed. When choosing people to help in the work, a requirement was for them to be prayerful.

1 Pet 4:7
“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”

“But the end of all things is at hand” means the end of time is near. Do you have such a feeling in you? If you feel the end is still far away, how can you be anxious? But if you feel the end drawing near, you’d start to feel anxious for your own salvation. We’d seize whatever remaining time we have to sprint. We don’t know when our end will be but we know our lives will come to an end. Wouldn’t we want to have a final sprint for our salvation and soul? The devil is ready for the final sprint also; to bring as many people down as possible. As Christians, should we not be watchful and pray lest we lose our souls? In the Chinese version, it says to be watchful and serious, and watch over your own soul as you pray. In the English NIV, it says to have a clear mind and self control when we pray. It reminds us that we need to pray with a very clear mind. Don’t pray and not understand what we’re speaking to God; don’t pray subconsciously. We also need to have self control when we pray. Why? Because often due to fatigue and laziness, our prayers our impeded. We know we need to pray but because we’re tired we don’t. Or just have a short prayer and sleep. So when we pray we don’t just need a clear mind, we need self control too. We need to be watchful because praying is guarding our own souls. Listen to what Jesus Christ says. Pray. Lest we fall into temptation. Hope that Jesus turns His gaze to us to give us grace to overcome all our weaknesses.