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How God Intended Prayer to Be
God’s intent concerning prayer is clearly revealed throughout Scripture. Prayer was never meant to be solely about us or what we have to say. Prayer is an exchange—a two-way conversation between God and man.
Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:11
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know. Jeremiah 33:3
Prayer, as communication between God and man, can be traced to the Garden of Eden, where God established direct communication with Adam. God spoke to Adam, gave him instructions, and entrusted him with the responsibility of naming the animals.
This early account demonstrates that God’s relationship with humanity was intended to include communication, instruction, and interaction with Him.
The first biblical instance of God communicating directly with man is found in Genesis 2:16–17. This communication establishes a simple but important truth: communication is an essential part of our relationship experience with God.
Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.’ Genesis 2:16–17
God does not simply command us to do things. Neither does He desire for us to be the only ones speaking during prayer. He desires a relationship with us that involves an ongoing cycle of communication—listening, responding, receiving guidance, and taking obedient action. Through this continual exchange, we develop and deepen our relationship with Him.
Genesis 18:22–33 provides a clear example of what we would recognize as prayer: Abraham openly bringing his concerns before God, interceding on behalf of others, asking questions, and persistently appealing to God’s mercy and righteousness.
Genesis 18:22–33
The men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before Yahweh.
Abraham came near, and said, “Will You consume the righteous with the wicked?
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will You consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
May it be far from You to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous would be like the wicked. May that be far from You. Won’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.”
Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will You destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
He spoke to Him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”
He said, “Oh, don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”
He said, “Oh, don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
Yahweh went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
The True Nature of Prayer
At its core, prayer is communication between God and an individual or a group of people. It is a two-way conversation—much more than a one-way monologue in which we simply speak to God without taking time to listen, reflect, take notes, seek His guidance, and discern His will.
During prayer, we listen and respond when appropriate.
Prayer (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 2003, p. 20)
Dialogue between God and people, especially His covenant partners.
Dialogue (Collins Dictionary, n.d.)
(1) a talking together; conversation.
(2) interchange and discussion of ideas, esp. when open and frank, as in seeking mutual understanding or harmony.
If we approach prayer with no intention of listening to God, we miss out on the best part of our relationship with the Lord.
Who Is Dominating the Conversation?
Take a moment to reflect on your prayer life. Think about the times you have come before God—your words, your requests, your concerns, and your desires.
Because what God has to say is far more important than what we have to say, we should approach prayer with reverence and humility, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us throughout our time of prayer—from beginning to end.
How we approach a conversation matters. Consider how you would feel if someone began speaking to you in an unfriendly or disrespectful tone. Would you feel comfortable? Would you feel respected? Would you be receptive to what they had to say? Similarly, we must be mindful of how we approach God. We should approach Him with reverence, humility, and a heart that seeks to please Him.
Most people do not recognize that conversations must be handled with care; otherwise, those involved may feel ignored, disrespected, or unheard and may become unwilling to engage in future conversations.
Question to Ponder
If you are doing all the talking during your time with God, what are your actions truly demonstrating?
They may be communicating, “I do not want to hear what God has to say. Only my words matter.”
This may not be the message you intend to convey to God, but it is the message your actions may be conveying to your Creator.
Your prayer life should demonstrate not only that you desire to speak to God, but also that you are willing to listen to Him.
We must be mindful that, just as we have emotions because we are made in the image and likeness of God, our Father also possesses and expresses emotions. Scripture reveals that God loves, grieves, takes pleasure, and shows compassion.
Jesus wept. John 11:35
Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13
Therefore, how we approach Him and communicate with Him matters. Our words, attitudes, and actions should reflect reverence, humility, love, and a genuine desire to please Him.
God’s WiFi
Prayer can be described as a direct Wi-Fi connection —one that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
You do not need to see a Wi-Fi signal traveling through the air to know that the connection is working. In the same way, you do not need a physical manifestation of God to know that He is present and working. What is unseen is still real and active.
Unlike a Wi-Fi connection, however, God’s availability is never limited, and His signal never weakens. The issue is not whether God is connected to us; the question is whether we are drawing near to Him.
The more we pray, seek God, listen to Him, and abide in His presence, the more we cultivate our relationship with Him.
Just as moving closer to a Wi-Fi router can strengthen a signal, drawing closer to God strengthens our awareness of His presence, guidance, and direction.
Continue to part 3…. Prayer Is a Dialogue - What Prayer Is