Matthew 6:7-8
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
If God knows what we need before we ask Him, then why do we need to ask? If heaping up empty phrases is silly because God knows it all already, then why hazard one phrase? The Bible says at one point that the Holy Spirit fixes our prayers before they get to God. If we can’t call His attention to something He doesn’t already know, and what attempts we make are so broken they need to be cleaned up, why go through with prayer at all?
Because praying has a great effect on us too. How it affects God is beyond our understanding, because God is beyond our understanding. But we do know that prayer changes us. The action changes the way we think, and the way we feel about the Lord.
Prayer prompt: Lord, in my praying, teach my heart to desire and depend on You.