It’s a beautiful question, and one that reveals a longing already placed in your heart by God Himself. Many people ask, “If God knows everything, why should I pray?” Yet behind this question lies a deeper truth: prayer is not about informing God of our needs, but about entering into relationship with Him.
From the very beginning, God has desired communion with His children. In the book of Genesis, we see the Lord walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. That image tells us something profound: God doesn’t stay distant or silent—He draws near. He invites us to speak with Him not because He needs our words, but because we need His presence. Through prayer, we learn to listen, to trust, and to love as He loves.
When we speak to God, something in our hearts begins to change. We are not just talking to Him; we are allowing Him to form us from within. Jesus often withdrew to pray, even though He was one with the Father. He did this to show us what it means to live in constant communion with God. In the Gospels, He says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). Every invitation to speak with God is also an invitation to discover how deeply we are loved.
The Church teaches that prayer is both a gift and a response. God speaks first—through Scripture, through the beauty of creation, through the quiet movements of our conscience—and we answer Him. When we pray, we are saying, “Lord, I’m here. I trust You. Teach me to love.” It’s a conversation that draws heaven and earth together.
Even when we don’t have the right words, God listens. St. Paul tells us that “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). That means even our silence can be prayer, when our hearts are turned toward Him. God’s desire is not that we impress Him with eloquence, but that we open our hearts to His transforming love.
So why does God invite us to speak with Him? Because love always seeks communion. Just as a parent longs to hear a child’s voice—not for information, but for closeness—God delights in hearing us speak to Him. Prayer is the way He draws us into the life of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s not about words, but about relationship, and it’s through this living relationship that we are slowly remade in His image.
Each time you pray, imagine the Father listening with tenderness, the Son walking beside you, and the Spirit praying within you.
May your heart never tire of speaking with the One who has loved you from the beginning.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
