God is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows my need and loves me. Then why should I pray? Rev. Kou Shaohao, the senior pastor of First Morning Light Chinese Christian Church, shed light on the topic "Faith and life".
A similar question is that why should I pray if my prayer topic accords with God's will, God will do it even if I don't pray; if it goes against his will, God won't do it no mater how much I pray.
Pastor Kou thinks a man with this question regards praying as a function to beg God for something. In the beginning of faith, Christians may pray to God in this way . While getting more mature, Christians understand that God loves them and gave His son to them even sinners as they are so that they know God won't answer their prayer unless they pray hard. On the basis the purpose of praying is to draw near to God.
Kou states that one can know God's will through the Bible, while he may be not pleased to follow it. When having intimacy with God in prayers, one is willing to follow God's words from his heart.
Kou reminds Christians to remember two critical principles in praying:
1. Don't tell God what you want to do but to pray for what God wants you to do. & 2. don't atempt to change the Lord but change yourselves.
Praying is not telling God to conduct your plan but listening to the Lord what he wants you to do. Neither is it changing the Lord through prayers. It is changing yourself in prayers and obeying God's words.
About methods of prayer, Kou thinks it's ok to pray with sound or in silence, to stand or to sit, with eyes open or closed. Your heart matters. It's important to establish a close relationship with God in prayer.
