Understanding the Heart of Prayer

Matthew 6:8 reads: "Be not, therefore, like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before ye ask him."

When Jesus says, "Be not therefore like unto them," He’s talking about the way people typically approach prayer in a misguided way. Some people pray to be seen by others, like the hypocrites who stand in public places and pray loudly to gain attention. Others, like the Gentiles, think that repeating prayers over and over with many words will get God's attention or somehow force Him to act. Jesus is saying, don’t fall into those patterns. Don't think that prayer is about impressing others or using the right formula of words to move God.

Instead, He shifts our focus by saying that "your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him." This is such a powerful statement, because it reminds us that prayer isn’t about convincing God to notice our needs or persuading Him to act. God is already fully aware of what we need. Before we even ask, He knows. This is a reflection of God’s deep care and intimate knowledge of us.

Think about this for a moment—God already knows every detail of your life, every struggle, every joy, and every need. He knows what’s weighing on your heart before you even put it into words. This can be both comforting and freeing because it means we don’t have to perform for God or make ourselves look a certain way in our prayers. We don't have to try and force God’s hand with a particular formula or strategy in prayer. He’s not a distant deity who is unaware of us or indifferent to our circumstances. He is deeply involved in every aspect of our lives.

But why, then, should we pray if God already knows what we need? Prayer isn’t about telling God what He doesn’t know—it’s about coming into alignment with His will, building a relationship with Him, and expressing our trust in Him. Prayer is an act of surrender. We acknowledge that we are dependent on God, that He knows what’s best for us, and that we trust Him to provide, even when we might not fully understand how or when.

When we realize that God knows our needs before we ask, it also teaches us about His character. He is not a reactive God who only responds after we make our requests. He’s proactive, already aware of everything in our lives. His love for us is so deep that He sees our needs before we can even articulate them. It’s not that we don’t need to ask, but that asking is an invitation to come closer to God, to acknowledge that He is our provider, and to trust that He is always working on our behalf, even when we can’t see it.

This also takes the pressure off of us when we pray. It’s not about performing or finding the perfect words; it’s about being honest and sincere with God. Prayer doesn’t have to be a polished, perfected act. You don’t need to worry about whether your words sound "right" or whether you’re asking for the "right" thing. God already knows what you need. And that’s incredibly freeing because it means we can approach God with all our raw emotions, doubts, questions, and even our uncertainties.

When Jesus says, "before you ask him," it’s a reminder that God’s timing is different from ours. He’s not bound by our schedules, and His answers are not always immediate. Just because we haven’t asked yet doesn’t mean God hasn’t already been working on our behalf. Sometimes the delay in our requests is not a sign of God’s absence, but a sign of His perfect timing and greater wisdom. His knowledge of our needs goes beyond what we understand in the moment. So, even when we don’t see immediate answers, we can trust that He knows exactly when and how to respond.

Finally, this teaching brings us to the heart of what prayer is really about. It’s not about manipulating God or trying to get Him to act on our behalf by saying the right things. It’s about relationship. Prayer is the way we connect with God. We bring our hearts, our burdens, our desires, and even our disappointments before Him, knowing that He hears us and understands us in ways we can’t even fully comprehend. God is not distant; He’s present. He cares for us. And even before we ask, He is already at work in our lives, working out His good will for us.

So when Jesus teaches us that God knows our needs before we ask, He’s inviting us into a deeper, more trusting relationship with God. We’re not trying to impress God with our prayers, and we’re not trying to convince Him to listen. We are simply coming before Him, acknowledging that He is our Father who knows and loves us deeply. In that place of trust and surrender, prayer becomes not a task, but a beautiful way to be in fellowship with God. It becomes an act of intimacy, where we align our hearts with His, and trust that He will always provide for us in ways that are best, even when we don’t fully understand why things unfold the way they do.