Scripture: Matthew 6:33–34
Jesus didn’t say, “Ask first for things.” He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” That means prayer isn’t meant to be a moment of “give me, give me, give me.” Prayer is first a relationship—a place where you learn God’s ways, enjoy His presence, and let His Kingdom shape your heart.
Think about Adam and Eve in the Garden. They had everything they could ever need or want, yet they communed with God. They weren’t anxious. They weren’t lacking. Yet God came to fellowship with them. That shows us something: the highest purpose of prayer is communion—being with God, knowing Him, loving Him, and learning His heart. So, for Adam and Eve, they prayed by communing with God.
Aside from turning prayer into a time of constantly asking stuff from God, many have also made it a legalistic activity. When prayer becomes legalistic, it produces guilt: “I didn’t pray today, so I’m a bad Christian or God isn’t happy with me anymore.” But real prayer sounds like love: “God, I missed You. I want to be with you.” It isn’t a tug-of-war, and it isn’t “bombarding heaven.” Heaven isn’t your enemy. We should only bombard the enemy’s camp, not where our help comes from. The goal is not to fight God into blessing you. The goal is to walk with the Giver, and watch the “things” get added as you seek Him first.
Prayer should not be a legalistic obligation that produces guilt (e.g., “I didn’t pray today, so I’m a bad Christian or God isn’t happy with me anymore”). It should also be more than a constant list of requests to God. True prayer is motivated by love: “God, I missed You. I want to be with you.” It is not a battle against God or "bombarding heaven," because heaven is not the enemy. Our focus should be on fighting the enemy's camp, not the source of our help. The goal of prayer isn't to force God to bless you. Instead, the purpose is to walk closely with the Giver, and as you seek Him first, you will see the "things" you need added to you.