by Rob Globke

Prayer is very important. There is nothing earth shattering about this statement. (Unless you think about the reality that when you pray in Christ you are talking to the creator of the Universe. That is pretty earth shattering!). Most people know and understand the importance of prayer. Many have grown up praying before meals. Others pray when something major happens or is about to happen in their lives. For others, prayer is something you do before you go to bed. Regardless how you pray, it's important that you pray. Prayer is familiar to many, many people.

But here lies our first question? WHY? Why is it important for someone to pray? Why must we pray?

We can pray and pray and pray for many different reasons.

• To get what we want
• Because we are in a desperate situation
• It's what we have always done or what your family has done
• Because someone told you it was a good idea

The reasons for prayer can come from all over as you can see. But for the Christian, our thinking about prayer should start first and foremost in God's Word, the Bible. It is in this book where we find the real reasons behind prayer. Let's take a look at 5 of those reasons today:

#1 - Jesus tells us to:
We really can't say much here...we will just let Jesus and Paul do the talking.

Matthew 26:41 
"Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

Luke 18:1 
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Ephesians 6:18 
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

#2 - Glorify God through Prayer
Many people love John  14:13 because of the first statement, "I will give you whatever you ask in my name..." This reality is pretty cool and a great reason to pray, but if you stop here you miss the real reason we should pray. The rest of John 14:13 says, "SO THAT the Father [God] will be glorified in the Son." The words "so that" mark the true reason why we would ask anything of God in prayer. We pray so that God will be glorified. He will be glorified by proving he is a good Father who gives us all the heavenly blessings (eph. 1). He will be glorified because he will show his power that he alone can satisfy all we ask or imagine. Pray to glorify God.

#3 - To Thank God
Imagine getting the best gift you could ever imagine. Now, what would you say to the person giving you this gift. Perhaps you might open it and walk away....don't think so. Maybe you would yell at them and say, "Why would you do this, I wanted to buy this on my own." Most definitely not. You would probably be filled with so much joy you couldn't help but scream "THANK YOU". It is the same with God. He gave us the best give possible. His Son to die for our sins. He also continues to give us other great gifts. A place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear. In any culture not saying thank you would be downright rude. A thankful heart naturally wants to reach out the one who made them thankful. This is why we pray.

#4 - Take care of our needs and the needs of others
The game of hockey can be a very rough sport and injuries are inevitable. When professional players get injured, they don't walk around trying to avoid help. These guys are surrounded by top trainers and doctors so that when they do get hurt....there is somebody there to help them. When you are in trouble or hurting don't try to go it alone. Go to God in prayer. The same can be said for your teammates on and off the ice. If they need help, it's always best to talk to them and take their needs before God. 

1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

#5 - Ask for Forgiveness
1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." When we make mistakes, which are unavoidable for us humans, we need to say we are sorry. We say sorry to our teammates, to our friends, to our coach, to our parents, and anybody else who we have wronged. When you commit a wrong before God, it's always a good practice to come before him and apologize for the wrong committed. The great thing about this; God promises us He will forgive us and purify us from our sins. That is pretty cool. No need to run and hide. If you are going to run when you make a mistake, make sure you run to your Heavenly Father in prayer.

Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for future installments in our "prayer" series. We love feedback, so if you have any questions or comments about prayer, leave them in the comments below and we will get back with you right away.

Part 2 "Where do Hockey Players Pray"

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