Miki Abe
Family Education Department
The Purpose of Prayer
Prayer, the word, and practice (of the word) are three of the essential factors in our lives of faith. Just as breathing, eating, and physical activity are the basis for a healthy life on Earth, we need the spiritual breathing of prayer, the spiritual food of the word, and the spiritual activity of living for the sake of others for our spiritual lives and the maturation of our spiritual bodies.
Among these, prayer is our dialogue with the Heavenly Parent (God), and it is a privilege and ability only bestowed upon humankind. I believe the fact that human beings are the only ones capable of sharing their minds and hearts directly with God is a testament of how prayer is the greatest thing we can do, and that it is the core activity of living as a human being.
Prayer allows us to restore the lost parent-child relationship originally intended with God. Meanwhile, it is also necessary to separate from Satan and sever our ties with him as we are able to purify our tainted hearts through prayer. This surely means that we can regain the “original standard of conscience” and unify our minds.
In addition, “cheongseong from prayer” is necessary in order to accomplish the purpose of creation, especially when overcoming various difficulties and problems, or when achieving a goal or realizing one’s hope.
