If God already knows everything, what is the point of praying? It is one of the most honest questions a believer can ask. This past Sunday, Pastor Christian Henry brought a fresh, personal, and grounded message that tackled that question head on. Here is a recap of what he shared.
You Were Created to Pray
Before anything else, Pastor Christian made one thing clear. Prayer is not just a spiritual discipline. It is part of how we were made.
Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created mankind in his own image. That is not just biology. It is spiritual. From the very beginning, human beings were designed to be in relationship with God. The very first prayer on earth was not hands folded before a meal. It was Adam and Eve walking side by side with God in the garden, having a real conversation with him.
That longing for connection with God is still in us. Even some atheists admit to praying. Not because it makes sense to them, but because there is something deep inside every person that reaches for something greater than themselves. We were wired for it.
We Are Commanded to Pray
Pastor Christian was straightforward on this point. We do not just pray because it feels good. We pray because God tells us to. And that is a good enough reason.
First Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. Not just in the morning. Not just at church. All the time. John 15:5 reminds us that without Christ, we can do nothing. A life without prayer is a life disconnected from the source of everything we need.
Pastor Christian asked a simple but convicting question: before you Googled it, before you called a friend who was going to tell you what you wanted to hear, did you pray about it? That question landed. Because so many of us skip prayer and go straight to the convenient answer instead of the right one.
Your Prayers Actually Do Something
This is where Pastor Christian went deep. Does prayer actually change anything if God already has a plan?
He pointed to Exodus 32 where Moses interceded for the Israelites after they worshiped a golden calf. God heard Moses. The situation changed. Then he walked us through Daniel chapter 10 where Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days. He did not even know it, but a spiritual battle was happening around him. The angel Michael showed up and told Daniel that from the very first day he prayed, his words were heard. His prayers were actively helping in a war he could not see.
Your prayers matter. They are heard. They are working in ways you cannot always see.
Prayer Is More Than a Wish List
Pastor Christian anchored the heart of the message in John chapter 4, the story of the woman at the well. On the surface it looks like a simple encounter. But if prayer is a conversation with God, then this is exactly a story about prayer.
The woman came to the well with a physical need. She was isolated, ashamed, and just trying to get through the day. She had no idea she was walking into a divine appointment. Jesus did not wait for her to have the right words or the right life. He pursued her.
And as their conversation went deeper, something shifted. She stopped talking about water. She started talking about worship. She stopped thinking about her immediate need and started recognizing who she was actually talking to.
That is what prayer does. You go in with one thing and God meets you with something better. You bring your rent payment and you leave with peace. You bring your health scare and you leave with hope. You bring your grief and you leave knowing you are not alone.
Pastor Christian shared something personal here. After losing his baby last fall, his wife Laura wrestled with God in prayer through real pain and confusion. And in that place, she heard a quiet whisper: “I am not just Lord of you. I am Lord of all.” God was not absent. He was working in ways bigger than their moment.
Leave the Jar on the Ground
At the end of the story, the woman left her water jar behind. She went into town and told everyone she met about Jesus. She came for water. She left with something she could not carry in a jar.
Pastor Christian closed with a challenge that was hard to shake. He shared a prayer from Jonathan Evans that stopped him cold. The prayer went something like this: Lord, even if you never answered another prayer, you already did enough by sending Jesus to die on the cross.
That reframes everything. Prayer is not a transaction. It is communion. The goal is not to get what you came for. The goal is to be in the presence of Jesus. And according to Pastor Christian, that is always enough.
There’s a Seat for You
Whether you are brand new to faith or you have been praying your whole life and still have questions, you belong here. We are a church that believes prayer is not the last resort. It is the first place we go.
Plan Your Visit and come experience that for yourself. Or if you are ready to take a next step, Get Connected with our church family. We would love to walk alongside you.