Why Pray?

     It’s almost Fall!  The tell tale signs surround “A Friendly Shade.”  The leaves are beginning to fall; some even have a hint of changing colors.   Even though I don’t always enjoy the weather in any given season, I do love the changing of the seasons.  I am so glad that God is in control.  How do I know this?  He tells us in Isaiah 40:7 “ The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them…”
     My next question is  the same as the author from In Touch, “If God is in control of all things why does He ask us to pray?"  We already knows that God knows all, controls all, can do all, and give all?
     Since I am not a Bible scholar, I went back and reviewed my weekly IN Touch devotional for an answer and found in the September, 2014 publication a few things the author wrote, as follows:
     "God desires to involve His children in the work He is doing.  Prayer helps us maintain a sense of dependence upon our Father and leads to a deepening intimacy with Him. God desires to bring us into agreement with His will.  The more our plans line up with His, the more He is able to accomplish in and through our life.”
     I also found in Matthew 26:41 that Jesus says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”   
     On further reflection, even Jesus prayed, and He knew the Father’s will.  He prayed in a solitary place.  Mark 1:35 tells us, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”  Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Then in John 17:1 we are told he asked, “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”   
     Jesus actually gave us so much insight into what and how we should pray.  He even gave us examples of His own prayer life.    He prayed when even- “He knew!”