This was the title of a sermon I heard last Sunday and I thought I would share some insights about it. You often hear people say, and I've said it too, "why pray if God already knows everything?". It's a legitimate question and something I think God wants us to wrestle with. But regardless of all the questions we might have about why we should pray, or how we should pray, we continue to do so because we can't help but connect with the One who created us. The message was a good reminder that God wants us to be real, honest, and completely unmasked before Him.  I've been a Christian since 7th grade and have become very good at putting on a mask in front of others that I start to fake it before God.  How refreshing it was to be reminded that God wants us to be totally authentic with Him. He wants us when we are wounded, suffering, doubtful, mad, and on and on. What a relief that I don't have to put on a mask for Him. Something the speaker said that I loved was that prayer allows us to embrace our smallness and lean into God's bigness. Something about that statement makes me feel so protected and at peace. It makes me feel like nothing in the world can get to me as long as I'm leaning into my Father. Why pray? Because it gives us a clearer perspective and reminds us that we are small. Why pray? Because He wants to know us inside and out and although He already does, He wants to hear it from us. Why pray? Because Jesus told us to. James 5:16 says, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." By no means do I have a perfect prayer life and I feel like sometimes I'm not even sure how to pray or what to say but I do know that I want to know the Lord more every day and I want to fall deeper in love with Him. For this reason, I will talk to Him as I am and ask Him to make
me more like Jesus. I love the worship song Majesty and these are the lyrics of the chorus:

Majesty, Majesty

Your grace has found me just as I am

Empty handed, but alive in Your hands

Majesty, Majesty

Forever I am changed by Your love

In the presence of your Majesty

I feel like there is so much more to learn about what God wants for us when it comes to prayer. I'm excited to talk to all of my Africa teammates about prayer and I know I will learn so much from all of you!