If God already has a plan for us, why bother asking for physical needs in prayer?
Good Question. It feels like training for a game that has already happened! First of all, we have to accept on some level that there is a mystery about all of this we’re just not going to understand this side of heaven. I’m glad we don't have to understand prayer in order to pray.
It's a beautiful mystery, that always reminds me of fly fishing. I love fly fishing. The almost weightless artificial lure is carried through the air by the weight of the line. Body mind and soul seem to come together in a rhythm as the angler pulls back the long line giving it just enough time to straighten out. Then pushes the line forward and waits for something to happen. Over and over in a beautiful rhythm pull back, push forward. And wait. It is a picture to me, of prayer as we ruthless pursue time and space for God in our lives in rhythm pulling back, taking time to let our life straighten out, push forward in faith, and wait.
You are right we sure don't pray to inform God. We can't tell Him anything He doesn't know. Prayer isn’t for God. It’s for us. It molds us into his image. It helps restore us to God’s likeness, which is what this life on earth is really all about.
The following leaders were asked this question here is their response:
"Why pray?" You might as well ask, "why breathe"? Prayer is like inhaling the good and exhaling the ugly, you can't live without it" C.S. Lewis
"We pray because, by intuition or experience, we understand that perfect peace comes only through relating with the Peacemaker himself." Bill Hybels
My simple answer to “why pray when God knows everything”. Because Jesus prayed, and I want to try and follow Him with my one and only life on earth. Jesus began his ministry with prayer (Luke 3:21), and ended with prayer (Mark 15:38-39). He prayed before every major event in his life, before, during, and after crisis he slipped away to pray. Prayer was a priority to Jesus he even left huge crowds with needs to talk to God. Dann Spader reminds us,” Prayer was central to who Jesus was, central to His being fully human. It was a way for Jesus to renew His energy and determine His next step."
His disciples knew that it was prayer that made Jesus different from all other leaders. They didn't ask him to teach them how to heal the sick, feed 5,000 people, or calm the storms. They said, "Teach us to pray like you do."
Thanks for your question, it reminds me to constantly ask myself, "what do I need to adjust in my life of following Jesus”? To follow the example of Jesus in this mysterious, incredible, gift of prayer with God who is, was, and is to come, my friend.
For more on this question check out:
Tom Ellsworth's sermon on 8/27/17 (Curious/Why Does God Allow Suffering?)
Too Busy Not To Pray by Bill Hybels