“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:12–13 (BSB)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” — Matthew 7:7–8 (BSB)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6–7 (BSB)
I pray because I need God. I need His forgiveness, wisdom, power, and comfort. I pray to align my heart with His will, to receive what He longs to give, and to grow in trust. Whether in joy or sorrow, abundance or lack, prayer is how I abide in Christ and walk with Him daily.
Canon Dr. Joel Scandrett (Trinity School for Ministry) writes, “We pray because God has made Himself available. He listens, He speaks, He responds. To pray is to live in the presence of the living God.”
Bishop Julian Dobbs (Diocese of the Living Word, ACNA) explains, “We do not pray to inform God, but to draw near to Him. Prayer is how a dependent soul clings to its King, even when no words can be spoken.”
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer reflects this reality by filling the life of the Church with daily and weekly rhythms of prayer—morning and evening, public and private, intercession and thanksgiving. Its Collects teach us to ask boldly, reverently, and trustingly for all that we need.
J.C. Ryle wrote, “We pray because we must. As breathing is to the body, so prayer is to the soul. Without it, a man may have a form of religion, but he cannot have spiritual life.” (Practical Religion, 1878)
Archbishop Foley Beach (ACNA) has said, “We pray not because God is far away, but because He is near. Prayer is where we find grace, direction, and the presence of Jesus Himself.”
I pray because Christ invites me, the Spirit helps me, and the Father delights to hear me.
St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD): “Prayer is the anchor of the soul, a shield, a weapon, a fountain of joy. We pray because without it we perish.” — Homily on Matthew, 19
St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604 AD): “The more we love God, the more we long to speak with Him. Prayer is the breath of that love.” — Homilies on Ezekiel, 2.2
St. Basil the Great (c. 330–379 AD): “Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. We pray not to change God, but that we may be changed by Him.” — On the Holy Spirit, 26
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
PO Box 873
Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
