Prayer as Worship
Thesis:
Prayer, in its proper context, is a surrendering of the will to God and an act of worship rather than a transactional means of receiving favors.
1. The Nature of Prayer in Scripture
Prayer, as depicted in the Bible, is primarily about alignment with God's will rather than changing God’s mind or securing personal benefits. The Lord’s Prayer, the model given by Christ, immediately establishes this:
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..." (Matt 6:9-10)
The priority is first adoration (hallowing God’s name), then submission to His will. Only after that does it address daily needs.
Christ in Gethsemane:
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42)
This is the purest form of prayer—not petitioning for personal deliverance but yielding to divine will.
The common thread in biblical prayers is offering oneself to God rather than attempting to extract something from Him.
2. Prayer as Worship: The Liturgical Foundation
The Mass, which is the highest form of prayer, is not centered on requests but on worship:
Eucharistia (Thanksgiving):
The entire structure of the Mass is an act of self-offering, not a session of asking. The high point is the Consecration, where the Church joins Christ’s own self-giving to the Father.
The Preface of the Mass states: "It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give You thanks, Lord, holy Father."
The Psalms as a Model of Worship in Prayer:
While the Psalms contain petitions, the overwhelming majority are hymns of praise, surrender, and trust (e.g., "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!" - Ps 103:1).
Even lamentations ultimately turn toward surrender ("Into Your hands I commit my spirit." - Ps 31:5).
When the Church prays, it does not fundamentally ask, it offers—adoration, thanksgiving, and surrender.
3. The Early Church on Prayer as Surrender
A. Augustine: Prayer Transforms Us, Not God
Augustine frames prayer as a means of conforming ourselves to God, not changing His will:
"Prayer is not meant to instruct God, but to change the heart of the one who prays." (Letter 130)
This is key: If prayer is only about asking, then it implies God must be convinced to do good. But God is already perfect and all-good. Instead, prayer molds us into receptivity for His grace.
B. St. John Chrysostom: Worship Over Requests
Chrysostom emphasizes that the highest form of prayer is praise, not petition:
"Nothing is more powerful than the prayer which is purely offered as thanksgiving. If one were to constantly thank God, even without asking anything, he would receive far greater blessings than if he were only to beg." (Homily on Matthew)
This dismantles the transactional mindset—we receive by giving.
4. The Role of Supplication (Petition) in Prayer
This does not mean we never ask. The Church allows and encourages supplication (cf. Phil 4:6), but asking must be rightly ordered:
God already knows what we need (Matt 6:8) – Prayer isn’t about informing Him but entrusting ourselves to Him.
If our will is not surrendered, petitions are self-serving.
James 4:3 warns: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Petition should be secondary to worship.
Even when we ask, we should do so in the spirit of surrender ("Not my will but Yours be done." - Luke 22:42).
The Catechism reinforces this:
"Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God." (CCC 2559)
Note the order—first, raising the heart to God (worship), then requests.
5. Conclusion: The Heart of Prayer Is Worship and Surrender
If prayer were primarily about requests, it would reduce God to a cosmic vending machine. Instead, the true essence of prayer is:
Adoration – Recognizing God’s sovereignty.
Thanksgiving – Acknowledging His goodness.
Surrender – Offering our will to Him.
Petition, but rightly ordered – Seeking alignment with His divine plan.
Thus, prayer is not a method of acquisition but of participation in divine life. It is not getting, but giving. True prayer is the offering of oneself in union with Christ, in whom we receive everything.