Prayer: What's the point?

This kind of hit home to me this past Sunday. As I mentioned in my previous post, the church we were pastoring died. Now, we are going to a new church that is great. One thing I don't like, though, is the prayer time. It seems like it's the "let's-catch-up-on-the-gossip-of-the-church" time. Someone said (and the names have been changed, maybe), "The Doddleberry family isn't here this morning. They're having real problems. I don't know what they are, but they are going through some rough times." Gack! My wife said she almost stood up and said, "Be QUIET!" which isn't like her at all.

But that brings me to my question. What is the point of prayer?

This is how some view it:

• It's a laundry list of wants. We toddle up to Santa God with our wish list of this, that and the other thing. Hopefully he sees that we've been good boys and girls, and we get all the cool presents we asked for.
• It's gossip time. How is brother Elmo's flaky rash that he has on his butt?
• It's candy time. We slide onto the lap of forgetul old geezer God and ask for a piece of candy. He seems to forget that it has been ages since we visited, but he's so happy to see us that he reaches into his pocket to give us pepperment flavored disc of sugar.

Is that all there is to prayer? I hope not.

In thinking about all this, I asked myself, "Self, why do you talk to that beautiful wife you have?"

I replied to myself, "Well, self, I want to get to know her better. Sure, we've been married quite a while, but I still learn things about her. Even when she's out of town, we talk on the phone."

I talk to and spend time with her to know. Isn't it the same with God. My wife is finite creature (albeit a gorgeous one). God is infinite. If I learn things about my finite wife after over a decade of marriage, how much more can I expect to learn about God. If talking to wife makes me closer to her, doesn't prayer bring me closer to God.

Prayer is less about we what can squeeze out of God, and more about getting closer to him.