Why Did Jesus Have to Pray to God?
There are people that honestly and sincerely want to know the answer to this question. It is a question of innocence, assuming that God would not need to pray to Himself, even if represented as three persons of the Trinity. To those who in this category, please read on.
However, please understand that this is also a very common question that members of organizations like the Jehovah's Witnesses ask. They question basic Christian doctrine and even modify their scriptures to reflect what they want to believe. Because they do not believe in the Trinity and deny the deity of Jesus, they challenge Christians with questions like, "Why did Jesus have to pray to God?"
Unfortunately, many Christians do not know how to answer this question. The most common answer I have heard is that Jesus prayed to God simply as an example for us. I have no doubt that Jesus provided an example for us, however, I believe the real answer is so much wider than this answer. Before reading any further, how would answer this question? Please pause a moment and decide on what you think is the best answer. If you can, try to think of Scriptures that support your answer. We'll wait for you. ☺
The heart of the answer is expressed in Galatians 4:4-5: "