Why should a worship service contain these different kinds of prayers (praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession)?
- A Christian worship service should contain different kinds of prayers so that the church would worship God rightly. God is inherently worthy of our praise, so we should praise him in prayer (Ps. 135:3). God is the giver of every good and perfect gift (Jas. 1:17), so we should thank him. God is the holy Lord of the universe, so we should confess our sins to him (Dan. 9; Neh. 9). God is a wise, all-powerful, and loving Father, so we should make requests of him and intercede with him on behalf of others (Matt. 7:7-11; Phil. 4:6).
- A Christian worship service should contain different kinds of prayers so that Christians will learn how to pray. By having spiritually mature individuals lead the whole congregation in a variety of prayers each week, the church will teach Christians how to praise God, and thank God, and confess their sins to God, and bring petitions to God in a way that honors and glorifies him. In this way, church members will learn how to pray biblically and broadly.
