struggling with prayer and Gods will

Waltah

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I've been praying for discernment and understanding of this latey and I continue to struggle. Being that God is all knowing and already knows whats going to happen, what is the purpose of my prayer if whatever is going to happen, happens? I'm really having a hard time with this and keep running in circles.

I know not to lean on my own understanding and to trust in God but I cant get out of this funk...
 
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Kwood

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Personally I tend to view my prayer as a way of showing my faith towards God. I acknowledge and trust Him that He is listening to my every need.

1 John 5:14-15 : This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.


Sure we can easily go about saying "God knows my needs, so what's the point in praying? He'll grant them to me according to his will." But that would be self-destructive, we slowly lose our relationship with the Lord, and even become prideful.

Jesus certainly knew His Father's plan, and what was to come, but He still prayed. Luke 18:1-8 tells us of a parable that Jesus told his disciples: Praying and never give up.

Prayer can also be a way for God's work to be more effective; no God doesn't depend on anyone or anything, but if we do not pray at times we could be harmfully quenching the Spirit of God.

Overall, prayer should demonstrate (not only) a believer's trust, dependance and faith in God.

Keep trusting in Him Brother, God will make a way.
 
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kidwboro

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God is sovereign, yes. But at the same time, he commands you to ask him whatever you will. Either way, his will be done.

If you pray for the Holy Spirit, he will give it to you. Then that is his will.

If you don't pray for the Holy Spirit, then you won't receive. Then that would still be his will.

Romans 10:12 says the Lord is rich unto all that call upon him.

James 4:2 says you have not because you asked not.

If you are persistent in prayer, God will grant you the good things you desire: discernment, wisdom, the Holy Spirit, and many other things.

Matthew 7:7-8 says:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
 
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tturt

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Waltah, I understand what you're saying. I don't understand all the ins and outs of it - it seems like Yahweh would just do what He wants and puzzled at how and why He includes us. So one way I view prayer as surrendering/yielding to Yahweh and in this process I'm acknowledging Him because of who He is. He says "pray without ceasing" ([FONT=&quot]II Th[/FONT] 5:17) and "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, ..." (Eph 6:18). So setting aside the mental and emotional hindrances to prayer, Scripture says "If we love Him, we'll keep His commandments" (John 14:15).

Also, I try to pray in line with Scripture because His Word is His will.
 
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Intheboat

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You can ask God to show you how to get through this confusion and then wait and see what comes your way.

I'd been in a " funk " too for some days about how weak I have been feeling as a Christian then; on public transport on my way to work today God just asked " Do you trust me?" and I had to try hard not to let the tears roll down. What he meant was - why are YOU trying to be God to people around you, it's not your job - just draw near TO your God. It is rare for God to speak like that to me.

He loves us and wants us to understand him well and be cliose. Have no fear of that.
 
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thesunisout

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I've been praying for discernment and understanding of this latey and I continue to struggle. Being that God is all knowing and already knows whats going to happen, what is the purpose of my prayer if whatever is going to happen, happens? I'm really having a hard time with this and keep running in circles.

I know not to lean on my own understanding and to trust in God but I cant get out of this funk...

You are leaning on your own understanding by assuming that "whatever is going to happen, happens". If that were true, we would be nothing more than robots executing a program. If we were nothing more than robots, God wouldn't have bothered with all of this. He would have just created robots that would obey His will every time. No, He gave us free will, and the reason that the world is like the way it is, is because we have real choices in this life. The fact that His Son came to die for us is proof of that. Do you think God would have subjected His Son to the cross if it wasn't to save us from a desperate situation that we ourselves are responsible for?

In scripture, God doesn't tell us how His foreknowledge interacts with our free will. What God tells us is what we need to know, and if we needed to know that, it would be in the bible. What is important is that we do as He instructed us, and prayer is part of that. Prayer is lot more than trying to get God to give you want you want, by the way. Prayer is communion with God. Don't you ever feel like pouring your heart out to God and being in communion with Him? Don't you ever feel like praising Him? It is tragic if this is what is shipwrecking you because prayer is so much more than that.

I also don't think you've carefully considered this issue, because there are deeper levels. Think about it. If God knows everything that is going to happen, then why can't He do something different? Does God know everything He is ever going to do? If He does, why can't He throw it away and choose to do something different? You've only considered one side of the coin. The fact is, it's impossible for a temporal being to understand an eternal being. His ways are higher than our ways. You have been leaning on your own understanding by boxing God in with your assumptions. You can't nail Him down so don't even try. He is so much bigger than we are able to comprehend. Instead, give Him the benefit of the doubt, trust Him, and do as He asks.

Your struggle will end when you put it down, give it over to Him and say:

"Lord I don't understand this. I have decided I am going to trust you anyway, and if you do give me an answer, I understand it will be on your time and not mine. In the meantime I am going to keep doing what you told me to do, and trust in you with all my heart. Even if you don't give me an answer, I will still trust you Lord. I love you and thank you in Jesus name. Amen."
 
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Johnnz

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God often does not 'speak' when we are capable of thought, seeking advice and making a sensible decision. Often God's confirmation is that of assuring us that our conclusion is fine.

Prayer is an interaction with God in which we discover and sometimes help create or bring about God's influence into some situation, not merely following some cosmic 'blueprint'.

John
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dysert

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I've been praying for discernment and understanding of this latey and I continue to struggle. Being that God is all knowing and already knows whats going to happen, what is the purpose of my prayer if whatever is going to happen, happens? I'm really having a hard time with this and keep running in circles.

I know not to lean on my own understanding and to trust in God but I cant get out of this funk...
I empathize with your funk. I keep reminding myself of two things:
1. We are commanded to pray, so whether we think it's doing anything or not, we should still be obedient.
2. Since we are to pray for God's will, I see prayer as a way of practicing bending my will to His (instead of the other way around).
 
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Yahu

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I've been praying for discernment and understanding of this latey and I continue to struggle. Being that God is all knowing and already knows whats going to happen, what is the purpose of my prayer if whatever is going to happen, happens? I'm really having a hard time with this and keep running in circles.

I know not to lean on my own understanding and to trust in God but I cant get out of this funk...

IMO you see Yah (God) constrained by linear time as we are. I see Yah as being outside of time. He sees all of time from the beginning.

You also seem to think He is a god of control and makes everything that does happen to happen. I don't see it that way. He knows the final outcome but IMO also sees all possible futures based on our actions. He frames the outcome by His commands and the consequences for disobedience.

If you pray, pray that His will be done in your life not your will! He gave authority over the earth to man. We need to use that authority to empower His forces to bring about His will. Yeshua prayed that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. That implies that Yah's will is not always done on earth but is in Heaven. The way His will is done is via a willing vessel here on earth.
 
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Michaelismyname

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IMO you see Yah (God) constrained by linear time as we are. I see Yah as being outside of time. He sees all of time from the beginning.

You also seem to think He is a god of control and makes everything that does happen to happen. I don't see it that way. He knows the final outcome but IMO also sees all possible futures based on our actions. He frames the outcome by His commands and the consequences for disobedience.

If you pray, pray that His will be done in your life not your will! He gave authority over the earth to man. We need to use that authority to empower His forces to bring about His will. Yeshua prayed that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. That implies that Yah's will is not always done on earth but is in Heaven. The way His will is done is via a willing vessel here on earth.

:thumbsup:
 
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