Although God knows what we need, before we ask him, he has also commanded us to ask from him. Jesus said 'ask and you will receive'. Also, in the Epistle of James it says that we do not have, because we do not ask. So, obviously, God wants us to ask him for what we need, even if he knows beforehand, what we need.
the advice forum is not for debate, but since this applies (at least indirectly) to
BibleReader1985's question about prayer and God's will, i think it's appropriate to answer you here
Joh 16:12-33 KJV
(12) I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
(13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
(14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
(15) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
(16) A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
(17) Then said some of his disciples among themselves,
What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
(18) They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
(19)
Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them,
Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
(20) Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
(21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
(22) And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
(23) And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
(24) Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
(25) These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
(26) At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
(27) For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
(28) I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
(29) His disciples said unto him,
Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
(30) Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
(31) Jesus answered them,
Do ye now believe?
(32) Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
(33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
read verses 23 and 24 in context - in verses 17-19, the disciples didn't understand Jesus' statement about going to the Father, but were reluctant to ask Him about this - He explains that after His resurrection, they will not ask Him what He means, because He will no longer speak in 'proverbs' or parables - the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit) would teach them (verse 13) - the subject is
wisdom, not things we need in this life
Jas 4:1-4 KJV
(1) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
(2) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
(3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
(4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
the book of James is a continuous letter; in order to understand the context of James 4:2, you must go back to James 1:5:
Jas 1:5-6 KJV
(5)
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
the subject of James' letter is
wisdom
James said that they 'kill', they 'fight and war' - the Israelites of that day were trying to re-establish the physical Old Testament Kingdom by warring against the Romans (they weren't killing each other to get the things they needed); they weren't focused on establishing the New Testament Kingdom that Jesus came to establish:
Joh 18:33-36 KJV
(33) Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
(34) Jesus answered him, S
ayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
(35) Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
(36) Jesus answered,
My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
they could not establish the physical ('of this world') kingdom because they were asking God for this in error - they needed wisdom, not a physical kingdom - the subject is still
wisdom, not the things they needed in this life
Mat 6:27-34 KJV
(27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
(28) And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
(29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
(31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek ; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
(33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
remember that this is before Jesus resurrection; no one was reborn in Christ at this time - all were either heathens or more likely Israelite under the Old Testament law; these people had to ask God for everything, as they could not qualify for anything under the law - we qualify for everything as reborn believers who fulfill the perfection required by the law through faith in Jesus
2Pe 1:1-4 KJV
(1) Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
(2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
(3)
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
this plainly says that God has already given us all things that we need, and we receive those things 'through knowledge of Him' (
wisdom); and that by His exceedingly great and precious promises we are partakers (faith)
Mat 7:1-12 KJV
(1) Judge not, that ye be not judged.
(2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
(3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
(5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
(6) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
(7) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
(8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(9) Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
(10) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
(11) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(12) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
you have to go all the way back to Mat 4:25 to see who Jesus is talking to here:
Mat 4:25 KJV
(25) And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
again, remember that this is before Jesus resurrection; no one was reborn in Christ at this time - all were either heathens or more likely Israelite under the Old Testament law; these people had to ask God for everything, as they could not qualify for anything under the law - we qualify for everything as reborn believers who fulfill the perfection required by the law through faith in Jesus.
there is no command to reborn believers to ask for things we need in this life, because God has already given us all these things - we are commanded to ask for
wisdom - direction, leading from God - in order to intersect with those things that He has already given to us