Prayer?

Galadriel · Sep 28, 2003

Hey all,
I know we are supposed to pray, and God likes it when we pray, but sometimes people ask me to pray for this or that, and it seems like they are constantly asking me to pray for little things, like "pray that I do okay on this test," or "pray that I get here safe" or "pray that so and so doesn't get mad at me." It just seems to me like these prayers are treating God like a vending machine, or that prayer contains some "magical" quality that if you pray about or for whatever, then it will make it true, or help even more to make it true. It gets annoying to me, cause these seem like such insubstancial things, and sometimes these people seem a bit selfish to me, constantly asking me to pray for this or that for them. I never really ask people to pray for me, it just feels weird to me, like I shouldn't be asking, and I should just pray it myself.

Is there a limit or things that God doesn't really want to hear being prayed? I mean, it must get annoying to God when someone constantly prays to him about this little thing and that little thing. I can understand the big things, but it just seems like they use prayer to God as this thing to get what they want or to influence things in their favor, as though if they pray it nothing bad will happen to them.

water_ripple · Sep 28, 2003

Galadriel

I think that there are some things that people can do for themselves. Like praying that they do well on a test. Well, I think that if they have studied enough they probably should not need to ask for divine intervention. I think if people need divine intervention from God that they have some form of control over that they should ask God themselves, and then listen for an answer. As another example, the only way to get salvation from Christ is if one personally asks for forgiveness. I am not saying that I think people should not pray for others. I just think that if a person can help themselves with passing a test they should.

SAVEVERYONE · Sep 28, 2003

Your his child he wants to hear from you know matter how big or small the prayer, Jesus hears them all, in fact he longs and loves to hear you pray, He's an intimate God he loves being close to his children!!!! God is not on the throne being bored with our prayers he's moving on our prayers on are behalf and his so he can get things done through us, after all were his body and he is the head, so what we pray gets done if you expect it to by faith!!! Amen

Heinrich · Sep 29, 2003

3 reasons for prayer:
1. Because he said so
2. So that God's will be done in this world.
3. To build the love relationship you have with the Father.

13 types of prayer
1. Thanksgiving
2. Worship
3. Consecration
4. Commitment
5. Repentance
6. Fellowship
7. Confession
8. Faith
9. Supplication
10. Intercession
11. Prophecy
12. Agreement
13. Spiritual warfare

Prayer takes many forms. And there is a place for all of them.

The point is that you can pray to God whatever you feel like.

God wants to be involved in everything in your life. so praying
about "small" things isn't wrong. God want it.
To pray for other people is very good. (called intercession)
And yes ask people to pray for you.
I find it very comforting to have people in church I can go to
who can pray for me.

Galadriel · Sep 29, 2003

Yeah but a lot of the things other people ask me to pray for them about seem very insubstancial, something they could handle on their own without having to ask me to pray for every little thing that comes up.

This is mostly in regards to other people asking me to pray for them.

geekbuster · Sep 29, 2003

i get what you mean
but then i think that God likes it when we pray for stuff like that so why shouldn't we, you know what i mean, like we're not supposed to do anything without God and maybe them asking you is just to make sure that God is with them
but i definatly get your feelings toward the subject

what i really don't like is when someone tells me 'you should be praying for...'
when they do that without even asking, it just gets on my nerves sometimes

Galadriel · Sep 29, 2003

Yeah I hear you Geekbuster!

Blessed-one · Sep 30, 2003

i think i understand... being a uni student and attending a uni fellowship, pray for my exam on this and this day is the most common prayer request i hear. But we know that we have to study hard for exams, it's not that God will give us all 100/100 miraculously. I think since studying hard and giving it our best is also a way of glorifying God, there's no shame in praying for it; and we can also pray for things like: please give us a good rest before the exam, so that we can concentrate better etc.

Galadriel · Dec 2, 2003

Yes, I guess it doesn't matter what its for, I don't know, I usually would rather pray for people without them knowing about it, or without them constantly asking for it with little things.

Follower of Christ · Dec 2, 2003

Galadriel said:
Hey all,
I know we are supposed to pray, and God likes it when we pray, but sometimes people ask me to pray for this or that, and it seems like they are constantly asking me to pray for little things, like "pray that I do okay on this test," or "pray that I get here safe" or "pray that so and so doesn't get mad at me." It just seems to me like these prayers are treating God like a vending machine, or that prayer contains some "magical" quality that if you pray about or for whatever, then it will make it true, or help even more to make it true. It gets annoying to me, cause these seem like such insubstancial things, and sometimes these people seem a bit selfish to me, constantly asking me to pray for this or that for them. I never really ask people to pray for me, it just feels weird to me, like I shouldn't be asking, and I should just pray it myself.

Is there a limit or things that God doesn't really want to hear being prayed? I mean, it must get annoying to God when someone constantly prays to him about this little thing and that little thing. I can understand the big things, but it just seems like they use prayer to God as this thing to get what they want or to influence things in their favor, as though if they pray it nothing bad will happen to them.

Yeah, i have to admit I dont pray for the small, trivial things in life.

But I do talk to God like the loving Father He is.

I pray to Him when I can and I talk to Him all day long.

I really dont think God limits what we can ask for.
if its important to us, it probably important to Him.

Galadriel · Dec 2, 2003

Follower of Christ said:
Yeah, i have to admit I dont pray for the small, trivial things in life.

But I do talk to God like the loving Father He is.

I pray to Him when I can and I talk to Him all day long.

I really dont think God limits what we can ask for.
if its important to us, it probably important to Him.

Yes, I don't pray for small things either much, but sometimes maybe just like a "help!!" when I am having a hard time for like a few moments or so during the day.

Its just moreso people who ask me to pray for them about seemingly "trivial" things that irks me. I mean I can understand the big things, but it bugs me when someone asks, "will you pray for me for this test" or "that I do this or that okay"? I guess its not wrong tho, it just bothers me, I feel like saying "can't you pray for that yourself?"

Phileo · Dec 4, 2003

I just posted this to another thread... but I think it is also appropriate for this one.

Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King said:
"The purpose of prayer is not to turn God into some cosmic bellhop we ring for whenever we want something. The purpose of prayer is to remind us of our oneness with God, that we are made in Gods image, each of us a channel for divine influence, creativity and power.

With practice, prayer opens that channel. Prayer is more than praise and petition. It is about more than what we think or want. Its about selflessness, not self. It is not an insistence: Listen, Holy Spirit, I am speaking, but an invocation: Speak, Holy Spirit, I am listening.

Dont pray for miracles. Pray for the clarity to see your life as a most miraculous thing. Pray for the desire to love and to give more. These are the secret talismans that multiply our blessings. Make loving and giving your practice, and make that practice your prayer."

Hope this approach helps! ~Phileo

Sunbeam · Dec 4, 2003

Hey all,
I know we are supposed to pray, and God likes it when we pray, but sometimes people ask me to pray for this or that, and it seems like they are constantly asking me to pray for little things, like "pray that I do okay on this test," or "pray that I get here safe" or "pray that so and so doesn't get mad at me." It just seems to me like these prayers are treating God like a vending machine, or that prayer contains some "magical" quality that if you pray about or for whatever, then it will make it true, or help even more to make it true. It gets annoying to me, cause these seem like such insubstancial things, and sometimes these people seem a bit selfish to me, constantly asking me to pray for this or that for them. I never really ask people to pray for me, it just feels weird to me, like I shouldn't be asking, and I should just pray it myself.

Is there a limit or things that God doesn't really want to hear being prayed? I mean, it must get annoying to God when someone constantly prays to him about this little thing and that little thing. I can understand the big things, but it just seems like they use prayer to God as this thing to get what they want or to influence things in their favor, as though if they pray it nothing bad will happen to them.

I feel the same way as you.

Sunbeam · Dec 4, 2003

This is a huge subject. I'm still trying to understand it clearly.

Yitzchak · Dec 5, 2003

I am thankful for the people who babyed me in this way when I was young in the Lord. They were very very patient with me when I was young and shallow in my relationship with the Lord.
My advice is be careful about being too harsh with these people. Most persons are like me and grow out of that automatically as they mature in Christ. Perhaps encourage them to get into activities which will facilitate their growth and cause them to grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord. My opinion is this is really a discipleship issue and a maturity issue and not a sin issue. If I am correct then that same immaturity in these persons will mean that they need extra patience and gentleness in the handling of this.

Phileo · Dec 5, 2003

true and so I think Dr. King was correct in stating:

Dont pray for miracles. Pray for the clarity to see your life as a most miraculous thing. Pray for the desire to love and to give more. These are the secret talismans that multiply our blessings. Make loving and giving your practice, and make that practice your prayer."

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Prayer?

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