Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Forums
New posts
Forum list
Search forums
Leaderboards
Games
Our Blog
Blogs
New entries
New comments
Blog list
Search blogs
Credits
Transactions
Shop
Blessings: ✟0.00
Tickets
Open new ticket
Watched
Donate
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
More options
Toggle width
Share this page
Share this page
Share
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Email
Share
Link
Menu
Install the app
Install
Forums
Outreach
Outreach
Exploring Christianity
The value of prayer
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="EpicScore" data-source="post: 71807371" data-attributes="member: 402102"><p>What is a prayer? What does it mean to pray? What do we mean when we say that a prayer "works"? I suppose those questions need to be clarified before I can try to explain the value of prayer...</p><p></p><p>As noted in post #4, there's a pervasive misconception, even among believers, that prayers are some sort of quasi-magic for granting wishes or altering reality. The Bible never presents God as a cosmic genie who is obligated to bend over backwards to fulfill every prayer request, nor does it condone the act of prayer for such purpose.</p><p></p><p>Personally, my primary issue with the need for prayer is in Psalms 139:4, "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." Like, if God already knows what I'm going to say, what's the point of saying anything to Him at all?</p><p></p><p>Well, here's a couple of reasons...</p><p></p><p>God is a personal being. As with any form of personal relationships, communication is required to build and maintain the affections, and prayer is the means for such communion with God. Why do we talk to our loved ones? Certainly not to simply give them a to-do list they are to answer "yes" or "no" to? </p><p></p><p>Also, God is Lord. While He is good and loving, He is also sovereign over humans. He does not "owe" his subjects anything beyond what He has already given us. When Jesus taught His disciples on the model "Lord's prayer", very little of its content are requests for God to change our lives or do spectacular things for us. It starts with praise/exaltation, and ends with the exact same note. Along the way, it simply asks for basic providence, forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from temptation. In other words, prayer is a form of worship and a demonstration of our submission to God's sovereignty. </p><p></p><p>In a way, yes, prayer is mostly for the benefit of the believer(s). God doesn't need to hear prayers to increase in knowledge and wisdom, but it could grant such inspiration, comfort and guidance for the one who prays, or strengthen other people who hears it, in the case of intercessory prayer. But the psalmist did say, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you" (Psalms 63:3). For a Christian, the greatest treasure of life should not be in God's blessings but in having a restored relationship with God Himself. In other words, a prayer that is true would enable us enjoy a fulfilled life, even if God <em>doesn't</em> heal us of cancer or free us from debts and all sorts of afflictions (though He may chose to do so if He wills). </p><p></p><p>In response to some of your questions, I suppose there's also a matter of biased perception, and everyone tends to judge an outcome based on their existing presuppositions. For example, if a person fervently prays to get a job, and eventually gets it, he can wither choose to believe that: a) God has answered his prayer, or b) it's just a coincidence. Neither position can be empirically proven, so whether someone perceives the event as (a) or (b), it's pretty much a faith position. </p><p></p><p>Hope that helps.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="EpicScore, post: 71807371, member: 402102"] What is a prayer? What does it mean to pray? What do we mean when we say that a prayer "works"? I suppose those questions need to be clarified before I can try to explain the value of prayer... As noted in post #4, there's a pervasive misconception, even among believers, that prayers are some sort of quasi-magic for granting wishes or altering reality. The Bible never presents God as a cosmic genie who is obligated to bend over backwards to fulfill every prayer request, nor does it condone the act of prayer for such purpose. Personally, my primary issue with the need for prayer is in Psalms 139:4, "Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." Like, if God already knows what I'm going to say, what's the point of saying anything to Him at all? Well, here's a couple of reasons... God is a personal being. As with any form of personal relationships, communication is required to build and maintain the affections, and prayer is the means for such communion with God. Why do we talk to our loved ones? Certainly not to simply give them a to-do list they are to answer "yes" or "no" to? Also, God is Lord. While He is good and loving, He is also sovereign over humans. He does not "owe" his subjects anything beyond what He has already given us. When Jesus taught His disciples on the model "Lord's prayer", very little of its content are requests for God to change our lives or do spectacular things for us. It starts with praise/exaltation, and ends with the exact same note. Along the way, it simply asks for basic providence, forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from temptation. In other words, prayer is a form of worship and a demonstration of our submission to God's sovereignty. In a way, yes, prayer is mostly for the benefit of the believer(s). God doesn't need to hear prayers to increase in knowledge and wisdom, but it could grant such inspiration, comfort and guidance for the one who prays, or strengthen other people who hears it, in the case of intercessory prayer. But the psalmist did say, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you" (Psalms 63:3). For a Christian, the greatest treasure of life should not be in God's blessings but in having a restored relationship with God Himself. In other words, a prayer that is true would enable us enjoy a fulfilled life, even if God [I]doesn't[/I] heal us of cancer or free us from debts and all sorts of afflictions (though He may chose to do so if He wills). In response to some of your questions, I suppose there's also a matter of biased perception, and everyone tends to judge an outcome based on their existing presuppositions. For example, if a person fervently prays to get a job, and eventually gets it, he can wither choose to believe that: a) God has answered his prayer, or b) it's just a coincidence. Neither position can be empirically proven, so whether someone perceives the event as (a) or (b), it's pretty much a faith position. Hope that helps. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Outreach
Outreach
Exploring Christianity
The value of prayer
Top
Bottom