Why do some Christians think prayers provide God with new information?

[Mark_CB]

Jesus said prayer can move mountains. Mark 11:22,23

Jesus never suggests (to my knowledge) that prayer changes God. Only the natural world. I suppose it's a mystery how it all might work.

But often, Christians seem to think that prayer is a communication with God that will somehow "change" God. Rather it seems prayer (to me) is a meditation which God has created, which does not change God. So it's not really "communication" more like meditation to potentially change the natural world, but most likely not (given lack of faith).

Perhaps it could change the natural world (if done with enough faith). But not God (who is separate from the natural world, presumably).

Agree? Disagree?

 

[bèlla]

I pray with expectation not hope. I expect what I’ve asked will come to pass.

 

[Cement]

if you get 100 people to pray for you will that make God more prone to hearing your request?

 

[sdowney717]

Our prayers are shaped by our emotional and physical experiences, in many cases, not our spiritual ones.

Because spiritually, if your born of God, you are joined as one spirit with Christ, already, He indwells you.
Not to belittle our situations, but I think people just pray inappropriately for many things. We have a clear word that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and we have the requests made of Him.

God answers prayers according to His own purpose and will, how could it be any other way.
We worship God who has taken up His great power and reigned.

Now what do you suppose an apostle or the early church would have prayed about?
1 John 5:14-15 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

 

[public hermit]

Why not just pray for God's will? That's what we are taught to do in the Lord's prayer. Why wouldn't we simply want God's will to be done? I think it's out of fear that God's will won't be our will. That's understandable, but also shows a lack in faith that God's will is always best.

I seriously doubt we can change God's will by prayer. We should ask for what seems best to us, but be open to the fact that God knows better, and that God's will is always what we want when it is all said and done.

 

[zxcv]

I just talk to God. Only praying when praying in tongues.

 

[Miles]

Prayers provide God with new information? I hadn't heard of that before.

Praying as conversation with God, praying to be aligned with God's will, giving thanks, prayers of petition... those I'm more familiar with.

 

[VMaeLove]

I see prayer like you said like meditation.
I think about what is happening good and bad and I look for thoughts from Him. Some time he answer with ,,did you think about like this?''

I pray not to change God but for God to change me and how I think.

 

[Rigatoni]

Interesting subject. I see prayer as a form of communion with God; it's more for our benefit, and builds our faith / relationship with Him.

We do know that God is perfect and doesn't change. But at the same time, that doesn't mean that prayer doesn't have some level of influence. An example would be Exodus 32:10-14 When Moses sought to spare the Jewish people from God's righteous anger in the wilderness. God threatened to bring disaster upon them, and even commanded Moses to leave Him alone. But, Moses sought God's favor and pleaded with Him in prayer. Eventually the Lord relented.

This is a mystery. How can prayer influence God, even though we're told in scripture that He never changes His mind? (Numbers 23:19) Yet, we see precedence for this supposedly. Perhaps God takes prayer into account, and usually waits for us to pray before furthering / revealing His will completely?

 

[Mark_CB]

if you get 100 people to pray for you will that make God more prone to hearing your request?

I don't think the scriptures say if you get 100 people to pray God will listen more than 1 person.

Why not just pray for God's will? That's what we are taught to do in the Lord's prayer. Why wouldn't we simply want God's will to be done? I think it's out of fear that God's will won't be our will. That's understandable, but also shows a lack in faith that God's will is always best.

Because Jesus says you may ask God of anything. So praying just for God's will seems like a cop out to me.

Interesting subject. I see prayer as a form of communion with God; it's more for our benefit, and builds our faith / relationship with Him.

We do know that God is perfect and doesn't change. But at the same time, that doesn't mean that prayer doesn't have some level of influence. An example would be Exodus 32:10-14 When Moses sought to spare the Jewish people from God's righteous anger in the wilderness. God threatened to bring disaster upon them, and even commanded Moses to leave Him alone. But, Moses sought God's favor and pleaded with Him in prayer. Eventually the Lord relented.

This is a mystery. How can prayer influence God, even though we're told in scripture that He never changes His mind? (Numbers 23:19) Yet, we see precedence for this supposedly. Perhaps God takes prayer into account, and usually waits for us to pray before furthering / revealing His will completely?

It is a mystery. Kind of reminds me when Jesus said to God why have you abandoned me on the cross. Was that a prayer? A statement?

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I believe in a sense, when we pray, that we can remind God of what He's said and promised us in the past. Biblical examples of this can be found in Psalm 119:49. One of my favorite parts in the Bible is when the children of Israel sin against God in the wilderness and God is about to wipe them out and make a new nation from Moses. But Moses pleads and intercedes by reminding the Lord of His promise to Abraham. Staggering stuff.

 

[timewerx]

Jesus said prayer can move mountains. Mark 11:22,23

Jesus never suggests (to my knowledge) that prayer changes God. Only the natural world. I suppose it's a mystery how it all might work.

But often, Christians seem to think that prayer is a communication with God that will somehow "change" God. Rather it seems prayer (to me) is a meditation which God has created, which does not change God. So it's not really "communication" more like meditation to potentially change the natural world, but most likely not (given lack of faith).

Perhaps it could change the natural world (if done with enough faith). But not God (who is separate from the natural world, presumably).

Agree? Disagree?

They probably meant angels.

Selfless prayers works best.

 

[timewerx]

I believe in a sense, when we pray, that we can remind God of what He's said and promised us in the past. Biblical examples of this can be found in Psalm

Prayers of people under desperate circumstances.

I can understand / empathize with Christians who do it under very difficult situations.

But to be honest, this isn't the right way to pray.

Not everything written about a person in the Bible, we should likewise do.

The Bible tries to record important events in the lives of the notable characters, but not everything these characters did is right in the eyes of God. It is simply recorded in the Bible.

How to pray correctly is in Matthew 6.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Prayers of people under desperate circumstances.

I can understand / empathize with Christians who do it under very difficult situations.

But to be honest, this isn't the right way to pray.

Not everything written about a person in the Bible, we should likewise do.

The Bible tries to record important events in the lives of the notable characters, but not everything these characters did is right in the eyes of God. It is simply recorded in the Bible.

How to pray correctly is in Matthew 6.

Yeah, you don't know what you're talking about. You sound like somebody that has no clue who God is.

 

[timewerx]

Yeah, you don't know what you're talking about. You sound like somebody that has no clue who God is.

If we remind God of the things He promised, then we would be also be saying or implicating our good deeds.

Isn't that how the Pharisee prayed in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector? He is reminding God of his good deeds which contrasted the prayer of the Tax Collector asking for mercy.

 

[leothelioness]

If people believe that prayer is providing new information to God, it is because they fundamentally misunderstand the nature of prayer.

Prayer is communion with God and is more for our benefit as God is not supplied with information He doesn’t already know. Yes, God has pre-ordained the events of our lives, but He has also pre-ordained the means. Those means are through our prayers and this is so because God desires to involve us in His will. As James 5:16 states, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Prayer is strong enough to move the mighty hand of God.

When you view prayer in this way, it completely changes how you relate to God. A fatalistic approach to prayer and God’s will is a great danger for many Christians and it robs them of the full and complete joy of communion with Him. When we see prayer as a means of achieving God’s will in our lives, we see the blessing of its intended purpose.

 

[justme6272]

Because it does.....the desire and willingness to pray when you did.

 

[JAM2b]

There are examples in the Bible where God changed his mind because people prayed. Prayer does move God into action, but not always. Sometimes He acts without prayers. Sometimes He acts only after prayers. Sometimes He doesn't do what we ask regardless of who prays or how many pray. He has His reasons, and doesn't owe us an explanation. I rest in the belief that He has a plan and He has knowledge that I do not have, but regardless of how anything turns out, God's choices are made based on reasons. It's not just arbitrary.

There's the story about Abraham, urging God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and God tried negotiating with Abraham, but chose to go through with it anyway. He did spare Lot and his daughters, but it seems that was only as a favor to Abraham, and not because it was part of His original plan. He was going to spare Lot's wife, but because she disobeyed, God did not honor that part of the request.

There's that part in the New Testament where Peter was in prison. He was miraculously rescued after the church prayed together for him.