Why Pray?

[trustgod]

This has been bothering me for some time. If, as we're told in the Bible, that God has a plan for our lives and knows everything that will happen to us before it does, what good is it to pray to God to change our circumstances, situation, or improve our life? If our life is not what we want, it's because God has made it so, has he not? At least that's what I have been told. Why should I pray for a mate if I were single, or for a new job, or for whatever is going on in my life that I want changed if it's already been "programmed" by God from day one anyways? Wouldn't that be like asking God to change his mind, or admit he's wrong, etc.?

It just doesn't make sense to me to pray for our circumstances to change if it's true that God already knows everything that will happen to us from the start.

Just wondering.

 

[MikeMcK]

But when you talk about God's plan, how do you know that it's not part of God's plan to allow us to go through trouble so that we will realize our dependence on Him and call out to Him in prayer?

Prayer does change things and intercessory prayer is certainly Biblical, but it would seem that the real purpose of prayer is not for us to change God's mind, but for God to change us.

 

[trustgod]

But when you talk about God's plan, how do you know that it's not part of God's plan to allow us to go through trouble so that we will realize our dependence on Him and call out to Him in prayer?

But why bother if calling out to him in prayer won't change anything? I can hear it now:

Me: Hey God, I'm suffering and I need your help in changing my situation.

God: Sorry, no can do. Your life is on autopilot and there's nothing I can do to change it. Your life was predetermined on the day you were born. Just grin and bear this present situation.

Me: Why bother? (mumbling to myself)

Prayer does change things

What and how?

but it would seem that the real purpose of prayer is not for us to change God's mind, but for God to change us.

Such as "Quit asking me to change my mind, because it ain't gonna happen. Just shut up and enjoy your current crisis?"

 

[youthwalk]

I'm a new Christian as well and it was in the midst of my most traumatic time that I learned to pray and learnt why prayer was so important. Prayer is not about changing God's mind...fact remains though that He knew that you would pray in your time of need, He knew that you would have a time of need and He knows the outcome of the time of need. Prayer strengthens us by strengthening our relationship with God. That's most important; our relationship with God. How can you have a relationship and, as your name says "trust God" if we can't talk to Him and if we can't recognize when He speaks to us?

Our entire lives will not be a crisis. Scripture promises that. God promises that. The wristband I'm wearing right now says , God Keeps His Promises. He will. and if He said that weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning then it WILL.

Crises arise to test and refine us (Isaiah 48:10). We say thanks God when things are good but when they go downhill we say prayer is useless because God didn't *poof* and make the situation disappear. We need to endure things. The Christian walk isn't easy. We need to be prepared to trust God when there are crises and worship AND PRAY even when things aren't changing or going our way. In being refined by fire we grow from strength to strength, form glory to glory in Him.

This life isn't about me. I've learnt that. It's about what God wants to do through me. Pray strengthens me to the extent that I cry out when I'm in pain WITH the understanding that there WILL be trials. That fact won't change. The more I trust, pray and worship is the better I have come to deal with the same trials that in the past have made me say; "how can God be merciful?", "Can't God hear me?"... have made me cry in a human rage, "You're not real, or else You would change this!"

Youthwalk

 

[trustgod]

I'm a new Christian as well and it was in the midst of my most traumatic time that I learned to pray and learnt why prayer was so important. Prayer is not about changing God's mind...fact remains though that He knew that you would pray in your time of need, He knew that you would have a time of need and He knows the outcome of the time of need.

If God knows we're going to pray and knows the outcome, that strengthens my position of why bother? If it's already all preordained, then nothing I can do will change the outcome, including the mere act of praying.


Prayer still seems so unnatural and foreign to me, mostly because the outcome of everything is already determined. If I knew I could have some input into the outcome of things, I might be more inclined to want to pray, and might feel that it's more than just psychological self-talk.

We say thanks God when things are good but when they go downhill we say prayer is useless because God didn't *poof* and make the situation disappear. We need to endure things. The Christian walk isn't easy. We need to be prepared to trust God when there are crises and worship AND PRAY even when things aren't changing or going our way. In being refined by fire we grow from strength to strength, form glory to glory in Him.

No, I'm saying it feels worthless to pray in all situations, good or bad, because God's going to do what he's going to do. I should no more say thanks when things go well than complain when things go wrong.

I'm not trying to be purposely argumentative, but praying for God to help us goes counter to the idea that God already has our lives planned from start to end. If that outcome can't be changed, why ask??

 

[youthwalk]

If God knows we're going to pray and knows the outcome, that strengthens my position of why bother? If it's already all preordained, then nothing I can do will change the outcome, including the mere act of praying.

Firstly Prayer is NOT a mere act. Prayer is powerful. Scripture says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). Furthermore, God already KNOWS all of this. You're not telling Him anything new if you ask for help. It was preordained what would happen already. The fact is that WE don't know the mind of God. Yes, he said ask and you will recieve. And yes, he knew that you'd ask and that it still leads to the same end for you but your asking is what helps it reach that end. Thing is that if I move now and walk to the corner, God knew that I'd do that. What I highlighted in bold: I’m not sure what you mean, but you said it yourself. To strengthen YOU and YOUR relationship with Him. Afterall you’re still a man, living among man...in this world and you believe something that could get you killed. But you BELIEVE it still. You KNOW God is real and that Christ died for us, that can’t change because it’s truth. But you will come up against opposition. You need strengthened faith to stand. Faith is strengthened through prayer. Prayer mobilizes the heavens. Things happen when you pray. It’s not for you to consider whether God KNEW that that would happen. The fact is that He does. Your role is to glorify God. You can glorify Him through prayer. And it does matter whether you pray or not. It matters. Not because God has already preordained your destiny you sit back and say “why bother?”…You still have a life to live, a life that’s pleasing to Him.

Prayer still seems so unnatural and foreign to me, mostly because the outcome of everything is already determined. If I knew I could have some input into the outcome of things, I might be more inclined to want to pray, and might feel that it's more than just psychological self-talk.

Your input is your faith. Ever heard the saying PRAY BELIEVE EXPECT RECEIVE? Pray because you BELIEVE.

No, I'm saying it feels worthless to pray in all situations, good or bad, because God's going to do what he's going to do. I should no more say thanks when things go well than complain when things go wrong.

Say thank you because you're grateful. Ask because you need.

I'm not trying to be purposely argumentative, but praying for God to help us goes counter to the idea that God already has our lives planned from start to end. If that outcome can't be changed, why ask??

If God knew that you’d ask this question He also knew that I’d respond. He gave us free will to allow us to make choices. It isn’t that there’s no way to change things. It’s that God knew that they’d change. Just go with it. Believe in Him, trust Him, but to do that you need to talk to Him. It’s not a counter idea. We have free will given to us by God who loves us and wants what’s best for us. He knows that we’ll ake foolish choices, do dumb things, say dumb things and mess up all the time but He still gave us the choice. We pray to strengthen ourselves, to grow in grace and inner strength and faith so that OUR LOVE FOR HIM ( the desire to live lives pleasing to Him) will be evidenced.

 

[Rowan]

trustgod! That's a good question....

First, as Christians, we have to know that by making Jesus Christ our Lord, we have been adopted as one of God's children. Jesus is our Brother, and God is our Daddy. I think once we get our hearts fully wrapped around this concept alone, prayer gets much easier.

Once we know this, the Holy Spirit will work within us to crave a relationship with our Father, our Abba. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord, with all your body, mind, and soul." When this happens within us, we will want to talk to God, sometimes abundantly. There are days when I wish I didn't have to do anything but focus on Him, be in constant prayer with Him, and read his word.

Even though God knows what we will pray down to the last syllable, praying to Him is showing him genuine Love for Him. It's like a giving your earthly father a gift for Father's Day; he knows you love him whether you give him anything or not, but the gesture shows that you care. The same goes with our Heavenly Father. Prayer moves our hearts closer to Him, so that we may not be close to him in only words or deeds (or paying him lip-service).

We need prayer to cultivate a relationship with our Daddy. We talk to our friends to help us keep in touch with them, so why not God, who has given you eternal life? He wants a relationship with his kids; he wants to talk to us, us to bring our troubles to him so that He may wipe the tears from our eyes, to share our joys with Him, so that He may rejoice with us.

Prayer also helps us know God's will for our life. Since we have been born into Christ, we belong to Him. Our lives are no longer our own. God's plan supercedes ours. We need to pray for guidance about our choices, especially if they're life-changing, so that we may understand His will. He cares about what happens to us; God's no deadbeat dad.

This may sound crazy because of what this very topic is based on, but pray on your question. The best way to get answers about God is to hear it from God. It's no harm (at all!) in it, and God is always listening.

I will be praying for you as well, trustgod.