Why pray?

[Hammster]

I agree that prayer should be more than just asking for stuff.

It should be a discussion and interaction with God.

And there are also prayers of thanksgiving and praise, too.

I'm not denying that. I guess the real question is more, why pray prayers of petition?

So that we can learn more about God and what He wants. It's part of being conformed.

 

[al_man]

I pray to give thanks, to help others in times of need, and for help when I need it too.

But what I do when I have quiet time and have nothing to interfere is have a conversation with god, there is nothing better than have a 1 to 1 with god.

 

[SullivanZ]

Most people, when they talk about prayer speak about prayers of supplication (also called prayers of petition) where we ask for things. Many, confused and curious about this type, will ask: If God is perfect and has decided that something will go a specific way then why ask for Him to change it? If He knows all and best and does what is best then a prayer can not change what will happen.

And in essence this is both true and a misunderstanding of why we offer a supplication prayer. We ask God for what we want precisely because we trust Him and place our trust in the fact that He will do all that is good. And we ask for what we desire and desire for our will to mirror His in seeking that good. And we ask for what is good, as best as we can understand.

This is part of relationship. We should not abandon that relationship in apathy by thinking that because God knows what to do already we do not need to ask. Christ told us to ask of the Father. And we do so in trust of God as our Father.

But prayer is about changing us into the fullness of who we are made to be by our relationship with God. It is about entering into His life and letting that life be our life.

Now, we trust God brings good from evil...so we ask for healing from disease, the lifting of sorrow and the relief of our ills or the ills of others. Because we trust in His goodness. And the trial of our relationship is that when we do not get good as we see it...we need to seek the good God is bringing from suffering and trial. We need to rely on the trust in that relationship with the source of all good to guide us even in great pain and grief....and for many, anger at God. It is at that time that prayer is even more importantly viewed as relationship...because it is only in entering into that relationship that we can seek and find comfort.

Perhaps the good God is bringing out of a particular suffering is that we come to Him in trust and ask...and that deepens our relationship with Him. I can not say. I can not say why some prayers (like miraculous healing) seem to be answered prayers and others are not.

I can only say I trust God will do the greatest good and bring good from where misused human free will and the consequences of it oppose His plan.

I don't know... it just seems kind of silly to me to ask God for something, even though you know, or do not believe anyway, that He will grant you what you're seeking. It's like a big game.

Note: I'm not ruling out OTHER types of prayer you touched on, just petitionary prayer here.

If the goal is simply conformity to God's will and nothing more, then we ought to only pray for that and stop seeking selfish (or not so selfish) requests for ourselves and others. I guess I'm just saying that we should call a spade a spade, in our relationship with God.

Essentially, let's put it this way - it does not strengthen my faith for me seek God, ask Him for something, then have Him deliberately withhold the good thing that I am earnestly requesting of Him. It hurts my faith, not helps it.

 

[Cribstyl]

Why do you pray?

It's an act of faith in a living God.

 

[Hammster]

Essentially, let's put it this way - it does not strengthen my faith for me seek God, ask Him for something, then have Him deliberately withhold the good thing that I am earnestly requesting of Him. It hurts my faith, not helps it.

How do you know it's a good thing you are asking for?

 

[CaliforniaJosiah]

Why do you pray?

1. It's good to talk to your parent and friend....

2. It keeps me focused on God.... and keeps me humble. Reminding me too to thank the ONE from whom ALL blessings flow...

3. It changes God and things....

4. It changes ME (probably what MOST needs to change).



Thank you.


Pax


- Josiah



.

 

[Davidnic]

Essentially, let's put it this way - it does not strengthen my faith for me seek God, ask Him for something, then have Him deliberately withhold the good thing that I am earnestly requesting of Him. It hurts my faith, not helps it.

What about the case where years later or even soon after you see where a petition may not have been the good thing you thought. And that in not answering more good was brought from it? It is a case of what we see as good compared to what He knows is good long term.

An example for me was I was ten when my mother died. I prayed constantly for it not to happen. Now, I would never say it was good that it happened. It is, at times, still an wound that reopens when I think of how to make my parents present to my daughter and other things. But, I know that the loss of my mother at ten and my father at 20...shaped me. Those sufferings did help to make me into the man I feel they would be proud of most of the time. God brought the unique good of who He wanted me to be from that. Why did it have to happen that way? Why did my hope for that good that I prayed for need to be denied? I do not know. But I do know it is a fallen world and God brings good from evil and sometimes that means what we see as good is not the greatest good in the long term. In the end, those who love Him will be with Him and that is good.

Those are my thoughts on why personally it makes sense to me. I see why it may not to others and why it is an important question.

 

[SullivanZ]

How do you know it's a good thing you are asking for?

1. Reasoning.

2. My moral / intellectual faculties.

3. Common sense.

4. Common opinion or consensus.

5. Emotional experiences / intuition.

6. It is helpful or beneficial to me or others.

7. It does not violate the legal system in my country.

8. It does not violate the moral codes listed in the Bible (or certain portions of it we claim to follow).

9. It is specifically spoken of or regarded as good in the Bible.

10. Spiritual / supernatural experiences.

 

[Hammster]

1. Reasoning.

2. My moral / intellectual faculties.

3. Common sense.

4. Common opinion or consensus.

5. Emotional experiences / intuition.

6. It is helpful or beneficial to me or others.

7. It does not violate the legal system in my country.

8. It does not violate the moral codes listed in the Bible (or certain portions of it we claim to follow).

9. It is specifically spoken of or regarded as good in the Bible.

10. Spiritual / supernatural experiences.

So God is wrong for denying what you ask for? And so your faith is weakened? Pity.

 

[SullivanZ]

So God is wrong for denying what you ask for? And so your faith is weakened? Pity.

I think it's simple - when God promises something, He should honour it.

I also think it's reasonable to say that God's goodness is the first thing to be questioned for not answering prayer.

 

[TheOliveSeed]

To:
Thank Him.
Talk to Him.
Confide in Him.
Praise and worship Him.
Ask Him for forgiveness.
Ask Him for help and guidance.

And most importantly, to get closer to Him.

 

[wpage]

God has written his communique to us in the Bible...

Prayer is how we answer and ask.

 

[Hammster]

I think it's simple - when God promises something, He should honour it.

I also think it's reasonable to say that God's goodness is the first thing to be questioned for not answering prayer.

Then you don't think God is good. Like I said....pity.

 

[Davidnic]

1. Reasoning.

2. My moral / intellectual faculties.

3. Common sense.

4. Common opinion or consensus.

5. Emotional experiences / intuition.

6. It is helpful or beneficial to me or others.

7. It does not violate the legal system in my country.

8. It does not violate the moral codes listed in the Bible (or certain portions of it we claim to follow).

9. It is specifically spoken of or regarded as good in the Bible.

10. Spiritual / supernatural experiences.

Those are all limited by human knowledge or understanding.

I think it's simple - when God promises something, He should honour it.

I also think it's reasonable to say that God's goodness is the first thing to be questioned for not answering prayer.

God did not promise to make this world perfect, painless or give us what we want without consideration for the overall plan of salvation. It is human to question the goodness of God when a prayer is not answered. And it is part of a world where will is misused. I am sure God expects people to question and struggle when a prayer is not answered. Christ compares God to a father giving a child what is best. We do not know what is best, even if it may seem it to us.

Christ said that whatever we ask God in His name the Father will give, but we also need to remember that God does what is the greatest good. And we can not see that at all times. We could ask for a healing, and He may give it because by that many will come to believe. Or He may not give it because by that someone will grow from the pain into someone He needs them to be and those who would have believed will believe by another way. It is argued that God answers prayers in the manner that will lead the greatest number of people to salvation. He also compensates in the misuse of free will by people that work against His plan by giving others the grace to do the good that accomplishes His plan. But He does not remove the effects and consequences of the free choice of evil while we are here.

 

[SullivanZ]

Jesus also said "All things are possible to him who believes." I guess He didn't really mean that either.

 

[Davidnic]

Jesus also said "All things are possible to him who believes." I guess He didn't really mean that either.

That would be believes in all ways even when we don't get what we pray for too. We need to believe in the goodness of God even when it runs counter to what we want and/or see as good. Christ's death itself runs counter to what we would think of as good if we did not know the outcome of it.

Belief needs to exist even when we don't get what we want...especially then. When the Dark Night of the Soul descends and we can not even feel God...we need to believe then all the more because love of God is not based on a feeling or reward.

Christ meant it. He just did not mean it as many want it to work. If we conform our will to God's then we do not ask for what is against His will. And if we, even by our best efforts and human perspective, think something is good but God does a greater good and does not answer our prayer...we keep belief and try to discern God's will. And as humans we will sometimes be angry, disappointed or frustrated by it all.

 

[SullivanZ]

So when we believe God is good and that's it, are we simply believing in fatalism then? Whatever will be will be? Are we consigning ourselves to fate / God? Just whatever 'happens, happens'?

How do we determine God's will? Is it a nebulous, mystical esoteric process, involving visions, interpretation, voices or is it something more pragmatic? Do we draw lots? Do we interpret dreams? Do we listen for an inner voice? Do we just go by the Bible? If so, whose interpretation do we use?

Or is there no way to truly know the will of God? If that's so, isn't it like a big guessing game then, on knowing what to pray for and what not to?

 

[Davidnic]

Well fatalism does not trust in the good of fate...just that it is. That is different. As far as discerning God's will, that is a gift some have and some do not. It is possible for some with greater ease than others. Some struggle with it daily.

 

[sunlover1]

I think it's simple - when God promises something, He should honour it.

Amen. God's very integrity at stake?
He does honor what He says.
God is not a man that He should lie!

I also think it's reasonable to say that God's goodness is the first thing to be questioned for not answering prayer.

Unreasonable to question GOD's goodness,
rather question the faith it was asked in
or if it was asked according to His will.
per Scripture anyhow.

 

[Hammster]

So when we believe God is good and that's it, are we simply believing in fatalism then? Whatever will be will be? Are we consigning ourselves to fate / God? Just whatever 'happens, happens'?

How do we determine God's will? Is it a nebulous, mystical esoteric process, involving visions, interpretation, voices or is it something more pragmatic? Do we draw lots? Do we interpret dreams? Do we listen for an inner voice? Do we just go by the Bible? If so, whose interpretation do we use?

Or is there no way to truly know the will of God? If that's so, isn't it like a big guessing game then, on knowing what to pray for and what not to?

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(Romans 12:1-2 ESV)