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A post made by Old Gringo got me thinking about this question. If there's a God who is aware of little detail in the universe including the needs and thoughts of every living human being, why would a prayer be necessary? This also brings up another question. What exactly is a prayer and is it a special sort of communication from an individual directly to God that gets more notice than our everyday thoughts or behavior? I would also think that if God is really listening to every single prayer, and there must be millions of them at any given moment, that God would need to prioritize them. I would think that a family sitting down to lunch in Bakersfield who are praying to thank God for the bologna sandwiches and bean soup might get a little less notice than a parent praying for their child with a terminal illness. So what are your thoughts about prayers and why are they necessary?
I can't answer the question, but I have more to add to it. The Catholic religion requires one to go to "confession" where you ask the Priest for forgiveness and then he tells you how many and what prayers to say to be forgiven. Now, if I have sinned and I am TRULY sorry, won't God know that and can't I ask him directly for forgiveness? Why do I need to say 10 Hail Mary's to be forgiven?
I know this may be really far out, but I was thinking about the question about God being able to hear everyone who is praying , and I thought, if one day is as a thousand years to God, think of how far spread one day's prayers could be to God! God's 'time' is not the same as ours. I never thought of it in that way...:-)
As to answering why we need to ask God if He already knows, think of your relationship to those you love. You may know what they want, but still, you would like them to tell you. I am always hearing the story of men not telling their wife he loves her, because she already knows he does. Even earthly women want to be told, and asked. It's the same with our heavenly Father. He wants us to talk to Him.
I do believe He hears our every thought also, since the thoughts of our heart can condemn us.
Montana, I pray for several reasons. The main reason is because it puts me in personal touch with the creator that I believe in..I know that He already knows my needs, but ( I mean no disrespect to my fellow Christians) it is also my self therapy..Many times when I have a very huge problem that there seems no way out, I take it to Him in prayer and am somewhat relieved to feel the pressure begin to recede..I guess to explain it to you would be like having a rl very best friend who knows you and loves you enough to be beside you and is willing to forgive you for your "dirty deeds", and still be your best friend..A person who gives you encouragement and promises to take your problems on themselves and work with you to solve them, if you will trust him.
A post made by Old Gringo got me thinking about this question. If there's a God who is aware of little detail in the universe including the needs and thoughts of every living human being, why would a prayer be necessary? This also brings up another question. What exactly is a prayer and is it a special sort of communication from an individual directly to God that gets more notice than our everyday thoughts or behavior? I would also think that if God is really listening to every single prayer, and there must be millions of them at any given moment, that God would need to prioritize them. I would think that a family sitting down to lunch in Bakersfield who are praying to thank God for the bologna sandwiches and bean soup might get a little less notice than a parent praying for their child with a terminal illness. So what are your thoughts about prayers and why are they necessary?
I think there are many types of prayer;
foxhole prayers
prayers of gratitude
prayers for wisdom
prayers for other people
etc....
I've always seen my prayer as trying to tune a radio into the right station.
Sometimes I can barely hear the music, sometimes just static, and sometimes a symphony.
Luke 2:36-38 - Prayer is a form of serving God.
Philippians 4:6-7 - Because God commands us to pray.
We pray because Jesus prayed and we follow His example.
Prayer is the way God intended for people to receive solutions, like when it comes to major decisions, defeating demonic forces, the gathering of workers for the spiritual harvest, for strength to overcome temptations, and strengthening each other. (I can provide scripture references for these upon request.)
God promises that our prayers aren't in vain. He hears them and answers them, even if we don't always receive the answer we hoped for. And that when we do pray for something in accordance to His will (not our's) that it will be done. During the times when we don't know what God's will is, prayer is a way of discerning it.
He says to persist in prayer, especially if the answer is delayed (which is always for His glory and for us to gain wisdom and build our faith and trust).
In James, God says that we "have not because you ask not."
Lack of prayer is simply the lack of faith and trust in God. Prayer demonstrates our faith. It's how we see God working in the lives of others. It's how we "plug into" God power.
James 5 says, "the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much."
Montana, I pray for several reasons. The main reason is because it puts me in personal touch with the creator that I believe in..I know that He already knows my needs, but ( I mean no disrespect to my fellow Christians) it is also my self therapy..Many times when I have a very huge problem that there seems no way out, I take it to Him in prayer and am somewhat relieved to feel the pressure begin to recede..I guess to explain it to you would be like having a rl very best friend who knows you and loves you enough to be beside you and is willing to forgive you for your "dirty deeds", and still be your best friend..A person who gives you encouragement and promises to take your problems on themselves and work with you to solve them, if you will trust him.
Well my dearest blue, from one fellow Christian to another, I do the same, God always makes me feel much better than before I prayed. I also think that God desires a relationship with us, if one remembers the very first, God walked with Adam and Eve, only when sin entered the picture did he stop walking with them. So, I, too, use prayer as a type of therapy. I belive we all do.
MG, I believe prayer is our way of showing God that we WANT to know him, have a relationship with Him, and CHOOSE to seek Him out.
As a parent, it does my heart good to hear my child when he seeks me out for a need, even if I already know that need. It shows he trusts me to get it for him, to fix whatever might be broken, it shows he values my input. I believe this is the same with God. It has to do His heart glad to know we seek Him out...
hope that helps.
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