If everything is predistined according to God's plan, then what good is prayer?
2006-06-13 07:57:28 · 8 answers · asked by bobinsa1962 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God knows all, including each individual's future, but knowledge does not equal predestination. According to Romans chapter 8, there is a kind of predestination that is has taken place; however, it is not of individuals, but rather of the class of individuals who have chosen out of their free will to obey His word--He has determined ahead of time that the collective group of those who obey willl be allowed entrance into heaven, but He does not arbitrarily choose individuals to fill that group.
As for prayer, James reminds us in James 5:16 that prayer avails much, so long as it is prayed by a righteous person. Our prayers are not useless, but must be asked properly (James 4:3).
2006-06-13 08:16:04 · answer #1 · answered by TexasMom 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no such thing as predestination. We have our own brains, and our own free will. Our choices in life are what form the basis for the kind of life we live. Prayer helps to strengthen our faith, and guide us in making those decisions that form the foundation of the life we live.
2006-06-24 12:28:58 · answer #2 · answered by (_.-~*]BEE[*~-._) 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
everything is predestined. but the purpose of prayer is for the communication lines. you pray to have a relationship with you father. how do you build a natural relationship- communication. when you are around a person long enough, they begin to give you things and do things for you- same with God. the communication is the key for him showing you what to do in this life and on your walk with him so the your destiny is fulfilled.
2006-06-13 08:04:10 · answer #3 · answered by npjcakes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't believe in predestination other than the fact that God predestined us to be sons and daughters of God. Because of free will given to us to serve Him (or not), predestination couldn't be a part of the equation or all the people who've ever lived and died in their sins would have to be apologized to.
2006-06-26 04:36:25 · answer #4 · answered by bigvol662004 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Predestination is false doctrine! We have free will and prayer guides us towards God.
2006-06-13 08:02:38 · answer #5 · answered by Lakarian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Predestined in Greek means pre-planned. What did God predestine? Many focus on the word "predestination" but the real question is what did He pre-plan? Who are the "you" and "we" that Paul said in the Letter of Ephesians? Do they refer to individuals such as you, we or me? For more read: www.prayerfaithGodswilll.com
In Ephesians 1, Paul spoke about predestination. The key verses are really in verses 12,13:
12: In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him ...., in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ ...
13: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation ....
Who are "we" and "you? In context, "we" refer to Jewish Christians and "you" refer to Gentile Christians. These pronouns do not refer to individuals. They key to understanding is to interpret words according to context and situation, instead of being side-tracked by a word. (Read in Mandarin: www.PrayerfaithGodswill.cn)
Paul wrote to the Gentiles Christians at Ephesus to explain that all along, God has pre-planned to offer redemption to the Gentiles too. Speaking as a Jew, the apostle used the pronoun "we" from verses 4 to 12: "He chose us to be holy and blameless… He predestined us to be adopted as his sons… we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him…" Ephesians 1:12 is a key verse: “We were the first to hope in Christ.” Weren t the Jews the first to hope in God from the time of Abraham and Jacob? The word “we” refers to the Jews, not to any individuals -- and this is a salient point to recognize. This is where many Christians misinterpret, thinking that "we" refer to each of us, individually.
Notice the change of pronoun to "you" in verse 13: “You also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation.” Speaking as a Jew to the Gentiles, Paul said that "you" - the Gentiles - having heard and received the gospel, were also part of God s redemption plan now. The word "you" referred to Gentiles as a people, not to each person.
The point is God had predestined to offer redemption to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles - which together means everyone on earth. The offer to Gentiles had been pre-planned since the beginning, not suddenly - not because Israel did not believe. The Lord offered redemption to everyone, not chose who to save. God did not handpick or decide who should go to heaven. After hearing the gospel, each one has to decide whether to believe or not. People have to make a decision
Adapted from book: Understanding Prayer, Faith and God s Will
2016-07-26 15:11:35 · answer #6 · answered by Tauqian 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prayer makes people who feel helpless not feel so helpless.
2006-06-13 08:00:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
to understand the will of God!
2006-06-13 08:18:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋