I don't understand the whole 'pray for a miracle' thing. What is the point? Apparently your god only answers prayers (2% of the time) when he feels like it isn't messing with his divine plan. If he is omnipotent and always watching over you, then you wouldn't need to point out to him that you needed a miracle or whatever. Isn't it kind of arrogant for you, a puny human, to ask the creature you think created the entire universe to stop whatever it is he is doing just to cater to your needs? If you pray to him constantly don't you think that would get on his nerves after awhile?
2006-07-12 01:35:44 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Actually praying to me just means I am talking to the Lord, as He is my father. So if He is my father it is good to communicate with Him all the time. I look to Him for help because I trust Him and He has never failed me. He has been my best friend and never turned His back on me. I know He loves me and wants the best for me and I love Him. So why not talk to Him?
I always ask Him for His will and not mine because He knows what is best for me. I find the more I talk to Him the better things go in life for me. I can see the difference. If we dont get an answer it could be we are not listening to Him. Well that is how I feel about it.. We all have a right to choose our ways in life.
2006-07-12 01:47:18 · answer #1 · answered by G♥♥G♥♥ღ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've thought about exactly what you're saying -- I'm Christian, by the way -- and I think I've come to the conclusion that God answers my prayers not in the form of divine intervention as I would surely hope, but in the form of His presence. Praying to God serves as a comfort to me, because it's a reminder that He's there, watching over me. I believe that my God is a loving God, so by praying to Him, it's just like crawling into your mother's arms for a big hug! He doesn't need to say anything at all -- just knowing that He's there helps me think more clearly, gather my thoughts, and find the strength to keep going.
I think He's like a mother in that sense -- He will listen to all of my requests, though never answer them in voice. Because of that, I'm forced to think on my own and realize that I had the strength to get through my problems already -- I just needed to know that I had God still there by my side. Just like a child always runs to his mother, even though he already knows he's going to receive comfort, he does it anyway because it feels good.
Does that answer your question? That's my take on it anyway.
2006-07-12 01:43:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Praying is more for your benefit that it is for God's. You pray for the comfort of sitting down and actually telling God what's on your mind. if you are confident enough that God already knows what you are thinking about and what you need help with, then i suppose you don't have to pray. But when I pray I feel the same way I do when when I am in a room with someone else and we have been thinking the same thing and I finally just put it out on the table. You don't even have to formally pray or speak out loud. But if you just say in your head, "father, I'm worried about this, 'lil help?" I think it helps me have more confidence.
2006-07-12 01:39:33 · answer #3 · answered by Hunter S. Thompson 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest with you, I've often struggled with the question of why must I pray if God already knows what I have need of, as Jesus said. The conclusion that I came to, correct or not, is that prayer is an acknowledgement of our dependence upon God.
He doesn't have to stop everything that He is doing to sustain the universe in order to listen to my prayer, however. He is God, and He is the ultimate multi-tasker.
And no, I don't think that it gets on His nerves when we pray, since this is what He has commanded us to do.
2006-07-12 01:40:56 · answer #4 · answered by mom1025 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just presume that God DOES exist. Then I would believe that he answers prayer 100% of the time. Sometimes the answer is "YES", Sometimes "NO", or just "Not At This Time". (Hey, I didn't say the answer would be popular.)
Besides, wouldn't you think it would be better to ASK and POSSIBLY get what you want, than to NOT ASK and DEFINITELY NOT get what you ask for?
Of course, you don't expect to just sit on your duff and have GOOD STUFF to befall you, do you? Anything good is worth working towards.
So instead of griping about God and Prayer, you should learn to accept and work for the gifts life has to offer.
(P.S. Occasionally, you will get stuff "Free and Clear", but it's nice to feel that you had some part in it.)
2006-07-12 01:46:13 · answer #5 · answered by dustytymes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Apparently it's part of His desire to have a relationship with us as his children. He is waiting for us to ask Him to act on our behalf. In his rebuke of immature Christians, James the Elder wrote this about prayer.
James 4:2 You desire, and do not have. You murder, and are jealous, and cannot obtain. You fight and war, yet you have not because you ask not. 3 You ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts.
Here he addresses two of the points you asked about. He says that they don't get what they want because they don't ask. He then goes on to say that when they do bother to ask in prayer they don't get what they ask for because they are not asking for the right things.
Another reason for prayer is because it is one of the tools God has given to us to be at peace when with our finite minds where we cannot see an immediate solution to the problems confronting us we tell our Heavenly Father about the situation.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Then we trust that what He has promised us about our lives will come to pass.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
2006-07-12 01:48:14 · answer #6 · answered by Martin S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is God not genie. He does answer your prayers but it isn't always the answer you hoped for. Just like when you were a child your parents didn't give you everything you wanted because they could see further than you. Why do we pray to God because he likes to hear from us. He wants to hear from you that is why you were created to converse with God. He wants you to come to him without being told to. Would you want to talk to someone who you know has been forced to talk to you? That is why God gives you a choice to speak to him.
2006-07-12 01:48:02 · answer #7 · answered by jane d 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not getting what we ask does not mean our prayers are not answered. God has a perfect time... he knows what is best for us. The reason why we pray is because if we dont ask at all..we dont get it.. but asking what we WANT is different from asking what we really NEED. God knows what is best.
2006-07-12 01:40:05 · answer #8 · answered by bunbananabun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God says ask and it will be given in his time,not yours. You might be asking for things that he knows is not good for you. And ,no you don't have to ask because he does know what you need and he will provide. The real miracle is the fact that you have free will to do as you please. You do not have to wait on him,but I highly recommend that you do. The key is having faith and trusting in that faith.
2006-07-12 01:44:58 · answer #9 · answered by mrsreadalot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There isn't a point to it.
It's tradition that's been turned into mindless routine by the religious fear of damnation. Effectively religion tells us to pray because otherwise we're going to hell. That's a scare tactic to keep people in line if I've ever heard of one.
2006-07-12 01:38:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋