Question of Prayer?

Question

First off, I am asking a real question. this is not to piss anyoen off just to help me.

Prayer...Why do we do it?
If God already knows our path in life why do we pray? I have heard all my life things like " Lets pray for Sister Emma, she is sick in the hospital". What if we don't pray for her, will taht mean she does nto get better?

Some say taht you should pray that "God's will be done"...That does not make sense to me. He already knows what he is going to do.

What is teh diffrence between a Christian Prayer, Buddhist Chant or Wiccan Spell? Are tehy not all teh same things?

Answer 1

to contact him for our own peace.

Answer 2

You're correct, prayer is absolutely pointless. God is infinitely smart and all good, he will always do the right thing no matter what. If God is only going to help you recover from surgery because you prayed for it, then he is not an all good being. Whether you pray or not, God's will will ALWAYS be done! Praying does not effect what God will do. Praying to let God know how you feel or what you're thinking is also pointless because God is all knowing. He knows exactly how you feel at any moment of your life and he's known this long before you were born.

People pray because it makes them feel better, it's a selfish activity. It's meditation with a deity thrown in.

Answer 3

OK well this may take some time...As a Christian we go to God in Prayer for many different things. For help, for answers, for worship. Yes God does know everything...But the Bible says "We have not because we ask not." also it is a from of love if you don't every talk to someone how do they know you care for them? Because God gave us all a Choice to make decisions he will lead us but not force us. He loves us, and the great thing about prayer is you can talk to Jesus like he is your friend...like "Hey Jesus whats up could ya help me down here?"

About the difference, I can only speck as a christian, I ask God once about something maybe twice if I have a little doubt. When chanting or spells casting those are things we choose not to mess with because they are not Glorifying Our Lord. They are choosing to invoke their own power, Jesus died for us so that we would be able to rely on him as well.
May Christ fill your heart with a joy to pray.

Answer 4

Let's assume that God is the most powerful thing that exists (which I don't think he does anyways). If he is that powerful, doesn't he have the power to change your path in life? Logically so, but there are so many people in the world, how can he pay attention to everyone? But then again, he is God, but let's assume he is a little busy, and he's being selective of who dies or not. Well, if you pray, then maybe there is a chance he will answer your prayers, and change your path of life. I hope this bizarrely helps you, this coming from a complete and utter Atheist.

Answer 5

im an athiest, but i think the reason people pray for someone is very similar to karma and so on. if you think good thoughts about someone, hopefully that good thing will happen. i think it also helps to serve as a reminder to not be selfish and to inspire compassion. i have always been confused by gods will, we all might as well just stop going to work and eating shellfish and start listening to death metal and only drinking soy milk. 'why didnt you come into work today?' it was gods will.

buddhists chant to calm themselves and to remind themselves of the dharma. wiccans, i have no idea, i havent really looked into it so much but i think it idea is pretty closely related to prayer, just a little fancier and more active.

Answer 6

According to the book of Genesis (1:26) God says let us make men in our likeness and let THEM have dominion over the earth. Adam gave up this dominion to God's enemy satan. Jesus came and showed how to take the God given authority back that we always had a right to. In reference to the spiritual world of darkness that has given sickness, death and disease, Jesus said whatever you pray for, believing and not doubting you will have whatsoever you ask to help replenish the earth.
He said to take this dominion by telling His followers to raise the dead & heal the sick, which many of his disciples did for a long time and still do in some places on this planet. If He left us in control, that would mean he has given us power to do something about these things.
People who are believers and pray or intercede for the angles to fight for us are simply in agreement with Jesus who said by the stripes I took you are healed (He has already made provision) All we need to do is ask in faith.
If you chant to Budda, he wont answer because he is still in the grave.
A wiccan spell speaking to evil forces would not agree to call off other evil forces who are working against God's creation, unless there was a plan to deceive someone.

Answer 7

Praying is a practice for improving yourself. Through praying you develop good thoughts (and therefore good deeds) and make yourself a better person for the benefit of your own life and everybody around you.
The difference between religions is that we wish to achieve different things through the merits of our prayers e.g. Buddhists wish to attain Enlightenment and Christians wish to go to God. Methods are therefore different. However the one common thing is we want happiness at the end and not suffer again.

Answer 8

Worship means to consider & declare oneself lowly & helpless before a thing or a person and to consider & declare it/him as the omnipotent, the saviour, and the protector.10

When a person prefers someone else upon the Lord and considers him as the saviour, the omnipotent, the protector, like that of the Lord, then, he virtually adopts the way of Satan, leaving aside the path shown by the Lord, the Holy One. Such a person, practically, seeks help/protection/prosperity from the creature instead of the Creator and thereby stamps himself, by his own hands, as an enemy of the Lord, the Holy One.

To seek help or refuge from a person, other than the Lord, considering him as the Omnipotent-Protector OR to pray or beseech before him, for expulsion of some grief or loss, and extension of some relief or gain___ is all and all___ nothing else but the worship. That is the consolidated verdict of Torah (the Law of Moses), Bhagavad-Gita, the Book of Psalms, the Gospels, the Quran and all the Scriptures. People of all the Scriptures should, therefore, resort to their Scriptures and the Message of Monotheism, contained therein. They must realize, in letter and spirit, that Omnipotent-Protector and the Creator is none, but One, the Holy One, alone. And___ worship is meant for the Creator alone___ not for the creature, the prophets, the gods, the goddesses, the idols or so on.

All-Alone Lord means that there is no God beside the All-Alone Lord. This fundamental lesson has been, altogether, forgotten while everyone knows that none on the earth or in heavens or between the both___ is greater than the Lord, the One God. Instead, every creature is lowly and helpless before the Lord.

Besides that, everyone knows that whatsoever is created___ is created by the Lord, alone. Who is the Omnipotent-Protector. Even then, the masses do not establish the pure and pious worship of the Lord. Nor they act upon the Commandments of the Lord. They do act__ but__ upon their self-assumed, satanic ways. They are the servants of Satan___ not of the Lord.

At present stage of human history, when the continued work of the Godly-guidance stands, already, perfected in terms of the long series of prophets and their Scriptures. And__ the Day of Judgement is also at hand. The masses must review, all and all of that, which is being maintained by them; in the name of faith and belief.

The ignorant must pay heed to the Scriptures and the Message of Monotheism, contained therein. Still there is some time for the Repentive Recourse to reform and recognize the actual purpose of life including the actualisation thereof.

Jesus (PBUH) had given this message in his prayer on the cross (The Psalm 22)

“Praise the Lord, you servants of the Lord
Honour the Lord,
You descendants of Jacob
Worship the Lord, you people of Israel.”
(The Psalm 22:23)

It means that praise is meant for the Lord alone. And___ to honour the Lord means to obey the Lord in terms of the Lord’s Commandments and to worship the Lord means to seek help and refuge from the Lord as the Lord is the Omnipotent-Protector alone. And___ that is the sole purpose of human life.

Universe is a creation of God and behind it____ is God’s Almightiness. God created the needs___ the needies____ and all the things of needs. God is God____ God is need-free and Absolute Holy.

God is Almighty. God creates whatsoever God wills to create. Each and every creature of God is answerable to God and God is not answerable to anyone.

If the worshippers worship God and obey Gods commandments, it makes no difference to God. But on the other side, it makes a lot of difference to the worshippers if they do not worship God as they become empty-hearted and remain empty-hearted until and unless they resort to God.

If the sinners sin and disobey God, it makes no difference to God but the sinful life brings a lot of difference to the sinners as the sins necessitate the curse of God.

Curse is the God ordained result of sin
While blessing is the God ordained
result of virtue.

God has already judged the sinners and the righteous, in terms of their deeds through revealing the commandments and ordaining the ways to Hell and Heaven.
Key-point to receive the blessings of God___ is to become God’s dependent by all means____ through prayers_____ and patience ____ and trust in God.
God helps and guides aright to those who ask God for God’s help and guidance.
The people who do not believe God and lead a lustful life____ are always mislead to disaster.

Answer 9

This is a real answer, unpopular as it may seem. The answer to why people pray, whether you like it or not is mental problems. Religious people pray to fence poles and cheese sandwiches.

God doesn't talk to anyone, but human beings think they talk to some fantasy imaginary entity called God, and some of these people also think that the imaginary entity talks to them. You won't like my reply, but such behaviour is a function of mental illness.

People say they talk to aliens, people say they talk to God. The first lot are called nutters, the second lot are called religious. There's a lot of money to be made out of religion and it has become a well rehearsed play over time. Religious people also talk (pray) to fence poles and cheese sandwiches.

Christians are below average intelligence and tend to be very gullible, that's why when a fence pole or a cheese sandwich has an imprint that looks like a religious face, such as God or Our Lady, millions will flock to the spot and worship. It's also known as sheep to the slaughter syndrome.

All religions are just fantasy or mythology or cults, call it whatever you wish. The main religions also have magic tricks which are called miracles in Christianity.

Just watch what happens when a magic trick occurs, for example, the fence pole or cheese sandwich image starts to weep. Just watch how the flock of followers behave. People find it hard to accept reality so escape into fantasy and that’s what religion satisfies. Miracles are all in the mind and are nothing more than trickery.

I feel sorry for religious believers, but talking to God, which they call prayer, is nothing more than mental illness and religious people need to embark on a course of recovery. The best remedy is to take a course on commonsense, logic and science, plus make a serious effort to raise their intellectual level. A tough call yes, but it’s possible.

Answer 10

I know it, I have thought a lot about this too. I don't understand. Sometimes it seems like we are supposed to accept any answer from God, yes, no , or maybe, but then why pray?

Answer 11

Christian prayer is the elevation of the mind and heart to God:
+ In praise of his glory
+ In petition for some desired good
+ In thanksgiving for a good received
+ In intercession for others before God

Through prayer the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church.

"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." (St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." (St. John Damascene)

But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? (Ps 130:1)

He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."

With love in Christ.