I can sort of see why a believer in a personal god might wish to offer prayers to a god which they believe might intercede in the real world on their behalf (I think its barking but thats just me).
What I really really do not understand is why there are people (the majority of believers on this site it seems) that seem to think that their god needs their praise as some sort of sustenance or he'll get angry, why would an all powerful creator need his creations to continually praise him, wouldn't that make him the most power crazed egoistical dictator ever known? I would like serious answers if possible.
2006-10-25 13:42:48 · 26 answers · asked by fourmorebeers 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Many have compared god to a father, but I'm a father and I love my children whether or not they thank me for anything, let alone praise me, because I am a normal well-adjusted adult. Why do you feel god is so insecure that he need your constant praise?
2006-10-25 13:53:37 · update #1
Well thanks for your ansers, it gives me a little more insight I think. More than anything it reinforces my belief that believers and unbelievers really do look at the world very differently.
2006-10-25 14:07:39 · update #2
i totally agree with you
and although i believe in God and do pray
my prayers are more like a diary or speaking to a friend
i do not believe God wants praise and worship
2006-10-25 13:45:11 · answer #1 · answered by Peace 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a bible and open the back part of the concordance and see a word "praise" and read all the chapters with word praise and it will tell you why.
To understand why you need to praise Him, you have to read the bible, know and understand what He did to you. If you understand God and man from the creation to salvation, you will just start weaping and get on your knees and start praising Him from what he did.
Praises is just an appreciation to God, if you don't know Him and what He did, how
can you praise(appreciate) Him.
If you saw a movie superman return, the part where superman died by saving people from a disaster. If that person is you and he died from saving you from a certain disaster, wouldn't you whisper under your breath a word thanks to him? But what God did to you is more than that. That was just a tip from an iceberg compares to what God did to you.
God doesn't need your praise but if you become silent, the stones will cry out.
Read Luke chap 19 verses 37-40
Bottom line is, to thanks(praise) someone, you need to know what he/she did to you. If you don't, how can you thanks(praise) or appreciate what he/she did.
Read your Bible.
2006-10-25 21:21:04 · answer #2 · answered by Microbes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God wants us to sing and dance and praise Him, because when you do you are opening yourself up to be filled with the Holy Spirt and to receive His Blessings.
If you are very serious about your question, I would recommend that you take yourself to one of the bigger churches in your community and sit in on a Sunday Worship service, sit in the back row and just listen. The sing and praise is usually done at the beginning of the service, that way you can slip out when it is finished.
What a sing and praise service does is to take your mind off of everything around you, your problems etc, in other words you clear your thoughs of anything negative that's going on in your life.
It can be a very emotional time or it can be a very happy time.
You are ready to make a judgement about something you know nothing about In all fairness you owe God the respect of at least going and seeing for yourself and then come back on this sight and give an honest informed opinion.
I will caution you however, you may come away a changed person.
2006-10-25 21:06:21 · answer #3 · answered by yakity_one 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is not a 'power crazed egotistical dictator'... YOU need to remember that GOD is not human, therefore you can not humanize Him... He does not need us, we need Him... and to answer your question about prayer, prayer is not supposed to be used to praise God, that's what songs and worship is for, but prayer is us ASKING God for things... prayer is ASKING... songs and worship are PRAISING God...God won't get angry if you don't praise Him, if you have asked (prayed for) God to come into your life, then loving your neighbour, treating the disadvantaged with respect and LOVING YOUR ENEMIES is really and trully all He wants from you... why is it so hard to believe that God ONLY wants the best for His children? God doesn't want us to suffer...He didn't make us to have diseases and suffer from pain... remember He made us in His image, therefore we were meant to be perfect, but MAN let his BRAIN and EGO get in the way and now we suffer because of it. May the almighty Father Bless you
2006-10-25 20:58:28 · answer #4 · answered by antoinette m 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thats the whole thing about prayer that you dont understand. Very rarely do i praise God and see hes all powerful in prayer. I thank HIm but thats it. I pray for myself and for other people. And i don't need to praise Him like you say cause he knows i Love him
2006-10-25 20:45:42 · answer #5 · answered by Mikey Boy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer to your question is found in the Scriptures, if you will read them then you will get to understand the ways of God. His Promises, and why we are created It is good to look into a subject before forming an opinion on it. We all need to learn, more and get understanding. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide you when you start your search. This answer is serious.
for a humorous answer I have learned to use a :)
2006-10-25 20:59:23 · answer #6 · answered by pooterilgatto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a theist. However, no good spirits DEMAND worship. A "god" is merely an advanced supernatural being that is deserving of worship, but doesn't demand such a practice. Such is the case with the Ori when I pray to them, or when I use their tool of magick: I interact with them and praise them for their help and love, and I love them in return. It's very beneficial and peaceful. It feels artificial at first, but that does not last.
2006-10-25 20:56:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prayer is alot more than just Trying to Get GOD to do Something.
Prayer activates the Angels too.
Children of GOD when they Pray Activate the Good Angels.
(voodoo, when they pray, activates the Bad Angels.)
GOD wants us to Praise HIM cause ONE, HE is the Only One Who deserves to be Praised and TWO, GOD Inhabits the Praises of HIS PEOPLE (Born-Agains), HIS Presence in our Prayers and Praise MAKES the devils LEAVE our Presence. For a while at Least.
devil is 24-7.
Ain't Over Till it's Over.
2006-10-25 20:51:59 · answer #8 · answered by maguyver727 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God made the world and the people in it, He put special detail into making everything too. like birds, they have detailed colors, dogs have detailed different pretty breeds, flowers are detailed in design ETC. so God is not like an equal to us, He's a Master Designer and Creator. If God wants us to praise Him, i don't feel 'scared' into doing it, i just think He's God, and He's good to us always, i want to.
2006-10-25 20:50:56 · answer #9 · answered by Nikki 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a good question... The only thing I can think of is that he is GOD and he did create us so if he wants us to worship him we gotta do it... But than again to a Christian such as myself since I truly believe that I am saved, it's not a matter of HAVING to praise him, I love him so much I WANT TO PRAISE HIM! Hope this does something for you!
2006-10-25 20:49:15 · answer #10 · answered by businessman7337 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋