I'm not talking about world peace, or good health for your loved ones. I mean more like winning a sporting event, or getting the right lottery numbers.
Do you think God minds? Or is He happy to help?
I ask as an agnostic with an open and friendly mind towards religion.
2006-12-06 17:30:37 · 22 answers · asked by Lindsey Suzanne 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow, I got more answers that I expected. Should have known; religion is the one unifier here at Yahoo! Answers, regardless of which side of it we're on.
2006-12-06 17:52:17 · update #1
I answer as an atheist with an open and friendly mind towards religion.
Not only is it okay to pray for something pragmatic, it's one of the reasons religion resists. People across cultures and religions go to their gods to pray for help in worldly matters- health, money, family, etc. For example, in India, a person could go to a shrine purely for merit and to worship gods, but many times they go for help with worldly affairs, and even have a transactional system- "give me a son and I will bring you five bags of grain and throw a feast in your honor."
God has made humans the way he has (at least if he theoretically exists), and he should not be upset by us acting according to nature.
2006-12-06 17:38:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I am not so sure about sports or the lottery ticket. I think that he like to play fair there. But other things are OK. I get parking spaces all the time. Even at major events when everyone else assumes there will not be one. Now some would say that this is just the power of positive thinking. Whatever you call it, it works for me.
2006-12-06 17:43:16 · answer #2 · answered by tonks_op 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Evidently God wants us to pray all the time and to pray about everything.
That would include things that we want for ourselves.
So, pray about everything.
Matt 21:21-22
21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." ..............
Luke 18:1
18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
1 Thess 5:16-18
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
(all above from New International Version)
2006-12-06 17:46:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think God wants us to pray for specific things. Jesus, for example, prayed for things like, "Give us this day our daily bread." However, we should always be open to making sure that our will fits God's will. God is not a catalog that you call and place an order. If He doesn't want to give you something, asking for it won't change His mind. Instead, we should ask to know what His will is, so we are always asking for the right things.
2006-12-06 17:34:13 · answer #4 · answered by drshorty 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No it is not selfish, but that is not the way it works!
One should pray for the Lord to do his will - and if it is his will that you win, then it shall be. On the other hand, if it is not his will that you win, then you must be willing to accept that also.
In addition, when we pray for 'things' or solutions, or answers to questions, we should first decide for ourself what it is we want to have happen. Then we pray to know if what we have chosen is the right thing.
The Lord is always happy when we talk to him! But we must also learn to be happy with his answers, whether they are what we want to hear or not!
2006-12-06 17:36:49 · answer #5 · answered by ewema 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, you can ask, but God usually answers by teaching us patience and virtue.
I seriously doubt that he will give you the winning lottery numbers in a chinese fortune cookie.
Rest assured that God already knows your heart. He also knows what you need and don't need.
Needs and wants are completely different, my friend.
Merry Christmas.
2006-12-06 17:34:09 · answer #6 · answered by Jade 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was taught growing up that praying to win money is wrong but then a prayer book came out several years ago that said it was not. I feel if you feel doubtful in your heart then it is wrong. Think about your prayer for a minute and if it seems wrong then dont and if it feels ok to ask for it then ask. I feel God gave us intuition and I also feel God puts answers in our heart. My pastor always taught me if you doubt it....then don't. I have NEVER gone wrong with this motto. Also another good one is "What would Jesus do?"
2006-12-06 17:37:26 · answer #7 · answered by lullabyforthree 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is not a genie that you get 3 wishes from.
God does want to bless you with the things you need and the things you want but first you need to read Matthew 6:33.
2006-12-06 17:47:04 · answer #8 · answered by kaitnkie 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not wrong to ask God specifically for something. He always answers prayers, but not always the way we want them answered. He knows what is good for us, and what we need. If He gave us everything we asked for we would never learn to lean on Him. We would all be spoiled brats. Praise the Lord He knows what He is doing.
2006-12-06 17:39:05 · answer #9 · answered by salvation 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God grants us everything we need. One should not pray for those things. For one the Bible is against gambling and the Lottery is exactly that. If you truly have faith you would not "TEST" God, or bother God, by trivializing prayer time by asking for such things.
2006-12-06 17:48:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋