Does prayer to God have any actual force, if he has already predestined prayer and his responses to it?

Question

What if I said a prayer today, but both my prayer and the response I was going to receive were already predetermined before I was born? Would it be possible for my prayer to change what was already destined to happened? If not, what actual force does prayer have?

Answer 1

In regards to whether our prayers matter, God commanded us to pray, and we have an example of how to do this in Matthew 6:5-15. He would not have done so if our prayers were pointless.

One possibly helpful answer to this dilemna is that God does not merely predestine the future, but the means by which the future is accomplished. In thise case, your prayer is the means by which something was accomplished, through His answer to your prayer.

Put from another perspective, God exists outside of time. Thus, He has always been aware of your prayer, and has always had an answer for it. To us, it seems as though these prayers and answers are predestined, but that is because we live inside of time, and have to look back and forth to the past and future.

Answer 2

What if I said a prayer today, but both my prayer and the response I was going to receive were already predetermined before I was born?

No, the response to your prayer is not predetermined. You may have a preset purpose for this earth, and so long as your prayer does not stray you from that or God's will, then no.

Would it be possible for my prayer to change what was already destined to happened?

Possibly if it is in God's will, then yes.

If not, what actual force does prayer have?

There is indeed power in prayer. There have been actual studies relating prayer to improved healing and livelihood.

Answer 3

This has been a paradox since the beginning of Christianity. God instructs us to pray, but God knows the outcome of every event. He knows the end from the beginning.

Well, should that stop me praying for my uncle to get better or for my grandchildren to grow into responsible citizens? Or to give up praying for Africa/wherever to have peace? A resounding NO.

If nothing else, prayer changes ME and my attitudes about life. But often the prayers of many people gathered together will effect the outcome of a situation. Too many people will attest to that fact. You see, God fore-knew that those hundreds would gather for that prayer meeting and would pray for that thing, so he is willing to make the thing happen.

The paradox in its essence is:

God knows everything that will happen
God allows us to choose what we will do

Knotty thinking process eh?? In the Eastern philosophies, this kind of paradox is frequent and is not a difficult concept, but in the Western mind, such an opposition of concepts is harder to encompass. Go ahead, and try. It is in the Bible and we are only able to get closer to understanding it by effort and then more effort.

Good question.

Answer 4

God doesn't like those predetermined prayers everyone says the same way. how would you like it if everyone you talked to always said the same thing? You wouldn't like it, so why do you think God does? You should talk to God like you talk to your friends, after all he is your friend. If you do so, honestly and openly (he'll know) you will get answers to your prayers. Sometimes the answer is not obvious but sometimes it is so obvious it couldn't be anything but an answer to your prayer.

Answer 5

First, there are prayers, and there are prayers. the unlucky area of your question approximately prayers is that relatively spiritually more suitable persons not often use prayers to circulate mountains in the 1st place. back to the main physique of your question. Predestination would not comprise the ideas you're making. All plausible state of affairs has been labored out so which you will %. from. in spite of selection you're making will elicit a reaction, yet another of the state of affairs which has been considered and labored out. The labored out state of affairs is the predestination area. and you would be able to desire to make the ideas on the grounds which you're dealing with a studying technique. by way of the errors you're making, you discover ways to make extra useful alternatives next time.

Answer 6

I believe God gave us the power of free will so we can change things while we are here.
The act of praying should give us strength to perform those changes.
If all is predetermined, there would be no reason for us to be here. We should think this life as a school, you can either have good grades and move on, or have bad grades and have to do it all again, and you can even be expelled, depending on your behavior.
I think God give us the right time. What we do if this time, it's only up to us.

Answer 7

I think that it would be a mistake to think that prayer has "force" in any case. A prayer is a plea; it doesn't compel God to do anything whatsoever.

That said, "predestination" is generally taken to be a much more limited phenomenon than you seem to describe here. What you describe is called fatalism, and most Christians would object to it.

Answer 8

yes and no. .

your prayers do have force, and if they are predestined, then so is the force that they have . . get it?

It's not really easy to think about or explain, but God calls us to pray, and He tells us that prayers do move His hand (and He acts on them).

"The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avail (bring) much" (can't remember what the chapter and verse name/number are, but that's what it says (and it goes on to give a whole list of examples of how men of God prayed and then He acted in spectacular ways in response to their prayers.

good luck and God bless you.

Answer 9

Well prayer takes a long time ,but God will respond.

Answer 10

Check out the quote at the top of the home page.