Do you agree or disagree with this quote from Thomas Aquinas concerning prayer?

Question

"We do not pray in order to change the decree of divine providence; rather we pray in order to acquire by petitionary prayer what God has determined would be obtained by our prayers" (Summa Theologica 2a2ae.83.ad.2).

Dear free,

"Prayer is often considered a weakness, a support system, which is used when we can no longer help ourselves. But this is only true when the God of our prayers is created in our own image and adapted to our own needs and concerns" (Henri Nouwen).

Prayer is actually "a risky surrender."

Answer 1

I believe a simpler version of this that I've heard is, "Prayer does not change the heart of God but rather changes the heart of him who prays." Our prayers for something or some change in our present cicrumstances is limited by our ability to CONCEIVE said change. But this puts the ball too much in God's court (particularly "what God has determined would be obtained by our prayers") and leaves the one who prays with nothing to do beyond prayer.

So I disagree because the Bible is replete with examples of heartfelt prayer which stayed God's hand of judgment. Physical healings done by Jesus in the Gospels, the saving of Nineveh in the book of Jonah -- why even pray for these things when the conclusion is a foregone one? Prayer by its very use says the conclusion is NOT etched in stone.

Answer 2

I do not pray... I do not expect God to single me out and grant me advantages over my fellow men... Prayer seems to me a cry of weakness, and an attempt to avoid, by trickery, the rules of the game as laid down. I do not choose to admit weakness. I accept the challenge of responsibility. ~ Zora Neale Hurston Prayer is of no avail. The lightning falls on the just and the unjust in accordance with natural laws. ~ Robert Ingersoll
Prayers are to men as dolls are to children. They are not without use and comfort, but it is not easy to take them seriously. ~ Samuel Butler

Answer 3

i have self belief I only study some thing in the Screwtape Letters by using C.S. Lewis that speaks to that. It basicaly says that one ought to no longer base his morals on his non secular ideals yet ought to infact base them on social ideals really because what's non secular ought to flow with the social ideals social gathering... the very undeniable truth that one does no longer kill yet another human because of undesirable emotions and the punishment one receives. This carrys over into the non secular area. I cant fairly understand why someone would say the sin of unbelief in God is larger then the different sin. can we are saying that issues that dont exist are Evil? because thouse are the flaws that are easily in unbelief of even themselfs. a minimum of an atheist has faith in the very undeniable truth that self exists and others also. it is alot of religion to provide compaired to the nothingness it is the void.

Answer 4

Being a buddhist I respect the deities but I do not rely on them, Prayer is a crutch for those who don't know how to truely contemplate the essential nature in the essence of things around them!

Answer 5

I find the quotation rather confusing, so I don't know if I agree or not. I only pray to say thank you, not to petition.

Answer 6

this quote is thin air - pure sophism - it can be theoretically correct but it is meaningless, it deals with entities, which cannot be determined and are of no real significance for us in our dimension - there is practically no difference between either possibillities, the quote just handles the (abstract) degree of our incapability to change destiny - g-d*s will

Answer 7

I agree

Answer 8

I disagree. By his statement, he is saying that we do not have free will when in fact we do.