is praying a form of begging?

Answer 1

for some yes... but i personally dont dont pray for what i want (mostly, lol)... when i pray i normally give thanks.
and showing gratitude isnt begging.

Answer 2

Not all prayers are asking for things for ourselves, it is often for someone else that we pray. Not all people understand the way to pray and what to ask for. Like praying for things out of a motivation for greed in asking for a new car or a new bike. We should pray for strength and knowledge in order to get through this life. It is not begging even when we do ask for something for ourselves. It is a communication with our Lord.

Answer 3

I suppose it could be if that's what you are doing instead of praying. Praying for guidance or a resolution to a problem is not begging..Praying to win the lotto every night for 6 hours would be considered begging.

Answer 4

There are different reasons to pray.

Some people pray simply to give thanks to their creator. Others pray as a way to actively worship their creator. Then there's folks who pray simply to talk to someone who will listen but not necessary speak back indirectly. (I say "necessarily" and "indirectly" because I feel that my prayers have been answered indirectly in the past.).

Unfortunately, there are people who only pray when they are looking for something, wanting something, or finding themselves in a jam. I wouldn't call this begging, but I would call it hypocrasy (sp?) and insincerity. These people shouldn't bother praying at all, saying they are religious, going to services for the major religious celebrations if they're only going to try to get a quick fix. If a person is going to subscribe to a religion, they should do so in their hearts and minds all year round.

Answer 5

Prayer is a form of communication from you through Christ to God. It is a way to express how we feel , our concerns, and ask for help from God. And the best thing is, if we are living our lives in harmony with what he requires he actually listens to our prayers and answers. Very comforting coming from the greatest being in the universe. For him to take time to listen to our prayers, even though we are imperfect and sin against him everyday.

P.S. Not all prayers are heard by God.

Proverbs 15:29 "Jehovah is far away from the wicked ones, but the prayer of the righteous ones he hears."

Answer 6

Prayer is a means by which we draw nearer to God.

God hears all the prayers of the righteous. But consider the following:

A Christian hunter is hunting bears in the woods. While walking up a hill he grabs a branch for leverage and it breaks sending the hunter tumbling down the hill, gun flying off elsewhere. When the hunter dusts himself off he sees a huge bear charging him. The hunter begins running, but trips and falls, landing on his knees. Seizing the opportunity, and being a good Christian, the hunter begins to pray, "Lord, make this bear a Christian."

The woods are quiet, the hunter turns and, Hallelujah! He sees the bear on his knees, paws together, praying! Listening, he hears the bear praying, "Father, bless this food to my body."

The key point here is that God answers prayers of the righteous, but the answer you get may not be the answer you want, BUT it will always be the right answer.

I speak to God just as I write these words to you now. I have a conversation with Him each day. My prayers are conversations that follow a pattern. I start every prayer with the following: "Most merciful God, not my will, but yours be done." I repeat that phrase often during my prayers. Sometimes I will do so for tens of times just to quiet my mind and make it open to hearing from my Creator.

Use the following pattern in all your prayers and you will see them answered: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. See the links below for more information. (acronym: ACTS)

http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/actsmodel.htm

http://www.powertopray.com/howto/ACTS.html

Answer 7

Praying is a form of therapy

Answer 8

I think if you are asking for material things then yes. Personally I think its pointless because everything in our lives is already planned out anyway so there is no changing it. Thats why prayers go unanswered and if they do become answered its because that is how it was suppose to be anyway. I don't believe in the Christian hoohaa. I just believe in spiritual beings and reincarnation. Its the only thing that makes sense to me.

Answer 9

It could be considered begging if asking for desires and not for what is needed.

(Matthew 6:25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

(Matthew 6:26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Answer 10

Intercessory prayer certainly seems like it would be.

However, can you really beg if there is no one there? Since god does not exist, wouldn't it be like a bum standing alone on an empty street with his hand out? At that point is he really a beggar? I think it would be more accurate to say the bum and the person praying are, to put it nicely, divorced from reality.