The purpose of prayer?

Question

Prayer is not for man to change the counsel of God but is for communion with God and we are the one being taught some lesson and being changed.

Do you agree with this statement and if so, why pray for menial things like passing a history test?

smiley ... I disagree ... the Lord says no ALOT to sincere genuine prayers ... if I ask to pass a history test I won't unless "I" study and do it, not the Lord.

Tami ... so God answers your prayers and your child gets straight A's yet my whole community prayed for a child with cancer and they died ... do you not see the irony in this?

Answer 1

"Prayer" is properly another word for "meditation." There is really no need at all to postulate the existence of a separate "Being" to Whom one addresses one's prayer. One might just as well think of it as communion with one's own "Higher Self" - except that it seems more convenient to treat it as a "conversation" with an objective Entity. Why do people pray? For clarification, for insight, for moral and spiritual sustenance. But "God helps those who help themselves."

It should go without saying that "prayer" for such objects as passing a test is a misapplication of energy based on a misapprehension of facts. The notion that you can petition God like a kid asking his dad for pocket change is about as crass and vulgar as you can get. Anyway it is quite obvious that "God" does NOT "answer prayers" in such a way.

Answer 2

I agree prayer is not for man to change the counsel of God and that we are taught and changed through prayer. It's also to obtain His counsel and blessings for ourselves and others.

I wouldn't presume to tell someone their prayer request is too menial. When a child cries over something unimportant, parents have a tendency to make light of it. That's wrong. Our Heavenly Father would never do such a thing. We are commanded to pray over everything we care about.

Perhaps what would be considered too menial is something we don't really care about. In other words, it's wrong to pray without thinking.

Prayer is a wonderful opportunity and it has been a great blessing in my life.

Answer 3

Prayer seems to be asking for something and omnicognicent being already knows you want, and being omnipotent could give you with the slightest whim, but has already decided what will happen.


In reality it is a way for people to reduce their responsibility by handing that responsibility to God. That anyone would spend five seconds praying to a god to help them with a history test, rather than use that time actually studying history is asinine. But it lets them divest responsibility for their poor grade onto 'the will of god' rather than their lack of work.



A comment on jctheblog's answer.

How come it is aways prayer AND something? If it is prayer that is curing you, then that is a miracle. And if it is a miracle then it can heal anything, even your cancer. Or even the loss of a limb. But wait, there has NEVER been anyone who has regrown a limb EVER. Why is that? Do people not pray for this? Or does god just not like amputees?

Or could it be that prayer does nothing at all (documented in studies) and that you were cured by other factors?

Answer 4

Prayer is for two things. The first you covered quite nicely. It is also to strengthen our relationship with God. How strong can a relationship remain if we never have meaningful conversations? The second is to get God involved when matters have gotten outside man's capability. I think this is where the most error occurs in our prayer lives. We ask God to do things we can do ourselves, and then become disappointed, or lose faith when we don't get what we want out of Him. But He said to ask, so we should.

Answer 5

The purpose of prayer is to obtain emotional consolation from fear and distress. It is a psychological delusion. There is no such thing as a supernatural presence. If there were, the world would be a totally different place. There is no empirical evidence whatsoever that qualifies the existence of supernatural presences. Move on with your life. Get a job, go to parties, and have fun.

Answer 6

I agree with you. but i do believe that God cares about the simple things in life. He wants you to pass that test, although he is not going to help you a whole lot if you were just lazy and didn't study.

Answer 7

It is written to cast all our cares to the Lord. Even the littlest ones. For He cares for us.

Yes, I have prayed for my children's straight A's when it seemed an impossiblity. Then I thanked God for those straight A's. Then I saw those straight A's. I also, saw Gods favor on my children when I thanked God for that favor. When I first ask God for favor on my children, and I know God heard my petition, I know I received my request. Then after that, when it doesn't look like it is coming around, I thank God for it. Don't let the devil steal it away.

Give thanks for it after you know God has heard your request.

Passing a history test my seem menial to you, but to God your menial requests are important.


Also, when we don't give our cares to the Lord, how do we know it is God who took care of it and give God thanks when the situaltion is taken care of.

I knew to thank God for those A's. It was a miracle. But I specifically asked God for those.

Answer 8

the reason we pray is to as u said communion and talk with god but u are wrong when u said it isn't to councel with God U do council with God u are suppose to talk things over with him even though it won't change his judgment it will make u understand why he did what he did and why he wil do things in the future
Just always remember Jesus loves u and will always alway be there 4 u

Answer 9

Prayer is you talking with God
People pray for the things that they want in life, and not the things that they really need in life (if you know what I mean)

Answer 10

I agree with you. But there are no menial prayers. We are told to pray without ceasing.