For Christians in particular... do you ever pray for a parking spot? Or anything small like that?

Question

There's really three aspects to this question:

1) Do you think God is concerned with the small details of your life?
2) Do you think it's appropriate to view prayer as a "means" to get things from God?
3) What does that say about your view of God?

Feel free to answer any or all points, but I'm interested in how other people feel about this. Thanks!

Answer 1

When we die and go to heaven, the only thing we can take with us is virtues. God helps us to obtain virtues when we are here in this world. You Q has nothing to do with my effort to grow spiritually in Jesus.

Answer 2

I view God as my Heavenly Father. Asking for little things is like a kid asking for a quarter for a gumball machine. It's a little thing to you, but it is very important for the child. Sometimes you may say no. Does this mean you do not love the child? You may not have a quarter in change or you may not want to promote tooth decay.

I pray for everything and about everything. For example, my work orders are backed-up at work. Today, I prayed for some easy solutions for my work so I would not be working all day and so I could begin reducing my workload. I don't believe there is nothing wrong with this.

This past fall, our schools were experiencing several teenage driving deaths. I cried and I prayed. I prayed for comfort and peace for the families, for other teenagers to learn for this, and, for others to show compassion for the families. I didn't know any of them. I don't know of the results of these prayers, and it appears that maybe the prayers were not answered the way I would like. During the fall, we had 11 deaths. Maybe the kids listened and we only had 11. Or, maybe they didn't, and we didn't stop at 2.

If you can't talk to Heavenly Father, then will you be able to develop a relationship with him. If you can't trust him with the small things, will you ever trust him with the major issues?

Answer 3

Honestly, I do. Well I don't actually pray. Let's say I am on lunch break and I need to go to a department store but I only have a limited amount of time. I will think in my heart, "Lord let me get close" or I will hope that I can find a close parking spot. And then when I find one, I say "Oh, thank you Jesus". God does not think that anything concerning us is trivial. He loves us and He wants the best for us. Over and over again in the Word of God you can find where He says this. Here are some, I wish above all else that thou may prosper and be in good health, even as thou soul prospers. Also He careth about everything that concerneth us. Also, it is not His Will that any should perish but that all should have eternal life. May God Bless U.

Answer 4

1. God is concerned with all the details of my life
2. Yes and no. It is perfectly normal and acceptable to go to God with a request for something, However that is not the only reason to go to God in prayer. Do you have kids? And do they ever ask you for anything? Is that the only reason they ever talk to you? Well its pretty much the same way with God.
3. My view of god is pretty good but extremely limited by my human mind.

What is your view of God like?
Please respond.

Answer 5

1.) I believe that God is concerned with ALL aspects of our lives. We are God's children and even though he has better things to do he makes time for tiny requests, like any good Father would.

2.) I think that prayer is a means of showing appreciation of God and also doing good works. We pray for many things like healing, financial breakthroughs, and all out better positions in our lives. I don't think it is a means to get things from God, but I do catch myself asking for petty things when I really should be concentrating on more important issues.

3.) I view God as my heavenly Father, and love him as so. My Father loves me and wants the best for me, be it a parking space or healing from a terminal disease. I am thankful to have a God that is so loving to even entertain such requests.

Answer 6

Father in Heaven is a Perfect Father, so He would naturally be concerned about all aspects of our happiness. We see examples of imperfect fathers on this earth trying their best to help their children become good people, so why should it not be with Father in Heaven?

His wisdom and omniscience does allow for certaing things to not happen, which may explain why some prayers are "not answered". Sort of like a real life father refusing to give something to a child because the child is not capable of being responsible for it.

What's also interesting is that there are actually instances where people are actually afraid of asking Father in Heaven for something! There are even instances where a bit of knowledge that Father shares with us are things that we may never have ever thought of. For those people who are actually afraid of praying because of what you think the answer may be, I have to suggest would you first pray to be comforted and get courage in your hearts? When the time is right, you will be able to progress with whatever is troubling you.

So for christians, or even Jews or Muslims for that matter, having a prayerful attitude throughout the day about all things sounds normal to me. Quick pleadings can be done, while at dinner with the family members there, it may feel more appropriate for a more formal prayer. But that prayerful spirit can be there, if people allow it.

I hope this makes sense and thanks for letting me share.

Sincerely,
Alvin R.

Answer 7

I actually like this question...
Personally I think that We as a human race are VERY selfish...
1) Do you think God is concerned with the small details of your life? A parking space? an opening in traffic. There are so many people in this world.. it (in my oppinnion) is selfish to ask him to "make it go away" now like a child dieing or something like that..... YEAH it's ok to ask for help:) a lot of people get amd and say that god doesn't answer them so he's not real.... sometimes unanswered prayers are for a reason... but MAYBE he's too overwhelmed by people asking for little foolish things like those earrings they saw last week.
2) Do you think it's appropriate to view prayer as a "means" to get things from God? Prayer should THANK god for all he has given us. People pray for small thing but they don't thank him for the food he has bestowed apon us, or for giving us breath or children... they pray to god that for this bad day to end... but they don't thank him for the good days...
3) What does that say about your view of God? I think god is very giving and loving, i think we take him or her whichever it is, for granted and don't thank him for enough of the things he has given us. We are a selfish race/species we take take take and we hardly ever give back...

Answer 8

1) Yes I do, but I think it's selfish,pointless, and ultimately unanswered.

2) No I don't. When I really think about it I think my menial life problems can't mean much compared to the fabric of all existence. I realize that "God's plan" may refer to a bigger picture I'm not capable of comprehending moreso than me getting to live all the best wishes I have in life

3) It says that I view God as pretty dispassionate about the small stuff. I think he has other, better things to worry about than whether or not I'm happy with my parking spot. But I'm still human and wish I could get a break from the big guy every once in awhile.

Answer 9

since the bible tells us that God has counted every hair on our head, I would suppose that He is concerned with the details :)

details can help our faith to grow. My son prayed for no rain the day he had an important baseball game - and it didn't. Does that mean God answered his prayer? We don't know for sure, but according to the forecast for the day - it was indeed suppose to rain.
Parking spots - yes I've prayed for them. Especially when I'm in a hurry. Sometimes that prayer is answered too.

I'll tell you a detail that floored me not long ago.
Myself and a group of parents felt led by the Lord to start up a new Christian school in our area. Just small, nothing fancy - open to everyone. Not for profit.
You can imagine this is a huge job. Finding a building with property attached, teachers, putting the government forms in order, dealing with lawyers, finding students etc. God put us at peace and to make a long story short - everything was provided - including students.... here's two "little" details....
I was hired as the office administrator. I set up the entire office for the headmaster and administered everything usual with a school. We prayed for supplied to come in (as our budget was extremely tight). everything from erasers to paper poured in. But I needed something specific. I was looking for 2 sturdy clipboards that I could use for the before and after school programs. I thought if they didn't come in, I would simply go and buy them (I can afford that after all) but instead I was prompted to wait and pray, so I did. We needed other things that I were more pressing for the teachers sake - staplers, paper punches, tape dispensers, chalk, etc etc.... but I just wanted 2 sturday clipboards.
A few days before the school was to open last Sept... we received an expected shipment of donated teacher's desks and file cabinets. As we unloaded the truck, my husband started handing us boxes. I asked where they came from. He said that the business donor (a government agency that was closing down) said to take them after he asked what would happen to them. He didn't even know much about what was in them. We opened the boxes like it was Christmas! Staplers! Pens! Tape! Punches! .... right down to the paper clips, pins and staples. Enough for the whole year.
we got to the 2nd to last box and I was so elated from the previous that I didn't notice them at first. My friend picked them out of the box and handed them to me saying "didn't you pray for these?"
they were two beautiful large sturdy clipboards.
I screamed so loud and we jumped up and down for 5 minutes.
then we opened the last box.... it contained about 20 more clipboards.....
OK, so you talk about small prayers. Why did we open the boxes in the order that we did? They weren't in any particular order, just scattered over the floor. Why did the box with only 2 clipboards get opened before the box with 20?

A few days later - some children who were in grade 5,6,7,8 asked if there would be lockers for them. We had no lockers. Someone suggested they pray for them.
2 or 3 days later we received a phone call. "Do you need lockers?"
we didn't solicite them at all and no one told anyone that the children were praying for them.
When we told the children that the lockers were on their way - they were elated and praised God! You can't buy happiness, love, surprise or faith like that!

blessings and sorry for rambling :)

Answer 10

1. Of course, God is concerned with small details of my life. He blesses me in MANY ways each day, in little ways....
2. I think that prayer is to praise God for all He is and does, and that if we have specific things that we need (truly need) that God will provide those needs. now if they are 'wants'... if they coincide with God's will for us, He will provide those as well.
3. My view of God is that He is our great provider... He loves us and will give and do for us, and if we follow Him, he will cause us to prosper. but the key, is that we form our will to be like His... that we change from selfish to selfless...

When my son got married last summer... they wanted an outdoor wedding... in our gardens here at home. his bride wanted Peonies as her flowers, but the florist wanted $10/stem... so we found friends with peonies growing... and started praying in March that they would be in perfect season for the wedding June 10th (about a week past the peak season here in MN)... most every garden had them but they were nearing the end of blooming the week before, except for the friends who were going to give them to us.... the day before the wedding, we picked fresh peonies and made 9 bouquets, free... for the bride and bridesmaids... plus the weather was perfect, no bugs, everything went perfect with 350 people attending, and we put on a whole wedding, reception and dance for under $3000, including full meals, cake and DJ.... God does provide even the 'little' things like NO MOSQUITOES LOL

Answer 11

Yes
Yes
I view God as a Father who does care about the little things in life but like father it's only up to a point. And it depends, I'm sure, on how it would affect someone else.