Does God change his mind because of prayer? If so, how is God then all-knowing? If not, why pray at all?

Answer 1

Religion is all a big lie.

Stop worrying about something that's not even real.

Answer 2

I'm really glad you asked this question.. I've been asking about prayer, too, and getting some really confusing answers.

The type of questions I've been asking were merely looking for responses to recent science news of a study that has shown prayer to be ineffective. There were basically two types of answers given in response to my questions by those people who were obviously prayer supporters.

The first group were the easiest to understand... they met the news with abject denial and responded typically with statements like, (and I'm paraphrasing here,)
'Prayer works. God answers all prayers.'

The second set of answers were more difficult to figure out. They, too, began with denial and some went into brief explanations of why the research couldn't be correct - still this amounted to nothing more than simple denial.

The greatest rub for this second group of answers, the more complex response, was in giving explanations of how prayer works and how God answers prayers - I suspect you'll get a similar set of these answers here.

It was from the second group that I saw contradiction and double talk ruling the day. Some people were so divided in their thinking that they would write sentences like, (again I paraphrase,) 'Prayer is effective because god listens to all prayer and he responds but he sometimes says "no" and then within the same paragraph they might type '...but God has his own will and people can't expect him to do what they want because it's what he wants that's important."

So... How does that make any sense at all..? He does and he doesn't respond to requests because he has his own will and he will do what's best according to his plan but pray for help anyhow.

So why ask?

EDIT: Now here's a direct quote taken straight out of a response within this very set of answers.... It's a clear contradiction completely within itself.

"God answers in His will. Moses persuaded God in prayer. A Father listens to His children in need. "

If god listens to his children and god can be persuaded, how in the world is he expressing "his own will"?

.....I don't get it... and honestly, I really don't think that any of the supporters of prayer get it either.

Prayer is nonsense....!!!

EDIT #2: Check this out... It's taken from this set of answers, too.

"If you are asking, will God change his mind about his purpose for your life because of prayer...the answer is No, I don't believe he would. If however you are asking if God would change the course of events when a believer asks him to take control....then yes, I believe he does. "

Good gosh...! What's the difference between changing the course of events of ones life and changing the purpose of ones life...? Like...'Dear God, I want to be rich... that's my plan and that's the purpose I want to persue.' ...and God says, 'Oh.. well I'd better change the course of your life then... You were slated to be an assistant fish scaler, but I'll have to let you be the next Bill Gates instead.'

Come on ...people...!

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
.

Answer 3

Prayer does not change God, it changes us.
That is what I have been taught. Now for a bit of possible heresy...
I think that prayer has an effect on the material word. It is not about God doing this or that.. we have the ability within our mind to have an effect on matter. I have heard it put that the human will and spirit together can become the 'second cause' of Thomas Aquinas. That means that we have the ability within our mind to affect the material word. This gift was given us by God who is the 'primary cause'.

Answer 4

In the Lord's prayer He says, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

If someone is going in the opposite direction of God's will or purpose and we pray in faith for that person, our prayers move God to take action to do all that it takes to turn that person around. However God allows that person to have a free will to accept or reject any and all of God's moves. There are two consequences to each decision, a consequence to making a right choice and a consequence of making a bad choice. One is a step in God's will and the other is a step out of God's will. Seeking God in prayer helps us to align our selves and others to God's will.

Answer 5

Prayer comes in two forms. Praise/worship and asking. If you are asking will God change his mind about his purpose for your life because of prayer...the answer is No, I don't believe he would. If however you are asking if God would change the course of events when a believer asks him to take control....then yes, I believe he does. God has a purpose for each of us but we have to trust him to control our lives if that purpose is to be fulfilled. God's end purpose for us takes precedence over everything else...including our personal wishes because he knows better than we what the result of any and all actions will be. He does not however just take over. Giving him control is strictly voluntary.

Answer 6

Job 28:23 says that "God understands the way to [wisdom] and he alone knows where it dwells."

James 1:5 says that God has wisdom on offer for anybody who wants it. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

What is wisdom? Is it knowing all "things/events" or knowing all "consequences"? Wisdom (chokmah) is comparable to prudence (`ormah) in Proverbs 8:12. Prudence means, according to www.blueletterbible.org, "shrewdness, craftiness, prudence."

I don't recall the term "omniscient" actually appearing in the Bible. I'm not sure, but I think it was an add-on doctrine, possibly around the time that the Trinity was introduced in 300-400AD.

It reminds me of the quote from "The Collapse of Chaos", a book about science, that says that comprehension is merely on the way, intellectually, to metaphor, which means bearing the meaning of one word to another. There's a lot more to thinking than simply calculating sets of data. God's wisdom is combined with qualities like love, justice and power.

Answer 7

god cannot be all-knowing and all-powerful at the same time. If he is all-knowing, then he would know every decision he is going to make. That means he could not be all-powerful, because he is powerless to change his decisions (because he already knows what they are).

If he is all-powerful, he can't be all-knowing, because he could change his mind at any time and what he knew he would no longer know.

If he is all-knowing, prayer is ineffective. He's already made up his mind. If he was all-powerful, he may not hear your prayer because he can't be all-knowing.

Ah, it's all nonsense, god doesn't exist. Any 3rd grader can figure that out!

Answer 8

Prayer does not change God it changes us.When Abam argued with God about Sodom God did not change His mind Abram began to learn to make moral decisions

Answer 9

sorry abit of a daft question, if you don't know how is anyone else going to know the answer to a daft question like that. all religion is is basted on fear and fear is then turned in to faith. get out more and enjoy life to full. you only live once! (-:

Answer 10

the fact that God is all knowing does not mean that he cannot change his mind.
God gave dominion over the earth, we have to give him permission to interfere.
but out of respect we ask him to, and that is why we pray.
that is also why prayer is seldom effective, when people pray for others that have not ask for it. they have to give their permission for God to interfere in their lives also.

Answer 11

everything God does is in his perfect will.

now, he knows everything we could ever want. he knows our inner desires, our thoughts, what we want. however, He wants to hear us ask for it. He wants us to realize that He can bless us beyond belief, and help us. He wants to know that we trust in Him and that we believe He can do it. however, if it's not in His will for us, he won't do it. sometimes, the answer to a prayer is "no." some people forget that sometimes, which is only human. that's why we pray.