When we pray, aren't we just asking god to change his plan?

Question

Is it just selfish for us to pray. Is it our way of trying to gain some control in this chaotic universe?

Answer 1

Welcome to Christianity, it's full of contradictions. Eventually you'll develop a reflex that can justify them in a matter of seconds.

Answer 2

Great question! In a way, yes, we are asking God to change His plan.

I don't like the chaotic universe either, and I often wonder why God isn't changing it.

Reality is that God is in control and I'm not.
He made the universe, He can do as He pleases. I don't have to understand it, but God does. He has a bigger plan for the universe than I am able to comprehend. So many things don't make sense to me either.

The Bible does say that all that is happening now is supposed to be happening. I don't like it one bit. Especially since my son is in the military in the middle east.

It is not selfish for us to pray. God expects us to pray. Prayer is not just to ask for things and get our way. Prayer is how we communicate with God. We don't reject God because we can't have our way.

Answer 3

Although God's plan is perfect and doesn't need any change to it, part of this plan involves free will, so basically we pray to God to help us fix our own blunders.

Free will is a misnomer for what it actually entails. We have a free will, but our will does not have absolute freedom. Furthermore the only freedom we can achieve with our will is an upward contemplative act that reunites us with teh divine. So reasonably speaking, we have no free will because we are forced to go upwards. Our only other option is to go downwards, but that is more imprisonment within matter rather than a freedom. However, the salvation comes about by the fact that the contemplation of the divine is freedom, so although it appears as if we must "obey God's law," this law is actually freedom. And by saying that, we don't need to submit to some metaphysical being, since we are that being in possession of true nature, so the only complex being in the universe is us. And it is our goal (or should be) to simplify this complexity by submitting to a more perfect and simple mode of existence, that of transcendent bliss.

Answer 4

yes, it is selfish, but you can say that God has already his plan, so it's stupid to pray. On the other hand, maybe it's just that God wants us to remember him; he won't change his plans anyway. of course, that is if you believe in god and think that his plans are like that for some reason. Then you would pray for God's plans being good for you, not to change the plan

Answer 5

the universe may look chaotic to you, but i don't think it really is. there's areason behind everything.
praying can be selfish, ok, but if you're doing in a spirit of seeking guidance, it's a totally different experience. i don't really think god has a specific plan for us. we have free will. we pray to put this free will to good use and to connect to our inner selves in order to find the right answers and the solace we need. you relate to spiritual things from an 'intellectual' point of view. you have to feel it. and to feel it, you have to need it. it's an experience, not some ethical rules. you just pour your heart out and wait for the voice of your inner self to answer. in reality we know everything, we just don't want to accept what is 'unpleasant'.
and sometimes, the 'unpleasant' stuff is what we need to get in touch with and approach, work on, with humility and dignity. then it's not selfish. it's being a better person.

Answer 6

Unfortunately you really need to have faith

Prayers are a part of our everyday life, not just in time if need.

You should pray and be greatfull for what you have, family, health, life, peace

and in time of pain, you pray for inner peace and acceptance, and not for God to change things to your wishes.

The Lord has put us on this earth on a mission, and although many obstacle will come in our way, Prayers are a way of reassuring our faith and guidance in our lives

Look for the Lord and you will see things differently

If we all get closer to him...This will end all of the bad things in the world that are going on today

Answer 7

I don't think prayer is for control of the chaos or to twist God's arm to change something or to ask for stuff.

Once you're more than, say, 5 yrs old, you should know that prayer isn't about asking God for stuff. What is God, some big genie in the sky?

Prayer is supposed to be more about union with God. It's supposed to be about communication: not asking for stuff, or even telling God your troubles, but just being there with him.

It's about putting aside your day -- your worries, your joys, your thoughts and your desires -- for just a little while to be with this incredible, unrelentingly loving God, to say "Ok, God. I understand who I am and who you are, so I'm listening."

Not that I think there's anything wrong with asking God to change his plan. Heck, you can go ahead and ask him to make you invisible too, but just be ready for an answer like: not just yet, or wait a while longer, or just plain "Sorry, but no."

Prayer is about being present with somebody who loves you, not asking for things.

Answer 8

Especially when we pray for something,
I mean praying to buy something so obvious in the Holy Books if you regularly pray to God he will take good care of you anyway.I agree.
On the other hand we have to pray God for giving us this life and for taking care.
We have to separate them,different things
Have a nice day

Answer 9

Like any relationship we have, communication is key. The more we communicate, the stronger the bond. That is what prayer is now. To be used as a method of connection with God since he does not operate as He did in the OT. Prayer shouldn't be about asking God to give us things, or make things happen for our lives to go easier, it's to know He is there to comfort us in times of tribulation and to be thankful hearted - that is what prayer is about.

Answer 10

If we pray for material things we are praying to Satan. When we pray to God we pray for spiritual things to help us overcome the temptations of Satan. God the Father knows those things that we have need of such as a place live, food and clothing, and our brothers and sisters and mother should give them to us, because we asked, everything else we have no need for.

Answer 11

Depends on what you pray for. If you pray for guidance that's not interfering with his plan. If you don't ask, you won't receive...we are inherently selfish anyways, admit and make a small allowance - pray for others while praying for yourself....In my experience, those types of prayers have yielded better results (not that I've conducted research).