Why pray?

other one · January 1, 2011

If God has already made His mind up about issues what then is the point of prayer?

I've been thinking about this since you posted it...... and it came to me today when I asked myself again why do you pray..... Well, it's because Jesus is not just my savior, he's my friend...... and his father is my father and the both of them are special...... and I really do like to talk with them....... just for the pure enjoyment of it.

Hunterpoet · January 1, 2011

Hunterpoet, is this what you had in mind?

Matt 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

yep thats the verse. Thank you.

oldzimm · January 2, 2011

Well I been thinking about your question (Why Pray), and figured to give my two cents. We all have families and as a father of children that grown up and moved out of the nest, I miss having conversations with them and when we do have those special moments we get to spend together, I cherish those moments. This past fall, my two sons and I went to hunt in NY. My oldest son shot a buck and radioed me to come to his spot and sit with him. I didn't care if I seen a deer or not, those few hours we spent sitting on a log talking were worth more to me than any deer.

We are members of a bigger family, God is our father and he loves us so much that he gave us his son to save us from an eternity of misery. I'm sure God loves it when we have conversation (pray) with him to praise him and to thank him for his grace. Yes we as Christians are a big family, but God has enough love to go around and then some, just thinking about that alone humbles me.

enoob57 · January 2, 2011

I have been battling with the subject of prayer for a long time.
When I pray (and I know there have to be certain conditions such as faith etc) and I do not get the answer that I had hoped for people say to me, "It obviously wasn't God's will ".

If God has already made His mind up about issues what then is the point of prayer?

Prayer is like testing to see if you have began to think like Christ in matters of importance... For if we ask according to His revealed purpose in the boundaries of His Name (as to His asking if standing where your standing)The Father will answer our prayers as prayed. It is one of the most intimate times for you as you work with God in them to bring about His Pleasure of purpose... The Father love our hearts when they are folded out to His pleasure as our greatest desire. Love Steven

OneLight · January 2, 2011

I do not disagree with the others who have responded here. There is a verse concerning the proper way to offer a tithe, I cannot think of the specific verse, but believe I remember it teaching you cannot expect your tithe to be accepted if you harbor grief against someone.
I cannot think of any verse that speaks to it, but I wonder what role our own state of righteousness plays in answered pray.

Is this it?

Matthew 5:23-25 (New King James Version)

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison

OneLight · January 2, 2011

Why Pray? Ever try to have a relationship with anyone without communication? There is no relationship without communication.

Botz · January 2, 2011

I have been battling with the subject of prayer for a long time.

When I pray (and I know there have to be certain conditions such as faith etc) and I do not get the answer that I had hoped for people say to me, "It obviously wasn't God's will ".

If God has already made His mind up about issues what then is the point of prayer?

I know what you mean.

Sometimes the Heavens can seem as brass, and it feels as if G-d has taken a vacation.

As in everything, connecting properly is important.

The Bible teaches a combination of faith and persistence.

G-d lays down the ground-rules, but anything worth anything has to be worked at, and to some extent discovered individually for ourselves, I especially believe this is true with prayer/seeking the L-rd...it is based on a life-times relationship and personal experience, that is honest enough to realise when nothing seems to be happening, and yet pushes beyond the doubt and uncertainty and breaks through the clouds to see the Glory.

(Scriptures supplied if you can't discover them for yourself )

nebula · January 2, 2011

I have been battling with the subject of prayer for a long time.
When I pray (and I know there have to be certain conditions such as faith etc) and I do not get the answer that I had hoped for people say to me, "It obviously wasn't God's will ".

If God has already made His mind up about issues what then is the point of prayer?

If you think about the relationship between a parent and a child, when a child asks a parent for something the parent may answer with yes or no or wait.