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why prayer?

M

mattcandyc

Member
Why do people pray? If God knows all of our thoughts and our thoughts before we think them? And if God knows everything that is going to happen?
 
mattcandyc said:
Why do people pray? If God knows all of our thoughts and our thoughts before we think them? And if God knows everything that is going to happen?
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The same thing occurred to me the other day.
There is something healthy in turning our attention to a higher power, namely Jesus Christ, our saviour. We admit our own inadequacy. We realise our total dependence on Him. Prayer is admitting we need help. Help to navigate this life safely and in peace. God can only transform us if we let him. This is achieved through prayer.
 
mattcandyc said:
Why do people pray? If God knows all of our thoughts and our thoughts before we think them? And if God knows everything that is going to happen?
Click to expand...
Because WE need prayer. It's important for us to stay focused and have a relationship with God and prayer is one way that is done. Even Jesus prayed so that gives us an idea of how important prayer is.
 
The Lord Himself tells us to pray to Him so I obey. I ask Him for forgiveness/wisdom/understanding/patience/longsuffering/spiritual,mental,physical health/others in need/love/peace/communion with Him/His will for my life. If I hear a siren or see smoke in the distance or see a wreck or see homeless or see an angry/hurt person I try to remember to pray for them. I even pray for animals. Prayer should come easily to us. Right now I feel we should pray for those caught in this cold snap.
 
humble soul said:
I'm thinking the ideal prayer is full attention on God, not ourselves. Gratitude. Love. Not even asking for anything. Because as you say, he knows our needs already.
Kind of meditation really. Stillness.
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Yes and no. Consider Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane. He certainly petitioned the Father for something.

He (Jesus) went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”....Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ....So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:39, 42, 44 NKJV

And again from John 17 (NKJV) Jesus petitions the Father...

Jesus prays for Himself
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples​

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers​

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”


And finally, when His disciples asked Him how to pray He replied...
"In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
 
WIP said:
Yes and no. Consider Jesus' prayer at Gethsemane. He certainly petitioned the Father for something.

He (Jesus) went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”....Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ....So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:39, 42, 44 NKJV

And again from John 17 (NKJV) Jesus petitions the Father...

Jesus prays for Himself
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples​

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers​

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”


And finally, when His disciples asked Him how to pray He replied...
"In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
Click to expand...
Most people think prayer is just petition. Asking for God's help.
But if we leave it at that, we stay at a very superficial level.
Gratitude is one we forget and need to more of.
And just being still and "listen". Let God do the talking.
 
humble soul said:
Most people think prayer is just petition. Asking for God's help.
But if we leave it at that, we stay at a very superficial level.
Gratitude is one we forget and need to more of.
And just being still and "listen". Let God do the talking.
Click to expand...
Jesus' sample prayer starts out giving glory to God the Father by declaring that His name be Holy and ends giving the kingdom, power, and glory to God.
 
Prayer brings us into a Spiritual oneness with God through that of Christ Jesus who is our mediator before the Father. Prayer is fellowshipping with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all at the same time that we can experience the glory of the Great I Am in every aspect of our life.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Praying is humbling ourselves before the Lord and making a petition before him in simplicity of words for whatever our need is. Jesus, as our mediator, sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints of God as he presents our petitions before the Father. You do not need eloquent elaborate words or long prayers that use vain repetitions like the Pharisees used as God called them hypocrites because they were arrogant in their ways loving to have others see them in such formality who made the outside of themselves look good, but were nothing more than full of iniquity.
 
When I got sober in 1982,I went to my sponsor and asked him to show me how to pray. I wanted to pray for my son. He told me to start with the Lord's Prayer. Then he told me that some prayers are like talking to God as an intimate friend. "Talk and listen both," he daid. Pray and meditate. Then I was taught the eleventh step prayer which says, "Through prayer and meditation, improve your conscious contact with God. Praying only for knowledge of his will for you and the power to carry that out." In the Bible Jesus prayed that God would take the burden of the cross from him, but he also surrendered and ended with, "Thy will be done." Today I do all of the above. I am a very sensitive and anxiety-driven person. Prayer and meditation act like a sedative and take away my migraines. I highly recommend it.?
 
Jesus tells us to pray. Later on the NT, we're instructed to pray for our enemies (difficult...) and our nation's leaders. I dunno. I try not to think of prayer in 'therapeutic' terms, you know...because psychology-izing Jesus ends up watering Jesus down...

but I do prayer helps facilitate His work in conforming us unto the image of Christ. :)
 
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