I Guess I'm A Prayer Warrior

We can change God's mind. Jesus gives a clear parable on this. He even demonstrates it in one of his miracles. The Lord's Prayer is great--when you have nothing else to pray for. We should always be talking with God--about everything.

I don't want to get into too much theory on faith, but the reason we pray is to strengthen our faith. God already knows what we need, but it is our faith that draws us closer to God and changes us spiritually into the image of Christ. A prayer without faith (which is most of the prayers that people speak) is just noise. God hears those no more than he hears the sound of a pinecone hitting a forest floor.

I don't think we have evolved the faith we could have evolved if we had not nailed Jesus to a cross and told God, "We can take care of things ourselves." I don't think there's anyone with the faith to do the miracles Jesus did. I know I can't. But most people won't even use faith for small things, so I suppose that's a moot point.

Also, it's easier to have faith for others, so we should pray for others. It's an easy way to practice faith, so it kills two birds with one stone.

But let's say someone asks you to pray for them, so you do, but what your praying for is bad for them, and neither you nor they know it. If God loves them, nothing's going to happen. But they usually see later on that it was good it never happened. That doesn't make your faith exercise in vain. I mean, you're far more likely to win a 10k run if you've run and lost a few in the past. Also, when people are going to die is predestined before they even incarnate. So praying that great-grandma makes it through her latest bout with congestive heart failure is fine, but you might want to end it with "...not my will, Father, but your will be done." Just a suggestion.

But there's very little faith in the world--anywhere. I have a lot of faith relatively speaking, but even what I have is very very small--inadequate almost all of the time, and it occurs in strange ways. For instance, I know I won't be seriously hurt on my motorcycle. I might well die in my truck, but it will never happen on my bike. If I'm having a heart attack, the best thing I could do is get on my bike and ride, because I will not die on my bike. With that faith, if I could apply it elsewhere, I could walk on water. It's weird and pathetic really.
 
Calv, it does not. I am aware of the "prayer template" you speak of...this doesn't help me with why we pray for things if it wont happen anyway and isn't in His will. Why do we pray for healing on others if it possibly isn't the will of God (this is just an example)?
I agree with Glomung except for his last example. We men have a say also. We don't (I don't anyway) live on the shelf like a box of corn flakes waiting for some girl to try and put us in her shopping trolley. One girl did try that with me but she sure got told where to go.

As for healing, that is covered in 'our daily bread', but might find fulfillment in a dose of medicine. In the case of genetic problems (of which I have several), praying for help there might come in the form of being able to manage the problem, rather than having a renewed body.....that comes at the resurrection.
In your case, your ED is probably genetic..(I'm guessing), in the which case, I would recommend that you ask the Lord to empower you to manage your situation rather than seeking a new body.

Tink, sorry for the frustration you are feeling, we are doing the best we can by you. Don't loose patience with us an we will keep trying to get on the same page as you are.
 
Calv, thank you so much for your heartfelt response. I am definitely not loosing patience and I will never give up. I love all of you and sorry if my posts at times appear abrupt (I've been told this with work emails and texts many times before). While I may be sitting here smiling, it may not come off that way. Trust that I appreciate you and your help as well as others. I suppose there are some questions that will never be answered and this is one of them.

About the genetic part: ED does appear to have a genetic predisposition, but unfortunately, can't be ruled out for everyone. I hope you're doing OK???
 
Why do we pray if God is in control and already has a plan?

Why do we pray for certain things to go a certain way if God has a plan for it to go either way and it'll happen according to plan regardless of what we ask?
 
Why do we pray if God is in control and already has a plan?

Why do we pray for certain things to go a certain way if God has a plan for it to go either way and it'll happen according to plan regardless of what we ask?

Hey kid......how are you?

Now, why pray?

Good question. Prayer means that we are depending on God and not ourselves. Praying shows our dependence on God. Prayer shows us that God is in control of our life and it grows our faith.

From Asam and Eve the Lord has wanted to have a relationship with us, and one of the ways to make that happen is through prayer. The more we pray the more we learn about God and the more He reveals Himself to us. IMO one of the blessings of prayer is the process of learning how God looks at us. When we relize how God looks at us we will be able to change those things in our lives that are not pleasing to the Lord.

YES, God knows what is on the agenda for the day and He knows what is on our hearts but He wants us to tell Him so that we can, together build our eternal relationship.
 
Life, yes God guides and has pre-planned our steps. Just like we plan holiday in the Bahama's. But do our holiday's always go according to plan? We are in a living relationship with God. It is ''live''.

Also, who said we must pray only to ask things? God is our Father, groom and closer then a best friend. Prayer is simply talking to Him.
 
Because we are to be involved. Things will not just "go as planned", because part of the plan was having people get involved. If we do not pray for our and other's needs, God is perfectly justified in making our lives miserable.
He will get through to people one way or another, do you want the carrot or the stick?
 
Here's another thought on "why do we pray?'.

Quite simply because God wants to hear from His children. When we pray-are we not showing interest in our Father and His work-what He has done for us? I think it's not so much a 'why ' question; maybe we should be asking "what" & "how" rather than "why". I am not trying to deflect this Tink: however, what we often deem as important is not necessarily on God's agenda.

The Bible does teach that God wants to give His children the desires of their hearts-but they have to be in obedience in that area. The Bible also says not to "grieve" the Holy Spirit. In prayer I think we do this three ways: 1-by not asking for the correct solution in an appropriate manner, 2- not asking anything at all therefore ignoring the Spirit/ God completely, 3-sinning without repentance of the heart. (repentance of the mind being a different thing.)
 
Here's another thought on "why do we pray?'.

Quite simply because God wants to hear from His children. When we pray-are we not showing interest in our Father and His work-what He has done for us? I think it's not so much a 'why ' question; maybe we should be asking "what" & "how" rather than "why". I am not trying to deflect this Tink: however, what we often deem as important is not necessarily on God's agenda.

The Bible does teach that God wants to give His children the desires of their hearts-but they have to be in obedience in that area. The Bible also says not to "grieve" the Holy Spirit. In prayer I think we do this three ways: 1-by not asking for the correct solution in an appropriate manner, 2- not asking anything at all therefore ignoring the Spirit/ God completely, 3-sinning without repentance of the heart. (repentance of the mind being a different thing.)

Absolutely!
 
The only problem with putting a lot of qualifiers on what we can and can't pray for is that it contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ who specifically told us to ask for "anything" in prayer.

But Jesus seemed to insist on us having faith in order for prayers to work--and there is very little faith in the world. Most prayers are just said into the air like letters placed in a mailbox: We hope they get to God's ears, but we really don't have any faith that they will be answered our way--we just hope they will. That's not faith; that's just playing a lottery.

My opinion.
 
Frankly, I doubt Christ's meaning as to "anything" can be taken without qualifications:
Is it right I should ask for evil things to happen? NO!
Utterly selfish and harmful things? No!

Well, you could ask for those things, but I don't think that would be asking in his name.
 
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