How does prayer help if your life has already been decided?

Question

If God knows already everything that is going to happen to you how will prayer help?

For example: How will praying that you get better when your sick help if God knows that you will die from your illness?

Answer 1

C.S. Lewis said this about prayer, "When we are praying about the result, say, of a battle or a medical consultation, the thought will often cross our minds that, if we only knew it, the event is already decided one way or the other. I believe this to be no good reason for ceasing our prayers. The event certainly has been decided. In a sense, it was decided before all the worlds. But one of the things taken into account in deciding it, and therefore one of the things that really causes it to happen, may be this very prayer that we are now offering ....Thus, shocking as it may sound, I conclude that we can at noon become part causes of an event occurring at ten o'clock."



Prayer is an acknowledgment that God exists. Prayer is an expression that we are children speaking to the Father, sharing our pain, joy and needs. Jesus in his suggestion for prayer said we should pray for our daily food, ask for forgiveness and ask Jesus to return that life here will be as it is in heaven. That's a short but rather important prayer suggestion. Analyzing the result of prayer is probably not a good idea in that our expectations are without God's view.. As I look back in my life, 30 years as a Christian, I am very comfortable that God has been the Good Shepherd, not intervening in all experiences that I might grow. We all dislike pain and sorrow. God also surprised me with grace and gifts when I least deserved it. It cautions me to not judge and help people only when they appear to "deserve it". I wish you well....keep praying!

Answer 2

Yes, God does know what we need; Jesus reminded His disciples that "your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:8).



But often we don't know what we need! We may even think we don't need anything from God, because we think we're able to handle everything on our own. One reason we need to pray, therefore, is so we'll stop and realize just how dependent we are on Him. We also may think we know what God ought to do for us—but we may be wrong. Our hearts need to be attuned to His will—and this often comes only as we pray. The psalmist prayed, "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God" (Psalm 143:10).



Your question, however, points to another misunderstanding many people have about prayer. They think of prayer only as asking God for something—but prayer is much, much more than this! Prayer, after all, is simply talking to God—and when we pray, we should thank and praise Him for His goodness to us, and tell Him that we love Him. We also should confess our sins to Him, and ask for His forgiveness.



Remember that we can come to God solely because Jesus Christ has opened the way for us. In fact, even now He is praying for us. Have you given your life to Him? If not, let the first prayer you make today be one of confession and faith, asking Christ to cleanse you and come into your life—and He will.

Answer 3

Why do people whistle in the dark?

For those with faith, it is a sort of passing the buck upward. If things do not work out, it is God's will. There is a powerful element of auto suggestion, which will remove inaction and give the psychological boost to overcome the hurdle.

Like one of the physicists said,'It is said that it works even if one does not believe', when he was asked about the horse shoe he had hung up.

Answer 4

That is an excellent point... since the kind of praying that is done these days may just as well end with the words.."and let MY will be done."



People have turned the idea of prayer upside-down... It should be "Let THY will be done."



Learn about real worship in this excellent online resource. "Gospel Enigma: and the Young Heretics." It's the first book on the list at New Free Books.

Answer 5

God Bless you Brownie!



Jeremiah 11: 14 "Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.



Proverbs 1:26-28 (NIV)

I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you - when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.



Make sure you didn't upset God in any way... otherwise he won't listen to you...!!! Are you up to date in all your tithes and offerings? God the Holy Ghost is known to kill those who don't pay their dues to the Church! Read Acts 5:1-11!!!

Answer 6

God has not "pre-planned" the life I live. He might have had other plans for me that I either was not aware of or never took the time to "pray" and find out about, but the whole idea of free-will and auto determinism are so obviously opposed to each other that it renders life meaningless, not to mention accountability for our actions. I seriously doubt that God is in the practice of allowing contradiction to obfuscate His communications with His creation. He doesn't have to.

Answer 7

hi,



i hope ye are fine..



I don´t know whether you have read the history of Job, and Lazarus, Saul -1st king?



They are good examples of how does God behave with suffering.



Sometimes He let the people who has so decided to reap that what they planted, well actually it´s a principle; and in the case of the righteous like Lazarus Jesus friend and Job they were witnesses, and had the priviledge :



...it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, Philipians 1.29



19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22"He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth."[e] 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 21



Have a good time



Grace be with you

Answer 8

The best explanation I ever heard for this question was from a wise old Christian pastor - "I found over time - that prayer didn't really change God; it changed me. And in the end, that was all I ever needed."



So now as you mature in Christ - I think your prayers become less and less selfish ("give me this, give me that") and more and more about other people, comforting and helping others; and also for ourselves - inner peace, wisdom, compassionate hearts, seeking out opportunities to serve - hard to understand, impossible to ignore and by far, the best way to live.



I hope you find it too one day.

Answer 9

Prayer is never 'wasted' your destiny is not planned out for you, you have free will and many decisions can be changed.

As far as illness is concerned your prayers could make you more in contact with the next ethereal plane and that is always a good thing.

Answer 10

God gave people free-will. Therefore, we have control over our choices...be they good or evil. Prayer is a way to communicate with God to provide strength, but ultimately it's His will. How does the song go..."Thank God for unanswered prayers"....

Answer 11

God does know how our life is going to be as we are human beings we do not know how things are going to be therefore i think God wants to know just how strong our faith in him truly is we all have free will and how we choose how to live our lives is up to us God Bless

Answer 12

Prayer may modify a little, what is good for us, by grace of the God.

There is difference in the Will and Decree of the God,

Will of Him can be changed by obedience and love, but decree of Him, No.

Answer 13

It builds up your faith in God to accept His will, come what may. Also, aside from illness. The Word says to make thy petitions known. He knows what we need. He wants us to seek His guidance, etc. That expresses faith, etc. in God.

Answer 14

It doesn't change the outcome, but it helps you to accept what did and will happen.

Answer 15

we pray out of obedience to god.

Answer 16

we pray for our soul to be with God, not for any other things.

Answer 17

Very circular thinking! My brain just exploded.

Answer 18

Prayer doesn't work anyway. Haven't you tried?