How and why does prayer work?(read this post before answering please)

[DanielB]

The thing that confuses me is that God is always good, he sees everything, obviously has no shortage of power or energy, and he loves us so it seems like prayer would be redundant(except praying for the purpose of worship). I am not saying that it IS redundant but it just seems it would be. I believe God always does what is best for us regardless of whether we ask for it or not so prayer is very confusing to me. I still pray for things even though I am not sure how it works it does seem to work at least when I pray for good things but I would still like to be less confused on the matter.

[DanielB]

Also is this the place on the forum we are supposed to ask these sort of questions or is this part of the forum just for universal reconciliation related stuff?

[marie glen]

hi! "Christian Life" category, seems to me would be the perfect place for such a question...(?) :smile:

I've often come across the phrase "prayer doesn't change God it changes us" and I think I go along with that! For many of the reasons which you listed, for one thing!

I don't pray near enough, but I love knowing I can pray! When I hear of tragedy striking a family, a town, even a nation.. I am not totally helpless (because I am not wealthy and in a position to send a lot of aide) but I can pray. And I really do believe, when our heart is sincere that God does hear..

Which brings us back to how He is all powerful, so why prayer in the first place, since He "is Love" and Loves and cares far more than any of us.. I figure this life as we presently know it, is His letting man's puny ability to choose (albeit limited) to run its course.

We know there is choice because the scripture says about the angels "they left their first place"..

About man's 'will' and God's response to prayer - I know lots of folks don't understand why life is as it is, but i figure our Almighty Father and Creator/Sustainer is Perfect, i.e. is Perfection, and also is Life itself (I mean what else would or could be the very life force? if not He Himself??) But when He endowed thinking ability which includes sooner or later, the ability to choose, well, not only did a whole new world (er tree) of possibilities form, but as soon as one chooses anything which disagrees in any teeny tiny way, with what God chooses, we become im-Perfect, the opposite of life! (Hence life as we know it.)

Folks don't consider how He being Life, suffers and experiences all sufferings which ever occur! Why would He put Himself through all that? Yet what was His other option? No rational creatures? ever?

Bear with me.. I forgot where I was going with this.. haha! it's not unusual!

Oh yes.. I figure since this is the life of man running things (or so it seems anyway) prayer allows God to intervene! Even though there are many impediments, lack of faith for instance, ours or those being prayed for(?).. and of course He sees a total picture and we see things in bits and pieces.. Perhaps one's prayers would not be so heart felt if they were always an automatic 'yes'! And I'm thinking the "groaning and utterings" of prayer changes us (our heart).

Why is He letting supposed 'free-will' run its course? Well, what would be His other options..?
Take care! God bless!! :hiya: 

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: My  :2c: There are 3 levels of prayer, that correspond to the 3 compartments of the Tabernacle. Prayer involves faith, faith is like a muscle. If it is exercised it grows stronger, no exercise, it grows weaker. Without faith it is impossible to please God, who said, ye have not because ye ask not. Jesus had been given all authority, yet He still prayed to the Father. Just because we now "see" that God is in control, doesn't mean we are to be just a passive observer, but more of sort of a "co-creator" in the sense we are "working" in agreement with His Spirit and His perfect will. It's "son training". Blessings.....

[onlytruth]

 :2c:when we are in our quiet place, meditating on Him,He might(according to his will)give us the words to speak in order for his will to be spoken in the earthly realm to cause change in the spiritual realm
Jesus only did what he was shown(heard).So sometimes he will put it on our hearts to speak into things and that to me is prayer
I sometimes get a head of myself and tried speaking into all kinds of situations, but I didn't have the rhema word, and then it was fruitless.I find myself being more patient and waiting on Him
Blessings

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: :thumbsup:

[lomarah]

Our Father desires to gather us under the shadow of His wings. This, to me, is what true prayer is. Being hidden under the shadow of His wings... sitting with Him in the secret place, communing with Him, loving Him and being loved on, listening to His Word to us.

Onlytruth  :thumbsup:

[lomarah]

That being said, I remember reading something way back about how God will often answer the selfish prayers of the newly converted as a way to increase their faith. (This has been my experience as well.) As we mature He teaches us to pray, "Your will be done." Prayer (communing with God) allows us to learn what His will is.  :2c:

[joeteekay]

 :thumbsup:

[bushy]

The thing that confuses me is that God is always good, he sees everything, obviously has no shortage of power or energy, and he loves us so it seems like prayer would be redundant(except praying for the purpose of worship). I am not saying that it IS redundant but it just seems it would be. I believe God always does what is best for us regardless of whether we ask for it or not so prayer is very confusing to me. I still pray for things even though I am not sure how it works it does seem to work at least when I pray for good things but I would still like to be less confused on the matter.

I've had the exact same thoughts. I think we pray more than we realize because prayer comes from the heart and not necessarily through our mind and mouth.

On another level, I've read about scientific tests where a bunch of people prayed for a sick person without their knowing and it had a good effect on them compared with another sick person without people praying. Prayer is more mysterious than we  think.

[DanielB]

Thanks everyone! That is helpful. :)