If you aren't allowed to pray for specifics, then why pray?

[Sally Hardesty]

Recently I have been told/taught that when you pray you can only basically ask "God's will" and not specifics like please cure this or help this person's problem". That is supposedly considered praying you own will and not Gods.

So...you pray to tell God to do whatever he's going to do anyway? :confused:

[Lon Chaney]

Your going off the reservation there Sally. Drink the Koolaid. Be a good sheep and do what they tell you.

[Wilson]

Your going off the reservation there Sally. Drink the Koolaid. Be a good sheep and do what they tell you.

Sigh...

[cgwoolf]

Sally, NOBODY can tell you how you "must" pray. It's kind of a "do your own thing" personal relationship between you and your Higher Power.

Seems most of the "experts" will advise that you always pray for God's will but that doesn't mean you can't pray for specific things. Example: "God, you know how sick Henrietta has been and she's in so much pain. If it is your will, could you please cut her slack and relieve some of that pain?" You acknowledge that you are willing to follow His will, but you want to bring attention to something specific.

You know, some folks get real fancy when they pray and use all the thous and thy stuff and that's THEIR way of praying, which makes it fine. Others, like me, use my everyday only way I know how to talk, just as I would talk to a friend, because that is MY way of praying. God does not care how you do it, just do it.

Now none of us really know what I just stated above. But that's how we've been encouraged to think.

[schnauzermom]

Sally, NOBODY can tell you how you "must" pray. It's kind of a "do your own thing" personal relationship between you and your Higher Power.

Seems most of the "experts" will advise that you always pray for God's will but that doesn't mean you can't pray for specific things. Example: "God, you know how sick Henrietta has been and she's in so much pain. If it is your will, could you please cut her slack and relieve some of that pain?" You acknowledge that you are willing to follow His will, but you want to bring attention to something specific.

You know, some folks get real fancy when they pray and use all the thous and thy stuff and that's THEIR way of praying, which makes it fine. Others, like me, use my everyday only way I know how to talk, just as I would talk to a friend, because that is MY way of praying. God does not care how you do it, just do it.

Now none of us really know what I just stated above. But that's how we've been encouraged to think.


OMG! I TOTALLY agree with CG!:eeek::D

Really, everything she said. Especially the part about God does not care how you do, just do it.:)

[baby duck]

Praying for God's will is merely a recognition that God transcends time and knows better than we do what is best in the long run. This does not mean that we shouldn't pray for details or for ourselves.

"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16).

An example of the fervent prayer of a righteous man changing God's mind:

"In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, 'Thus says the Lord: "Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live." ' Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, 'Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David' " ' " (2 Kings 20:1-6).

BTW: man is a general reference to humans here. There is no gender twisting God doesn't listen to woman thing going on here.

[cgwoolf]

:eeek::eeek::D:D:devil::D OMG! SM and I are agreeing! Oh Glory Be! It's going to be a great day! I can feel it in my bones!

Seriously, SM when I saw you were the next poster, I first thought, oh gosh. What did I say? I must have said something irritating. Then I read that you agreed with me and tears came to my eyes. Seriously.

Ya'll have a great day!

BD - good point about the "thy will" thing...but sorry to say, I did not understand the Bible verses. Maybe taken out of context of the chapter made it more difficult...but I was like :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: .

[schnauzermom]

:eeek::eeek::D:D:devil::D OMG! SM and I are agreeing! Oh Glory Be! It's going to be a great day! I can feel it in my bones!

Seriously, SM when I saw you were the next poster, I first thought, oh gosh. What did I say? I must have said something irritating. Then I read that you agreed with me and tears came to my eyes. Seriously.

Ya'll have a great day!

BD - good point about the "thy will" thing...but sorry to say, I did not understand the Bible verses. Maybe taken out of context of the chapter made it more difficult...but I was like :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: .


Ha! I felt the same way! I'm glad you got it and didn't get upset that I was :eeek:, that we agreed! I do need the good karma so I hope it will be a good day for us both!

[cgwoolf]

Sure I "got it"...because it is so seldom that you and I or Wilson and I agree; I'm always happy when it happens because I like you both so much!

[tw2a1]

To the original poster:

Pray for it all. Pray for specifics. Pray for general things. Pray for His will to be done. Pray for yourself. Pray for others. Pray just to say hello. Pray to ask questions. Pray to express your fears and frustrations. Pray classic prayers written by others. Pray casual comments from your gut. Pray in fancy words. Pray in slang. Pray your cleverest thoughts. Pray your deepest feelings. Pray all of the above.

Pray for anything you want, as long as you think it will please God to hear it.

[baby duck]

BD - good point about the "thy will" thing...but sorry to say, I did not understand the Bible verses. Maybe taken out of context of the chapter made it more difficult...but I was like :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: .

:o Was merely trying to show that prayer does change things. The Lord gave Hezekiah 15 extra years because of his prayer.

[cgwoolf]

Ah! Got it now. thanks.

[BigTexN]

I knew a great Jesuit priest in one of my theology classes who spent a great deal of time discussing prayer.

In the end, he summed things up like this:

Ask. That's all God wants from you. Just ask. Don't EVER be afraid to ask or be worried about how you ask....just come to Him. He wants to hear from you. Whatever it is...just ask. But be prepared for His answer. Sometimes it might be No.

Sally, I want you to go to Amazon and order for me God's rule book on how to pray to him.

Or, better yet, find the list in the Bible of all the rules on how to pray.

It won't be there.

All the Good Book says for you to do is to Ask.

[CaramelLattes]

I knew a great Jesuit priest in one of my theology classes who spent a great deal of time discussing prayer.

In the end, he summed things up like this:

Ask. That's all God wants from you. Just ask. Don't EVER be afraid to ask or be worried about how you ask....just come to Him. He wants to hear from you. Whatever it is...just ask. But be prepared for His answer. Sometimes it might be No.

Sally, I want you to go to Amazon and order for me God's rule book on how to pray to him.

Or, better yet, find the list in the Bible of all the rules on how to pray.

It won't be there.

All the Good Book says for you to do is to Ask.

That's how I was taught - side-by-side with the rosary & all the Catholic prayers by rote - to ask God whatever that request might be but to be prepared that sometimes the answer is indeed no.