This question has somewhat troubled me in the past. What helped me think this through was when Jesus asked God to remove this cup. Remove what he was about to endure on the cross.

Here is a sermon that I found that hits the very question. I am going to read it another time or two.

https://whatismore.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/should-we-pray-for-specific-outcomes-or-for-gods-will/

I never ask anything for myself.

I am curious, why not? God has answered my prayers many times.

When ask by disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." Remember the answer?

g

Oh please let my loved one die a miserable death, it's your plan, oh yeah, amen. Why?

"Thy Will be done".

God Jesus is infinite in His wisdom. Often hard for us to understand.

because I feel I don't need to, I pray for my family and friends if I need help he knows.

I think it’s just fine to pray for a specific outcome.

Guess I do both.

Kind of plead my case, then be happy with what the Boss decides.

Doesn't matter. Accomplishes the same thing either way.

Pray, either way, pray. Even to ask how to pray.

An all knowing God would already know what anyone wants or needs.

I believe He does.

If you have a wife, she already knows you love her. She still likes to hear it from ya’ though.

Well yes, that would imply that you should not pray for someone who is sick to get well, but only pray for God's will to be done. But if you pray for the sick to get well, aren't you inferring that you want them to get well if that is God's will anyway? See no harm either way.

Yep, and that's called having a relationship. Having a relationship with Jesus is what it's ALL about.

word

I wasted a lot of time with religion until I found out what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with religion. The Pharisees had religion.

word, again

Praying for a specific outcome may influence the Eternal God or may not. Maybe He programmed it from the beginning.
In 1995 I wrote a book titled "And These Signs Will Follow". Some here will know where I got the title.
It contains at least twenty to twenty-five miracles resulting from praying. There is another book I recently listened
to called "The Case For Miracles". It documents lots of "yes" answers to prayers.

Phillipians 4
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

May this specific outcome be your will.

If not please give me the grace to deal with it. Even if I don't understand why.

This a good thread, folks of Faith inspiring one another. I thank the OP.

I pray the politicians taking advantage of this mess will have it backfire on them.

My strategy is Keep them guessing, otherwise one
may get taken for granted..

and they know if they eat too much - go over 110 lbs
and get plump, it's sayonara baby.

Not only ask what you wish, but ask over and over again.

The physical world is man's dominion, the spirit is God's. Crediting or blaming God for worldly situations and desires is wrong.

Praying isn't a physical event, speaking words, making gestures... it's a spiritual connection through the Holy Spirit. We were born with the body and SPIRIT. When we pray for others we are sharing our spirit... our part of God... with another, there is power in that and the more that share their spirit the more power.

When praying for another we pray for strength, healing, understanding, spiritual wellness. We all suffer at times, eventually die, best we can hope for is a strong spirit at the end.

Praying for stuff is silly, even if you get it God didn't give it to you and if you didn't, God didn't withhold it.

God didn't kill any of our family, or victims of war, criminals, diseases, accidents... persecute, oppress, violate... that's us, that's the world we live in.

God just waits for us, our spirit. The Holy Spirit is our conduit to both God and each other, that communication is prayer.

Kent

Pour your heart out, but always followed by YOUR will done, not mine. If your will is not my will, then get me on board with it, and in that, grant me peace and joy.

I am always hesitant to pray for a specific outcome. I am not God. In the model prayer, The Lord's Prayer, there is only one specific physical request, daily bread. Not next week's bread, next months bread, or next years bread. Daily bread.

To many expect God to change the world for them when they should be asking him to change their spirit.

Kent

But an Atheist only sees the outcome, doesn't recognize how the asking is of any benefit.

I've never seen the ol' red and blues after nine IPA's and thought "Dear God! Let your will be done!"

Worth repeating!

Not directed at you necessarily, and no offense intended, but God doesn't hear the prayer's of an unbeliever anyway. He knows your heart when nobody else does.

He also says you shouldn't judge other people's salvation.

Please prove this.

God's will was done at the separation of man and God, whether Adam and Eve were a 100% true event or a simple parable explaining a very complicated reality... God has allowed the freedom, free will of man to make of this world what we will. The more we embrace the spirit the more we move toward God and away from the world.

Christ's life lesson is often ignored by our worldly desires. Doesn't matter if we are persecuted, tortured, hungry, thirsty, unjustly convicted, die a terrible death, die young... the physical doesn't matter really.

Kent

I don't ask for God to do anything for me....I only ask God to give me the tools to do for myself. Those "tools" can be guidance, wisdom , strength etc As an example, If I am broke, it is most likely my own fault and I won't ask for money. I will however ask for the wisdom to make better decisions, or the opportunity to be able to work and earn more money.

Being some help, even if only small help showing the non believers the Way is no small part of our job on this earth'

Let mister Lane explain a bit.

That makes sense.

And lead us not into temptation (trials).

Curious how many read the sermon I linked to before responding?


When Jesus asked if this cup can be removed, he was being specific. He also humbled Himself and honored God by agreeing to any outcome (despite asking for something different).

Honor God by giving thanks for everything, but pray for anything with the right intentions.

In other words, all those prayer requests that get posted - they are complete waste of time?

Just aski'

Guess you missed this...

When we pray for others we are sharing our spirit... our part of God... with another, there is power in that and the more that share their spirit the more power.

When praying for another we pray for strength, healing, understanding, spiritual wellness. We all suffer at times, eventually die, best we can hope for is a strong spirit at the end.

Kent

Much is missed in that quote. It isn’t recognition of everything that happens is necessarily “God’s will” but a statement of support of God’s will.

God allows many things to happen that are beyond our scope of understanding, but God’s will and what He allows to happen are not always the same.

It may be, God likes it when we take His Hand in friendship, and likes to talk to us, and likes know what we say to him out loud?

The benefit someone gets from others praying for them is an encouragement of spirit, which strengthens them 'spiritually'. If it's an illness and they survive their spirit is stronger, if they don't survive their spirit is stronger. If it's a depression or addiction, abuse, a strengthening of spirit may move them to a better place.

Praying for a new church bus or your team to win is a waste.

Kent

Yep.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” - Jesus

I've noticed one really strong characteristic of answered-prayer versus unanswered-prayer in my life:

If my prayers were unselfish, and asking God to give me discernment and guidance in decisions/directions He would like me to take, in His will, the prayers were many-times-answered.

If my prayers were selfish, unnecessary, foolish, or asking Got to let my own will be granted, there usually isn't an answer to prayer.

I can prove prayer doesn't work.

Watch me play scratch offs for an hour.

Exactly.

But you are so deserving.

I pray for outcome, rather selfishly, in that id like to enter his kingdom at a later point in time

It all comes down to two things.

!.You believe that God does,or causes,or plans,everything and that it happens according to his will. In this category I find the "if it be your will" prayers. IMHO I see no reason at all to pray this way at all. Do you think God would change his plans for your prayer,and if so why would you basically just tell him to do whatever he see's fit to do?

2.You believe that God can and does intervene into our circumstances if we convince him to. Personally,I've had some miraculous stories that could easily be contributed to answered prayers. I've also had times in my life where it seemed I was wasting my time praying.

I never start a prayer with "If it be your will". I have however I'm afraid started a few with "What the hell."

As far as spiritual/physical goes, remember that Jesus performed many miracles while in this world in response to prayers. And that the physical and spiritual are intimately bound and will be again at the final judgment.

I pray for God’s direction and guidance.

He’s carried me a time or 2 as well. 😉

John 9
31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Proverbs 15:9 NIV
The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous

Yes, and that's why I posted this that you repied to......

".......but God doesn't hear the prayer's of an unbeliever anyway. He knows your heart when nobody else does."

I always tell people to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Then say "break" and then ask for whatever they're after.

That way the prayer is always legit.

Careful.

You might talk a whole lot of people out of your religion. LOL.

“Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I *AM* foremost of all.” - Apostle Paul

Being a sinner does not disqualify one from following Jesus, it's a prerequisite.

Its NOT religion, its a relationship !

Just pray, ask Him how to pray, All the Rest will follow.

I'll have to write that one down.

Seems like a keeper.

And why would such a God have any need or purpose
to have mere mortals urge His will along with prayer...

it would be like Einstein getting retards to 'help' him
with this...

"Do you think God would change his plans for your prayer,...,(?)"

Why not? Would you ignore your child's wishes?