Amie

Well that is more of a question for God however I am inclined to say yes. I most certainly could be wrong however I believe prayer to be a very powerful tool. Besides that we each have a guardian angel so they pray for us as well...

99Percent

How can you ever hope to persuade an omnipotent being?

Seems to be a totally ridiculous idea.

SRB

If there is some being out there who is persuaded by our prayers, that suggests to me that he doesn't always do what is for the best for humanity in the cases that people do not pray. All-knowing beings learn nothing from prayers. All-good beings will do what is for the best irrespective of whether anyone prays. All-powerful beings have the capability to do what is for the best. How, then, might the god of theism ever be persuaded by a prayer? Surely he will go right ahead and do what is for the best irrespective of what you ask from him?

SRB

john_e

Man, I picked a long thread to read for a first post. Regarding the notion that prayer can work: I believe it can, to an extent.

This, of course, does not mean that God exists, but it does mean that thought patterns can influence certain things that are as yet undefined (a la Schrodinger's cat). And I believe that quantum theory has shown action-at-a-distance to be true, so it's not too big a step for me to assume that prayer works. You don't even need to pray to a God, just think of your goal. I will flesh this out if need be, but I'm off to play pool now.

Take care all.

Clutch

I don't know how many Christians think of prayer as persuasion. Maybe lots, but I've never heard it spelled out that way, ie, chivvying God's opinion around to my way of thinking.

The idea, I think, is more like showing a state of mind appropriate to the reception of God's grace. Or more bluntly, supplicating rather than persuading.

This is maybe not much better, since it makes God out to be a frickin egomaniac.

Clutch

Ronin,I'm glad I put enough winkies &c for you to see I was joking. Sometimes it isn't obvious!

sweep

and thought leads to action?

7thangel

No one could really persuade God, even the Bible says so.

But it is not about us trying to change the mind of God. But rather, because of we lack in knowledge of the thought of God, and not knowing what God will do in the future, we live in hopefulness to recieve what we need -- to pray without ceasing; though Christ Himself said that we should not take of what we eat, of where we live, or of what to clothe ourselves. Our prayers are actually acknowledgement that God is the one who provides for us of our future.

The Lord's prayer itself says "thy(God) will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." So what is the point then of asking to be forgiven, and to be given daily bread? Prayers are confessions that God is the sole provider of the things that we need in life, that we are at the hands of His mercy, being the one who controls even our fate.

SRB

Christians almost all suppose that petitionary prayer is efficacious. That is, they suppose that it sometimes or often brings about benefits from God that would not have come to pass without the prayer being said. How might this be explained, if not in terms of God being persuaded by people uttering prayers?

SRB

SRB

Not all prayers are confessions. Many prayers are petitionary (i.e. ones where the person praying asks for something). Are those prayers ever efficacious? That is, do they ever have any influence on God's behaviour in the future? If not, why place a request that you know is 100% futile? I don't get it.

SRB