Why do you pray outside of gratitude?

[u/Best-Friend7982]

Prayer as an act of worship, to glorify God and to thank God for who he is and for what he's done makes sense to me. Prayer requests make less sense. I've been told since Sunday School that God isn't a genie in a lamp but everybody's behaviour suggests otherwise.

I also believe in predetermination. So it's not that I see a problem with prayer, I'm just confused why people think it determines their outcome when God has your life already written so it was never in your power?? Nothing ever surprises God.

edit: thanks for the downvotes :) if you feel that its wrong to ask questions about the bible and to grow in your faith you might need to reevaluate your relationship with God

[u/Ebizah]

Omnition ≠ predestination.

God knows what will happen, but we also have free will to choose our decisions. We can ask of God things we want/need.

[u/Best-Friend7982 → u/Ebizah]

predetermination not predestination

[u/Ebizah → u/Best-Friend7982]

Right, so we can still ask of God for things. He knows what we will ask and what he will grant. But we aren’t robots. Just because he knows how it will play out doesn’t mean we don’t need to ask. It’s apart of our relationship. Talking, asking, being grateful, loving our father.

[u/Best-Friend7982 → u/Ebizah]

"predeterminism is the philosophy that all events of history, past, present and future, have been already decided or are already known" - I personally believe this to be true considering our lives are already written before we're even born

I didn't say we were robots. so your opinion is we do it because its a duty of our relationship

[u/Zestyclose-Secret500 → u/Best-Friend7982]

God knows what all of my choices will be in the future, but I still will choose them (free will). Pre-known by God, but not chosen FOR me. He already knows the outcome of my choices and those of everyone else. But I don't know the future. So, I still pray for wisdom to make right choices, that God already knows I will make, or not make. I also pray for God to help others make right choices that affect me, which he already knows I will pray for and their outcomes. I pray for my basic needs, my daily bread. He already knows when he will grant my requests and when he won't, what I need and what I don't, what is good for me and what isn't.

I think... this is one of those concepts that hurts my puny human brain... but I think praying for these things helps us to learn to trust God. When we bring all things to him in prayer, then accept the outcome regardless of whether we understand, we are learning trust. That's how we develop the "peace of God" in Phillipians 4:7.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV [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.

[u/Ebizah → u/Zestyclose-Secret500]

Thank you. Exactly what I was thinking but too tired today to type it out. God bless