I don't understand asking for prayer. Why does God need prayer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

In Judaism you need minyan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is this concept of asking for prayer from others on your behalf and "the power of prayer" that made me lose my faith/belief. I simply couldn't reconcile the need for prayer with a loving god.
Like if my kid has cancer, is he REALLY more likely to be healed if 100 people on a prayer chain pray for it than if I pray for it? And why do I even have to pray for it?

Praying isn't for God. It's for the person praying.

Maybe if 100 people on a chain pray, one of them will be find the ability to help somehow.

PP here and I kind of get this. Praying is one way to address that helpless "there must be something I can do!" feeling. But if we know it isn't actually making a difference in what god does or doesn't do, then we may as well be doing anything else at all, right? It is like saying that you feel helpless so you go eat a sleeve of cookies....Self-soothing.

But maybe it is making a difference medicinally, in suffering, or in some other way. Clearly you don’t believe it can, but people of faith do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Christianity at least is about relationship with God. You can’t have a relationship if you don’t talk.

This +1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

yes, you can. hardly anyone writes checks to church anymore. they do it with auto payments and such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

yes, you can. hardly anyone writes checks to church anymore. they do it with auto payments and such.

Indulgence certificates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

yes, you can. hardly anyone writes checks to church anymore. they do it with auto payments and such.

Indulgence certificates?

DP. I wish you knew how hard people roll their eyes at insults this dumb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Christianity at least is about relationship with God. You can’t have a relationship if you don’t talk.

So if you don't talk, he won't know about your impure thoughts?

Or can he read your mind?

And if he can read your mind, why do you need to talk? You can do all this telepathically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

yes, you can. hardly anyone writes checks to church anymore. they do it with auto payments and such.

Isn't this like paying for air? Why do you have to pay to have faith?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christianity at least is about relationship with God. You can’t have a relationship if you don’t talk.

So if you don't talk, he won't know about your impure thoughts?

Or can he read your mind?

And if he can read your mind, why do you need to talk? You can do all this telepathically.

Prayer is about organizing your thoughts and meditating. Very different from him seeing your random thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

yes, you can. hardly anyone writes checks to church anymore. they do it with auto payments and such.

Isn't this like paying for air? Why do you have to pay to have faith?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Idk rituals of other religions but in mine, you do ablution and wear clean clothes so good hygiene.

You do parts of prayer sitting, standing, putting head on floor and kneeling for several times so light exercise.

You do recitation by heart so some mental agility.

You often do it with others at the mosque so walking and social connection.

That being said, I too wonder if God doesn't get anything, why the drill?

And couldn't you do all the kneeling and whatnot at home still?

I do get the social aspect, but that doesnt make sense for parents berating children to attend church (or mosque or temple) to be good christians/muslims/jews. I appreciate you answering!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why going to church or praying at church is so important if they hear prayers from your bed. Why so performative?

Because you can't put checks in the collection basket from home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Christianity at least is about relationship with God. You can’t have a relationship if you don’t talk.

So if you don't talk, he won't know about your impure thoughts?

Or can he read your mind?

And if he can read your mind, why do you need to talk? You can do all this telepathically.

Prayer is about organizing your thoughts and meditating. Very different from him seeing your random thoughts.

He can't analyze your thoughts without you doing an organized presentation? Do you edit or withhold some information?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good questions.
And my personal answer from a non theologian perspective—but from the perspective of a Bible-believing Christian is that we pray because that is how God instructs us (through scripture) to communicate with him in order to receive guidance, gifts, and grace.
As a Christian, we pray to express our thanks, our worship/adoration for the creator of all things, our wants, our love, our needs—to ask for forgiveness and guidance, to demonstrate reverence and our desire to be obedient, even when we fall short—which we always do.

We do this because Jesus demonstrated this when he prayed for all of these things for all of these purposes, and our desire is to know and be close to God. Jesus taught that we do this by turning to him in prayer because if we bring him our gratitude and needs, he will “make our paths straight” through revelation in many forms.
Essentially, it’s meditation with meaning and significance. It focuses our hearts on what is important (seeking and knowing Gods will, putting our trust and faith in the creator and asking him to forgive our wickedness and guide our journey toward making the world he created a more loving existence until we join him in heaven for all eternity.

Beautiful answer and so on point!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a non-believer but find the idea of prayers from friends and others heartwarming. Asking for prayers is a way of telling someone else that your spirit hurts and you’re looking for love and community but not anything tangible.

It’s also is a way of telling people that you’re going through a hard time without having to feel selfish about sharing your burdens with them. You and they know that they can’t do anything concrete for you, but offering up a prayer on your behalf lets you and them feel like something’s being done.

My mom died recently, and I came to understand the social benefits of prayer in that process. Everyone knew that my mom was dying and even pain meds didn’t help. So my friends/family would say that they were praying for her and me, and just knowing that they cared enough to do that, and to check in and say that they were still praying, really “lifted me up”.

So in addition to any perceived divine benefit, asking for prayers is a way of asking your community to share their love and affection with you. Even as a non-believer in God, I find it very meaningful that someone is praying for me.

Thank you for sharing this! The very basic thing we’re supposed to do as Christians is love each other. I agree that prayer is a way of showing that love, especially in situations where there’s nothing else we can do.