urge to pray - advice/help

[brotherlylove]

If you can only pray for stuff that's already part of God's will, what's the point in praying for it? This in no way contradicts my assertion that your God is indifferent. He does what he wants to do, and you praying for it is incidental. It's also a very convenient get out clause: 'Oh he doesn't answer ALL prayers, silly, but I know he definitely answers some, because some of the time I pray for things, they happen' - utter garbage. Do you think that people who pray get more things they want than people that don't? Because I quite often get the things I want, without prayer. So either prayer doesn't work, or God is happy enough to provide for me to the same degree as he provides for you, despite my lack of belief. Either way, the efficacy of prayer is shown to be nil.

This is a major misconception by atheists and Christians alike that the function of prayer is to ask for things, like material goods, financial blessings, etc. Jesus gave us very clear instructions about prayer:

Matthew 6:25-34

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus instructs us not to ask for material things because the Father already knows what we need before we ask for it. That our lives do not consist of pursuing these things. We are instructed to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all of these things will be added to you. The function of prayer is not to ask for things, it is to be in communion with God. As passionatefool briefly described, He received great comfort from speaking with God. When I pray I don't ask for things..what I do is trust God to provide what I need, and that has never failed. I don't need to ask Him for anything. When I pray I mostly ask God to do things for other people. Some of the things I ask for are healing for those who are sick, comfort for those who are struggling, and things of this nature. Specific requests for specific situations.

Your prayers are much more apt to be answered if you are praying as Jesus taught us to do. How God provides for you is going to seem as approximating your ideas about personal autonomy, according to the lens of your worldview. It's hard to find a rhythm if you can't feel the beat.

I wouldn't differentiate my position whatsoever from that statement. Now show how this is nihilism.

If the Universe has no purpose, it has no inherent meaning. Everyone is simply dancing to their DNA. If there is no good and evil, nothing is really wrong, which means the holocaust would be good if everyone agreed it was. No chance of fairness, no justice..murders go free and righteous people die for no reason. How is this not nihilism?:

Definition of NIHILISM

1a : a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless b : a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths

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Ignorant bloody theists...

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Can't even read!!

Maybe this will be more entertaining