(February 18, 2014 at 2:21 pm)MitchBenn Wrote: Sorry if this idea has been mooted before, but ...
It occurred to me the other day that, if one accepts the notion of God as omniscient, omnipotent and ineffably wise, isn't the whole notion of prayer inherently blasphemous?
If God is omniscient, then whatever issue you're trying to draw his attention to, he already KNOWS about. As such, if he is refusing to intercede, he must have his reasons, being ineffably wise.
As such, to pray for intercession, whether on your own behalf or anyone else's, is either to deny God's omniscience (by drawing his attention to something you seem to think he's somehow missed) or to question his judgment (by challenging his decision not to intercede, or, if he has ALREADY interceded, by pointing out that he has, in your opinion, interceded incorrectly).
You're questioning his competence, in any event, by essentially telling him how to do his job...
Thoughts?
Everyone can be excused for making their first prayer. After that it just become whining and complaining. Even the Jesus character said that God knows what you needs and will give it to you (but he was always praying for some reason). And then the Jesus character said to ask for whatever you want in prayer and that he would give it to you. I suppose the thinking is that God knows what you need but if you don't beg for it then you won't get it.
If a person believes that God's will will be done on Earth as it is in heaven then whatever happens to you is God's will. By praying you are simply complaining that God is screwing you and that you want a better deal.
The book of Pslams is loaded with all kinds of prayers. The writer was the ultimate whiner.
Personally I hate public prayers, even ones in churches. Jesus said to pray in private so if you're praying to Jesus why would a person blab away in public?
