WHY DO WE PRAY?

My Question is, why do we pray? The following scripture "seems" to suggest otherwise.

Matt.-6-31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Yet the following scripture says we should ask.

John 14-13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

If God knows our needs, why do we pray?

Working for Jesus,

Tam

 

TP said Why do you have conversations with people? Why do you get married? Why send letters or emails?

Of course we do all these things because it is a natural thing to do, but not because God commanded us to.

But He made a point to tell us to: Matt. 7-7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If He loves us all the same(no respecter of persons) why doesn't he just give us what we need after we are saved? He knows what we have need of!

But He doesn't do that. We have to ask. Why?

Peace,

Tam

 

I like the answers too. Perhaps it should be phrased like this, why did God set it up this way?

God could just as well have said,"I know what you need, and if you stomp on the ground 3 times, I will give it to you".

But he didn't. He said ask me and I will give it to you. Why?

Peace,

Tam

 

I believe we pray because there is power in the tongue. Here's what I mean. In Genesis chapter one, God spoke the world into existance, He said let there be light and there was light. He said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
God said Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so, etc.

Then in Genesis 1-26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;

God spoke the world into being. God made man in His image. Now of course I am not saying that we have the power and wisdom of God.

But I am saying that when He created man in His image, He gave us the same WAY of doing things. In a way, we have the ability to "speak" things into existance. Of course with us, it is more speaking by faith, because we don't have the power of God. We can only do what He has told us.

He told us to"ask and though shalt receive" because that way we would have to say what we want! It is not commanding God, it is just doing it the way God said. However if you try to use that formula to get a Rolls Royce, you may get the car, but I can assure you that you will also get the payments that go with it, and if you can't pay for it, God will not intervene when it is reposessed!!!

In Romans 4-17 the bible says---------," even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. ( And BTW, it doesn't matter that it's talking about Abraham, this is a principle of God and it does not change, whether it's spoken to Jews or Gentiles!}

God expects us to use our faith. It works well enough when we are mully-grubbing (southern word) around and whining and saying "oh, I can't do this". Because, sure enough, we "can't do it".

So why not use the tongue for good! Use it in a positive sense!

James 3-5 tells us: Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

We too can speak forth things that" are not as though they were ". If you don't believe it, just start a bad rumor about someone and see what havoc is caused!!

The next scripture is Proverbs 18-20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

This is referring to to our WORDS, and the power they have. And I find it interesting that it says death first and then life.I believe that is because our natural tendency is to speak bad stuff first.

The power of the tongue is unmistakable, that is why God told us to ask and ye shall receive. It doesn't matter if you speak out loud or pray silently. You are still verbilizing your prayers, and therefore obeying God.

Working for Jesus,

Tam

 

Bump

 

I believe that our words have a great impact on us,

Proverbs 18-20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

You can slice it anyway you want to, but the fact is that what we say puts faith into action.

If you keep saying everything is alright, you have a lot better chanch of it BEING alright, but if you are always saying how bad everything is, you are sabatoging your own well being!!

So our words are important!!You get what you say, even if you don't believe that it works that way.

Peace,

Tam

 

We pray because our words have power. when we ask, we unleash the power of God to do it.

We are not manipulating God, just obeying what He told us to do.

Words are used to praise God. Words are used to pray. Words are used to mourn.

Matt-21-19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.


Key phrase is; if ye shall say

Working for Jesus,

Tam

 

Mark 11-23---------------and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.---

Peace,

Tam