Intercessory Prayer and Omniscience (Earth, blessing, faith, God, Christ)

[Chattan]

I have a question and this seems to be the best place to ask it. This is for all who believe in intercessory prayer but anyone can answer of course.

My question is about intercessory prayer and God. This question is based on the concept of God being both Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Omniscient (all-knowing). If God is not omniscient then the question is irrelevant and if God is not omnipotent then God's limited nature is the answer. However, it seems that many see God as both and that is the basis for this question.

My question is this, if God is both omnipotent and omniscient, then why do we need to prayer to God for intervention and intercession? An all-powerful and all-knowing God should already know what is going on and should already be involved. So, why prayer for intercession at all when God already knows what is going on and what will happen?

Certainly, there are many reasons to pray. To thank God and show gratitude. To ask God for strength in hard times. However, why do we prayer for intervention when God already knows and is (or should be) involved?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Joe

[dan]

Originally Posted by Chattan

My question is this, if God is both omnipotent and omniscient, then why do we need to prayer to God for intervention and intercession? An all-powerful and all-knowing God should already know what is going on and should already be involved. So, why prayer for intercession at all when God already knows what is going on and what will happen?

You may be coming at this question from the wrong angle. If you're wondering why Christ (being God) would pray to himself to ask for help then I think you may have answered your own question.

God seeks to bless us, and His blessing us is often contingent upon a display on our part of faith. Whether this be through action, prayer or otherwise, we are told Ask and ye shall receive. Our prayer in no way helps Him to understand. On the contrary, they help us to draw nearer to His will and secure for us the blessings that have been predicated on our asking.

[royol]

Joe
The angle you are coming from is the right angle but unfortunately it is the
wrong angle for some people, if God knows everything then God needs no input from us,
If an earthquake hits the first thing people do is fall to their knees and pray to God, Why?

[Chattan]

Dan,

Thanks for the response.

I am refering to humans with problems asking God to intervene and help. If God is all-knowing then God knows what is going on. He knows that you are having some type of problem so why do we then have to ask for help? God should already be helping. God should be in the process of making us understand without having to ask for help in the first place if God is indeed Omniscient.

Joe

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by Chattan

God should already be helping. God should be in the process of making us understand without having to ask for help in the first place if God is indeed Omniscient.

Joe

Why is that?

[royol]

Religion or God does not work like that, you are trying to use logic where none exists.

[Chattan]

Royol stated:

Religion or God does not work like that, you are trying to use logic where none exists.

I agree but I still find it an interesting question.

SoyLeche:

Why is that?

Simple. Because this all-powerful and all-knowing God is supposed to care about us and be involved in our lives. However, why not intervene when the problem happens instead of waiting til spoken to. God knows but does nothing until we ask? Why should we have to pray for the help to come?

Joe

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by Chattan

Royol stated:



I agree but I still find it an interesting question.

SoyLeche:



Simple. Because this all-powerful and all-knowing God is supposed to care about us and be involved in our lives. However, why not intervene when the problem happens instead of waiting til spoken to. God knows but does nothing until we ask? Why should we have to pray for the help to come?

Joe

If someday my son is struggling with his homework, and I know he is having a bad time but wait until he asks for my help before offering it, would I be a bad person?

[dan]

Originally Posted by Chattan

Because this all-powerful and all-knowing God is supposed to care about us and be involved in our lives.

My first concern is the obvious doubt that you have a handbook on the rules of omnipotence. What an omniscient and omnipotent being should do or is supposed to be doing well transcends our capacity or authority to understand. We don't write the rules of omnipotence. One cannot dictate to a superior what its responsibilities are.

My second concern is the fact that He is involved intimately in our lives. Just because bad things happen doesn't mean that God doesn't care. Any parent in the world will tell you that a child will never learn to walk unless it tries on its own. It has to fall in order to learn to walk.

[Chattan]

SoyLeche asked:

If someday my son is struggling with his homework, and I know he is having a bad time but wait until he asks for my help before offering it, would I be a bad person?

Fair enough but here is a question for you? Someday your son is diagnosed with cancer and is suffering horribly from it and you know it but do nothing until he asks for help, does that make you a bad person?

Dan stated:

My first concern is the obvious doubt that you have a handbook on the rules of omnipotence. What an omniscient and omnipotent being should do or is supposed to be doing well transcends our capacity or authority to understand. We don't write the rules of omnipotence. One cannot dictate to a superior what its responsibilities are.

I feel that this is the logical fallacy of the Special Plead. Simply stating that we cannot understand God because he is above us is not an answer.

Dan also stated:

My second concern is the fact that He is involved intimately in our lives. Just because bad things happen doesn't mean that God doesn't care. Any parent in the world will tell you that a child will never learn to walk unless it tries on its own. It has to fall in order to learn to walk.

Fair enough but refer to the above question given to SoyLeche. Imagine the people of New Orleans that suffered through all there loses that included life and then had to prayer for help.

Let me ask this question, could it be that God is already involved and the prayer is a way for us to communicate with God?

Joe