Is Prayer Selfish?

[tomspug]

Is it completely self-serving to pray, even if you are praying for others and not yourself? Is it an act of arrogance to appeal to the Will of God?

If so, how do we justify free will if we have no means of communication with God?

Finally, if prayer is not selfish, how does it benefit us or God?

 

[Elessar]

It is absolutely not self-serving to pray. Prayer, along with praise and worship, is a way we show our love and devotion to G-d, and how G-d can speak to us. It benefits us because it allows us to enter a dialogue with the Most High G-d, who in his everlasting mercy listens to every person's prayer. It benefits G-d, because he loves his creation, the way a parent loves a child and wants to talk to them.

Of course, I assume you mean specifically supplication prayer, i.e., prayer for something in particular. In this, though, it is not self-serving or selfish either - a parent will provide for a child whether the child is being rude or polite - but parents would prefer, and teach their children, to be polite, and to ask nicely for things, even if they'd get those things anyway.

 

[texan1]

That is a good question Tomspug. I probably shouldn't jump in here since I'm not really a praying person anymore. But I used to feel that way all of the time.....like 'why should I pray for the strength to do well on my school exams for example while there are people suffering from hunger, disease, and torture all over the world.'

 

[tomspug]

That is a good question Tomspug. I probably shouldn't jump in here since I'm not really a praying person anymore. But I used to feel that way all of the time.....like 'why should I pray for the strength to do well on my school exams for example while there are people suffering from hunger, disease, and torture all over the world.'

Well, the way I would respond to that would be: "wait, does God have limited prayer resources?"

 

[BucephalusBB]

Well, the way I would respond to that would be: "wait, does God have limited prayer resources?"

depends, if he is picky, does that make it automatically limited?

 

[texan1]

Well, the way I would respond to that would be: "wait, does God have limited prayer resources?"

Right. I understand this. But whether it's logical or not, I would always feel kind of guilty. Or as another example, a religious man that my husband works with would sometimes pray that a business deal would go through. I would think to myself, 'it seems almost sinful to essentially pray for more money while there are people in the world who don't have food to eat". Seems like God might lovingly "roll his eyes" at him.

 

[ChristineES]

Praying is talking to God. I would hardly call someone talking to another as selfish and self serving.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Prayer is not shellfish.

 

[Storm]

Just want to make sure that this thread is open to all comers before I post....

 

[doppelganger]

Slightly off topic, but where does this idea come from that "prayer" means asking "God" to intervene "supernaturally" in reality to do stuff for you and your loved ones?

 

[whereismynotecard]

George Carlin said that a lot of people say that God is going to do what he wants anyway, so there's no point in praying... Unless you're just praying as a means of conversation. I wish god would talk to me. I think that would be fun...

Hello, God. How are you?

 

[doppelganger]

When I was a kid, I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I
realized that the Lord, in his wisdom, didn't work that way. So I just
stole one and asked him to forgive me. - Emo Phillips

 

[Elessar]

The problem here is the confusion of prayer in general - which is simply a manner of conversation between G-d and man - and prayer of supplication, which is asking G-d to do something. Many think that these two are synonymous, but, though the latter is definitely part of the former, the former is far more than the latter.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Slightly off topic, but where does this idea come from that "prayer" means asking "God" to intervene "supernaturally" in reality to do stuff for you and your loved ones?

"Prayer" means "to ask." I believe this is etemologically sound for both Greek and English.

 

[cardero]

Is it completely self-serving to pray, even if you are praying for others and not yourself? Is it an act of arrogance to appeal to the Will of God?

Though there is an important caring aspect recognized towards praying for someone, I would believe that it is the purpose and the will of the individual that must take priority. This “selfishness” can also be recognized when someone dies and passes away from us. One can noticed that the only person who does not agree with a person’s demise is the survivor.

Tomspug writes: If so, how do we justify free will if we have no means of communication with God?

Who says we do not have free will or a way to communicate with GOD? This best approach in communicating with GOD and getting swift answers is to listen and for one not to be so expectant.

Tomspug writes: Finally, if prayer is not selfish, how does it benefit us or God?

It will most likely benefit one in the form of understanding and we all can use a little more of that. It can benefit GOD because that is exactly what GOD’s purpose is, to receive questions and to dispense understanding.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

pray ask earnestly, make earnest request or petition. XIII. ME. preie — OF. preier (mod. prier):- late L. (Rom.) prec

re, for L. prec

r

entreat (rel. to poscere demand). So prayer XIII. ME. preiere — OF. preiere (mod. prière):- Gallo- Rom. *prec

ria, sb. use of fem. of L. prec

rius obtained by entreaty

"pray" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Ed. T. F. Hoad. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Texas Christian University. 30 October 2008 <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezproxy.tcu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t27.e11800>

 

[angellous_evangellous]

From the Oxford Reference:

To ask earnestly, beseech (God, a person, etc.) for (or

of) something desired; to offer a prayer to (God or a god) for the well-being, salvation, etc., of someone. Now chiefly arch.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) Ecclus. xxxiii. 20 yue ou not to an ooer i possessioun lest it othinke ee & ou lowli preie for hem. c1390 CHAUCER Melibeus 2874 They ne requeren ne preyen me nat of pees, ne they asken nat to be reconsiled. a1425 (c1300) Assumption of Virgin (BL Add.) 164 My sone..I praie ee of i blessing. ?c1450 tr. Bk. Knight of La Tour Landry 34 Ladies..y praie you of a bone [= boon]. 1480 CAXTON Chron. Eng. lii. 36 The bisshop prayd this kyng Aldroye of help and socour. a1500 (?a1400) Tale King Edward & Shepherd 112 And he pray hir of a bone..She will not onys say nay. 1596 J. DALRYMPLE tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 166/30 Humblie thay [sc. the Romans] pray King Galdie..for thair lyfe. 1682 J. BUNYAN Holy War 99 We also pray thy Majesty, for expedition in this matter. 1731 J. TRAPP tr. Virgil Georgicks III, in Wks. Virgil I. 197 The restive Swain..prays the Gods for better fate. 1831 SCOTT Jrnl. 1 Jan. (1946) 132 If I were worthy I wou[l]d pray God for a sudden death. 1887 R. F. BURTON tr. Arabian Nights' Entertainments: Suppl. Nights III. dxliii. 101 The Sultan is mild and merciful, never rejecting..any who pray him for a present. 1952 S. SELVON Brighter Sun vii. 130 Don't know Indian people haveam own god?... To pray Kali for rain? 2005 ANSA English Media Service (Nexis) 2 Feb., We learned about the improving state of the Pope and pray God for his recovery

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yeah, dopp... the words for prayer in Greek have a similar history, and of course the ideas of "going before" a god or a person of power to "ask" for whatever one needs / wants is present in the histories of these words that appear in the NT and other Greek literature. I am sure that we will see similar ideas in Latin and the Romantics.

 

[doppelganger]

"Prayer" means "to ask." I believe this is etemologically sound for both Greek and English.

I know that part, but ask for what? The practice now is to lay out requests that the world be reformed to be what one desires for one's self and one's loved ones (and even for evil to befall one's perceived enemies). Where does that practice originate? It seems to have several connotations in the New Testament.

 

[UnTheist]

What would be the problem if it was so? I don't think there's anything wrong with being selfish in this way.