• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Is Prayer Selfish?

cardero

cardero

Citizen Mod
doppelgänger;1317467 said:
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?
Click to expand...
I have had alot people who felt that they had to step up to the plate to pray for me. Most of these people were uninformed of me, they never put in enough time to get to know me and they never realized that my own connection to GOD was clear and active.
 
A

angellous_evangellous

Guest
doppelgänger;1317467 said:
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.
Click to expand...

IMHO, this practice is as old as the idea of god. It reaches back to the earliest writings that I have ever seen.
 
lunamoth

lunamoth

Will to love
I don't think it is 'selfish' although I bring myself to prayer. When I pray for intercession I am usually asking for the peace, stength and courage for myself or whomever to deal with what is in front of us. I have received comfort from prayer, but it seems that more often I've received dis-comfort in that I feel called to do something that takes me outside my comfort zone.
 
autonomous1one1

autonomous1one1

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Greetings,

Much can be said about prayer. Hopefully, we can stimulate some more posts. My question is – what are the ways prayer does good other than within as Cardero suggests? Is there evidence and has science concluded anything, for there have been conflicting reports?

Does anyone agree with me that our views on prayer can change as we develop as humans through time or history and as we develop as individuals within in one's lifetime? For example, let me address the Kingdom and forgiveness. We were given ‘thy Kingdom come’ over 2000 years ago and praying for the Kingdom to come within history and within ourselves is still pertinent today (and probably for all time), but forgiveness is different. Prayer to ‘forgive as we forgive others’ is no longer pertinent because after 2000 years we have advanced to live with agape type of love and others are forgiven in advance unconditionally. Right? :) ;)

Permit me to address the change from a different perspective that one may develop. Does anyone feel truth in the saying ‘God is closer to us than we are ourselves, he knows our every thought?’ With that as guidance, prayer may be said to be ascension to closeness with God (or even union if the Kingdom has been realized) and supplication and intercession take the form of contemplation in partnership (metaphorically) with God for fulfillment. In Paul Tillich’s words when writing about Paul's expression of praying before God without an "objectifying" language, '..the subject-object scheme of ‘talking to somebody’ is transcended: He/she who speaks through us is he/she who is spoken to.' In this case, other prayers of praise, adoration, thankfulness and gratefulness for examples merge to the form of pure love.

There's my 3 cents (with inflation).

Regards,
a..1
 
C

challupa

Well-Known Member
We don't need to pray if we know we are already receiving everything we need! Communicating with God does not have to be about asking for anything, it can be a two way conversation that is insightful and like two friends having a conversation. The only difference is the "friend" knows alot more than you do!
 
zenzero

zenzero

Its only a Label
Friend tomspug,

Is Prayer Selfish?
Click to expand...

Yes and no.
Yes, because you are devoting those times to your own selfish pursuit of praying.
No, because it benefits you and in turn everyone else around.
Love & rgds
 
M

mohammed_beiruti

Active Member
tomspug said:
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?
Click to expand...

it's just for rememberance, [to remember God]

pagans made some idols to remember thier God,However ,believers specially from Abrahamic relegions do not think that it is a proper idea to do so; thus, they do thier prayer to remember God, through praising, blessing , offering,reciting holy scriptures ...etc.

I think that the next question would be , why shall we remember God?:sad:
 
Last edited:
UnityNow101

UnityNow101

Well-Known Member
Prayer can most certainly be selfish, as can any act in which you are pleading with a higher authority to intervene/save yourself while there are many more out there that are worse off than you are. But not all prayer is selfish pleading to this higher authority. Some people pray to give thanks to this higher authority and do so with a mind that is free of selfish desires and wants. It all depends on where the person's mind is in regards to the ego. That can only be known by the person themselves...
 
lilithu

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
tomspug said:
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?
Click to expand...
Jesus himself taught us to pray. And he taught us how to pray.

"Thy will be done."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top