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As someone that's not religious, I never understood prayer. I mean if God already has a plan for everything and everyone, wouldn't the prayer already been taken

by yibg 7y ago

As someone that's not religious, I never understood prayer. I mean if God already has a plan for everything and everyone, wouldn't the prayer already been taken into consideration so that it shouldn't effect the outcome at all?

gjsman-1000 7y ago
I would recommend reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church from section 2558 onward. It's free online and you might be surprised at how understandable, clear, and honest of a definition of prayer it is. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1.htm https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s...
- yibg 7y ago
  Thanks for the additional resource, but I don't find it understandable at all. I mean I understand the words, but together I have no idea how to interpret them. For example, "Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer." What does that mean? It seems to be saying that prayer is communion with God, but also that "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." So is prayer a request of God or not?
notacoward 7y ago
Think of "God's plan" as being like a computer program. Even if the "code" doesn't change, it can still yield different outcomes based on run-time inputs. Whether we pray, whether we repent, whether we even believe, etc. are such inputs. Free will says we can choose to do these things are not, but it doesn't mean there won't be divine response. At the very least, this is usually construed as affecting whether we go to heaven or hell. Depending on how far you take it, it can lead all the way to the "prosperity gospel" idea that shows of devotion can be directly tied to immediate and material reward. Prayer is the button that you push. It might have no effect, and whether it does or not might be preordained, but you still have to push it to find out.

by yibg 7y ago

gjsman-1000 7y ago

I would recommend reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church from section 2558 onward. It's free online and you might be surprised at how understandable, clear, and honest of a definition of prayer it is. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1.htm https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s...

yibg 7y ago
Thanks for the additional resource, but I don't find it understandable at all. I mean I understand the words, but together I have no idea how to interpret them. For example, "Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer." What does that mean? It seems to be saying that prayer is communion with God, but also that "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." So is prayer a request of God or not?

notacoward 7y ago

Think of "God's plan" as being like a computer program. Even if the "code" doesn't change, it can still yield different outcomes based on run-time inputs. Whether we pray, whether we repent, whether we even believe, etc. are such inputs. Free will says we can choose to do these things are not, but it doesn't mean there won't be divine response. At the very least, this is usually construed as affecting whether we go to heaven or hell. Depending on how far you take it, it can lead all the way to the "prosperity gospel" idea that shows of devotion can be directly tied to immediate and material reward. Prayer is the button that you push. It might have no effect, and whether it does or not might be preordained, but you still have to push it to find out.