How does praying to God for others work

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Me and my girlfriend have been talking about praying for others and how that works. It doesn’t make sense that you’d change God’s mind about something since it implies you know better than God. But it doesn’t seem as though prayer is pointless. So when you’re praying for a cause or another person how does that work?
 
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There are two points that come to mind here.
  1. There is at least one passage in the Bible about the Father knowing how to give good gifts to His children when they ask for them. It’s the whole “ask, seek, knock” idea. We can ask for help for ourselves and others, and if it is in accordance with God’s will, it may be given.
  2. Praying for the needs of others is good for our spiritual health. It helps us to be less focused on ourselves and attuned to the needs of others.
 
Jragzz123 said:
Me and my girlfriend have been talking about praying for others and how that works. It doesn’t make sense that you’d change God’s mind about something since it implies you know better than God. But it doesn’t seem as though prayer is pointless. So when you’re praying for a cause or another person how does that work?
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There is merit in prayer and it can be applied for the spiritual welfare of others, as with indulgences. But also we express our humility in prayer, which counters sinful pride.

Catechism
2559 "Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."2 But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart?3 He who humbles himself will be exalted;4 humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought,"5 are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."6
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But if it’s in accordance to God’s will why would I need to pray for it since it’s already God’s will? Wouldn’t it happen regardless?
 
How do we know God’s will? How do we determine that he is going to choose to heal the wounds of a friend or not? Its more powerful to have ten people pray to our Lord for the friend’s healing than to have none. God sees compassion in his people.

Thats why I dont hesitate to ask for prayers from others because we dont pray for ourselves, that is selfish, but to pray for others and keep ourselves last and ask our neighbors for their prayers to our Lord
 
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I don’t know how it works on the divine level, but here is how I think of it in human terms. If my child or my friend asks me for some canned peaches (to use one of the first things that popped into my head), it is not against any ethical code I have. I may not have thought of doing it for them or even known they wanted that without them telling me. God is all-knowing, of course, so that part of it does not come into play with prayer. Still, it is good to ask for things that would be beneficial to others or the world at large.

I’m sure you can search for the benefits of intercessory prayer and find lots of information. I did a quick internet search and came up with a pretty good 2011 thread on this very forum.
 
I don’t pray for myself at all. All of my prayers have always been for others. Lately I have been praying for my family’s conversion to the faith I even have lit candles for their conversion and still do.

Father asks us to pray for others more than ourselves and that’s what I have done since before I became a catholic convert.
 
I’m confused because what the point of praying for others if God already knows what’s best. Let’s say a family member has fallen away from the faith if God already wants them to come back he’s gonna bring that person back are prayers seem irrelevant. Or praying for someone who has cancer. If God wills them to be healed they’ll be healed regardless of our prayers and if He doesn’t desire their healing our prayers are still irrelevant.
 
What if God willed them to be healed because of the cry(prayers) from his people? Are we to assume that our prayers didnt help God in his decision? If it didnt heal the person, it was God’s will that it was going to happen, in both instances did it not grow the faith spiritually for the people who prayed for them?
 
But God is infinite in wisdom. Why would God change his mind on something if he already knows the infant good of an individual? If it’s his will is to not heal that person than that is the best good for that person if your prayers change his mind then he’s no longer willing the best possible good for that person and therefore not loving that individual. That’s why I’m confused
 
I think the idea that God wants us to cooperate ‘willingly’ in his plans, has alot to do with this, aswell as free will. Since I am somewhat still a baby when it comes to answering things, I will share this YouTube video by Fr Mike, which is worth a listen to. It made me think alot, and I’m hoping, may shed some light on your question about the point of prayer e.t.c as you put it.

God bless.

 
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THis past Sunday’s readings are relevant here. JOhn the Baptist had expectations about the Messiah that were not met by what he knew about Jesus (this is why, when in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus).

So, if John’s expectations of God were different from what God is, then certainly the same holds true for us.
 
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Jragzz123 said:
But if it’s in accordance to God’s will why would I need to pray for it since it’s already God’s will? Wouldn’t it happen regardless?
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One always opens a can of worms when it comes to God’s sovereignty and man’s free will.

Simply put, you you cannot change God’s mind with prayer. God has already willed the the outcome, but in his plan, he has also accounted for your prayer offered of your own free will, and has made the favour contingent upon your prayer, and has already accounted for your free will.

That’s the gist of it. Now whether he moves you by grace to make that prayer, or if he sees both your prayer and the outcome ahead of time, well, that falls right into the questions of predestination, grace, free will, etc. Exactly how this happens is not defined, and again, it depends on whether you’re a Thomist or a Molinist.
 
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I was talking about people praying for others in general than no one praying at all for the person.
 
IT seems you are bringing the “once saved always saved” Calvinist argument into this discussion about prayer for others. I’m not certain that argument is applicable to this discussion.
 
Its like the prophets that weeped to God, reading the Old Testament has instances where God seems to have “changed” his mind becuase of others. This is not the case, but is allowed because God can will it so either way he shall please.

Somewhat an example, my little brother and I are sitting quietly in the living room. I was wanting to turn on the TV and I see that my brother is trying to turn on the TV first, but cannot. So he asks me to turn it on, I do so. I couldove done it myself either or, but waited for him to ask.

We as humans have a hard time understanding God’s wisdom and how he works, but he does so. The CCC already covers this so there shouldnt be doubt that it doesnt work. Just my two cents
 
Jesus freely dying on the cross for us did much for us and was in accord with God’s will (even though Jesus didn’t desire to die on the cross). Think of it as a type of prayer.

We are to imitate Jesus (discipleship). So, when we pray for others’ wellbeing, we are doing God’s will.
 
Bon_Croix said:
IT seems you are bringing the “once saved always saved” Calvinist argument into this discussion about prayer for others. I’m not certain that argument is applicable to this discussion.
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No, I am not. Catholic predestination excludes OSAS entirely.
 
chercheur said:
That is pretty interesting. …And confusing. <_<
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Yes, it is. Probably next to the Trinity, discussions on grace, free will and predestination are probably the most confusing. It’s probably for the best that the Church did not define the specifics of the mystery.
 
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