Is it wrong to pray conditionally?

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Hi everyone,

Is it wrong to pray conditionally? Here is an example: (this isn’t really the topic I’m praying about) Let’s say I prayed, “Dear Lord, I hope I get into Harvard…but if that is not your will I hope I get into Yale.”

Or should we just pray just for what we think we need or want and since God knows what is best for us, not give him a “back up plan” idea, since He knows best?

I feel like this is related, since it has been on my mind a lot lately:

I wish I could remember the exact quotes, but about 20 years ago I read a biography about Padre Pio. A person who was blind came to Padre Pio for healing. He said to Padre Pio something like, “If I could even just see with one eye.” And Padre Pio prayed over him and his sight was restored in just one eye. Then Padre Pio said to him, “Don’t limit God.” Then he prayed over him again and sight was restored in both of his eyes.

Thanks everyone, for your help.
 
How did Jesus teach us to pray? There is your answer.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jim
 
Thanks.

I guess I’m just a worrywart, though I’ve been trying to shed that bad habit! 🙂
 
Zarozinnia said:
Hi everyone,

Is it wrong to pray conditionally? Here is an example: (this isn’t really the topic I’m praying about) Let’s say I prayed, “Dear Lord, I hope I get into Harvard…but if that is not your will I hope I get into Yale.”

Or should we just pray just for what we think we need or want and since God knows what is best for us, not give him a “back up plan” idea, since He knows best?

I feel like this is related, since it has been on my mind a lot lately:

I wish I could remember the exact quotes, but about 20 years ago I read a biography about Padre Pio. A person who was blind came to Padre Pio for healing. He said to Padre Pio something like, “If I could even just see with one eye.” And Padre Pio prayed over him and his sight was restored in just one eye. Then Padre Pio said to him, “Don’t limit God.” Then he prayed over him again and sight was restored in both of his eyes.
Thanks everyone, for your help.
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Our God is a big God. He is also a specific God. In both Old and New Testament, we see God gets into specifics. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts if our desires are in line with His will, and He likes to hear our petitions.

There is nothing wrong to pray specifically as long as our attitude is always “thy will be done”. Like a trusting child telling his father what he desires, if his wish is granted, the child is thankful, if his wish is not granted as he requested, the child is also thankful by knowing that his father always has his best interest in mind and his father always knows the best.

Jesus said “ask, you shall receive”, ask clearly and specifically,
with a humble, obedient, trusting and grateful heart.
 
No, I don’t think it’s wrong to pray conditionally. I sometimes ask for certain “requests” or “intentions”… in fact, I do every day. But… the prayer of my heart… the one that is most deep seated, is this… “Thy Holy and Perfect Will be done, Lord”. In other words, all I really want… is that His Will be done… in my life and in the world. Even if it’s not what I asked for. I trust Him. He knows what’s best. God bless. 🙂
 
it isn’t wrong, yet it is not the only thing we should pray for. It is okay to ask for something (petitioning), yet it should not in itself become a habit, because by only focusing on one aspect of prayer, we actually limit ourselves, because the power of prayer is one that should not be used lightly. To put it simply: prayer is the raising of one’s heart and mind to God, and there is so much we can say to our Father that is not just asking for things!
 
Here is my opinion. God gave us our civil authorities and we are to be obedient to them unless their laws go against God’s law. The federal rules of procedure and I assume most state rules allow for pleading in the alternative meaning you plead one way like stating I didn’t punch that person and there is no evidence to submit to a jury for them to decide I did. However, then you can also say, but even if you do decide there is some issue of fact for a jury to decide that I punched a person, then I claim that it was not my fault since it was self defense.

My point, I don’t see any reason you can’t also pray in the alternative to God such as the example you gave. Though if Harvard and Yale are your only alternatives you might be disappointed in God’s answer. Ultimately God knows what alternative for you but there is know harm in asking for them wth the intent for submitting to the one God has planned.
 
Jesus did so Himself in Gethsemane - ‘Father, IF IT BE POSSIBLE let this chalice be taken from me, nonethless not my will but Yours be done’.
 
A better prayer for each one of us would be, “Lord, may your will be done in my life, in all things.”
Deacon Ed B
 
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