Questions about praying

[fish90]

I know Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us how to pray and that the prayers we say for whatever reason are correct just because the Church allows these prayers, yet I hoped for some answers.

1.) Is praying for ourselves kind of selfish since God gives us everything we need?
2.) Why pray for someone else when we know God will help them?
3.) Why do we not only pray to thank God?
4.) When do devotions ( i.e. to the Blessed Mother) become dangerous?

I have been curious about this for a little while and I hope for your responses.

 

[Eucharisted]

1.) Is praying for ourselves kind of selfish since God gives us everything we need?

Nope, it’s called dependancy on God. We glorify God by invoking His Mercy, even if we are miserable sinners.

2.) Why pray for someone else when we know God will help them?

Same reason as above.

3.) Why do we not only pray to thank God?

Same reason as above.

4.) When do devotions ( i.e. to the Blessed Mother) become dangerous?

When we worship her as a goddess. Mary is not a goddess. She is the atom through whom the Infinite came into the world.

 

[JamieMc]

Wow–I think Eucharisted nailed it!

 

[LilyM]

I know Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us how to pray and that the prayers we say for whatever reason are correct just because the Church allows these prayers, yet I hoped for some answers.

1.) Is praying for ourselves kind of selfish since God gives us everything we need?

Is Jesus selfish? He taught us to pray for ‘our daily bread’ - in other words the things we need every day. Not to mention the other things we pray for in the Our Father - for forgiveness for our sins and deliverance from evil.

As has been said, praying for our needs is important for us - it reminds us that no matter how well off we are, we will always have needs that can only be supplied by God. Also reminds us that all good things come from God and teaches us a bit of humility and thankfulness - makes us ‘poor in spirit’ as Jesus said.

2.) Why pray for someone else when we know God will help them?

Because if nothing else, it builds our relationship with that other person to be thinking of their needs and praying for them. It teaches us to be considerate of others.

3.) Why do we not only pray to thank God?

Because Jesus teaches us how to pray in the Our Father - which starts with praise, but moves to supplication and contrition. The whole range of things that communication with God - or anyone else - SHOULD cover.

Put it this way - would you like a person who only ever talked to you to say ‘you’re so great, you’re so wonderful, you’re fantastic’ and nothing else? Any intelligent being would get sick of that pretty quickly

4.) When do devotions ( i.e. to the Blessed Mother) become dangerous?

]

Never. Worship of her would be dangerous, devotion to her is not the same thing at all as worship.