Why must we pray?

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My agnostic 17 year old asked me this. Why must we offer up prayers of petition if God is all love…wouldn’t he help without us asking? Do we change God’s mind?

The best response I could give her was “because we’re supposed to”.

Help.
 
libre said:
My agnostic 17 year old asked me this. Why must we offer up prayers of petition if God is all love…wouldn’t he help without us asking? Do we change God’s mind?

The best response I could give her was “because we’re supposed to”.

Help.
Click to expand...
I think it’s a way to get closer to God. If you never pray, never give thanks and praise, never feel sorry and repentant, then you are never near God. God knows our every need, but we need to know God is there and waiting for our prayers. God doesn’t need us, but we need God.
 
Prayer is communication. When we love somebody, we talk with that person.
God is unchanging. Prayer is not about changing God. Your son is right. God knows our needs. You are right. Scripture tells us that we need to ask. Prayer is about our relationship with God. It is about transformation. Prayer changes us.
Prayer is lifting our hearts and minds to God.
Unlike other religions, the Christian Faith is one in which we actually have a relationship with our Creator. We can tell Him exactly how we feel. We don’t always have to stick to the rote prayers that we have been taught through religious education.
Read the Psalms and see the passion, or some of the prayers that Saints have prayed throughout the centuries. Prayers will change as our relationship develops.
 
Yes, prayer is the way to communicate with God. Not only is it for intentions, but also to have that relationship. Because believing in God and Jesus isn’t all about following laws, it is about having a relationship, someone to always have with you to talk to if needed.
Please make sure you tell that person some of these answers, because since this person is having trouble searching for truth, they need answers. Hopefully this person does find Truth.
God bless.
 
We are to do as Christ taught us to. Jesus prayed.
He spoke to His Father in heaven…we should do the same.
We do it out of love. Ask him if he thinks that one day he will fall in love with someone and never speak to them directly. 😉

Peace.
 
God does not want to force Himself on us, so He waits until we are ready. Prayer is the way for us to tell God we are ready.

Pride might make me think that I can conquer my bad habit on my own. God will see me struggle, knowing all the while that I need His help, but He waits until I ask.

Parents do the same thing with their children, too, no?
 
Tell your son this, he can relate: Prayer is like being hooked up to a trusted internet site behind your firewall. As long as you are, your computer (soul) stays healthy. Not praying is like turning off your fire wall and searching sites you don’t know without valid certificates, heaven only knows what worms your going to pickup.

That’s my parable of the firewall.
 
Prayer opens our minds and hearts to the grace of God so that He can sanctify us.
 
libre said:
My agnostic 17 year old asked me this. Why must we offer up prayers of petition if God is all love…wouldn’t he help without us asking? Do we change God’s mind?

The best response I could give her was “because we’re supposed to”.

Help.
Click to expand...
How did she become agnostic?

If she is really agnostic, her question is dialectical. I wouldn’t try to answer it first. I would try to understand what her real problem is.

Be patient, and pray for her.
 
Thanks to everyone who responded. She read the responses and I don’t know if it helped
Her…but it sure made me feel more sure of my footing.👍

She was raised catholic, but I fell away for many years so she didn’t have a good
Solid catholic upbringing. Now I think she is searching. She has read the bible
And has an interest in theology, but no faith.

Anyway, thanks…
 
The fact that she has read the Bible is a start. Many read the Bible as literature, which gives them knowledge. As Catholics we are aware that the Bible is comprised of different genres. Each author, led by the Holy Spirit is writing to a particular audience in order to convey his message. The best thing you can do at this point in time is to continue your own formation, becoming as knowledgeable as you can.
The Christian Faith is simple enough to summarized in the Nicene Creed, yet it takes more than a lifetime to reach the depths of our Catholic heritage.
 
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