A do over? No, if they haven't done anything wrong they go to heaven. Why they die isn't really an important factor is it?
What if your friend thought it would help or matter? Would you ask for folks to pray for him then? Agreed.
The concept of praying for someone is simple. Asking God to do what only He can do. If an elderly lady fell down in front of me on a sidewalk I wouldn't pray and ask God to do anything, I would go help her up. I would guess that it is not the concept of praying that bothers you but the results.
Not at all. God expects us to do His will which is loving, just and honest. It is the disrespect and disregard for His will that invites prayer.
Sorry, but I don't quite get what you're saying. I think what droxford is stating is that either: 1. God's plan is predestined/predetermined, in which case praying for a certain result is meaningless. or 2. God's plan is NOT predestined/predetermined, which flies in the face of a whole lot of Christian dogma. Can you explain how your answer clarifies either of these?
You asked a question about God, and I told you to ask him. Its not circular reasoning. Its asking the source... Good try though...cute graphic too.
No, I asked you a question about asking God, and your answer is to ask God. That makes very little sense. And also doesn't address droxford's original question. But you're right: it's a cute graphic. :grin:
It's socialism bro. Asking for a spiritual handout is just wrong. Go to work, get some money and buy God's love at church like everyone else.
Have considered that people may ask God to give the suffering person solace or the strength to handle that which lies before them? Perhaps asking God to ease the sorrow of the person's family is a good idea. I would posit that assuming to understand the nature of divinity and the usefulness of prayer is fairly presumptuous.
Okay. But again, if God has a plan for us, wouldn't He have already decided whether or not to give them strength? I guess, in the end, this speaks to the great paradox of Christianity: predetermination vs. freewill. With all due respect, this sounds a lot like "God works in mysterious ways", which has always seemed like a real cop-out answer to me.
My very basic understanding of religion is that God is greater than human. So I would think he would operate in ways that the human mind does not comprehend.
Man's choices are not predetermined. God's will is a constant consistent with His character, for example God's will is for men to be truthful, honest and accurate. Men choose to be honest or deceptive. The bible view of God's will and man's choices is that men fail to choose God's will often thus praying for others would include asking God to intervene according to His will. Sorry, that sounds preachy
Not preachy at all! At least you're trying to give an answer other than "God works in mysterious ways", which is basically saying "I don't know: just go with it". But, and I'm sorry to belabor this point, your answer doesn't really address the original question. In the examples that droxford put forth, there really were no "choices" involved. If Person A gets cancer, what good does it do Person B to pray for Person A's recovery? Either God has decided that Person A will die from it, in which case praying for their recovery makes no difference, of God has decided that Person A will recover, in which case praying for their recovery makes no difference. Asking for God to intervene "according to His will" is not asking at all. What you're basically saying is "I hope you choose to let Person A live" but your statement means exactly zero, since the choice has already been made.
God does not decide when someone is going to die. Unless He has a just and loving reason to do that. He sets boundaries, no one is going to live say 150 years. If someone murders his wife; that was not God's will at all- a life was cut short- (God's will would have been for the murder not to take place) .
