Praying for our benefit

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aspen

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Are we supposed to pray to God for our own benefit? God, thank you for saving my life, even those around us were not saved? God, I pray for my team to win tonight? Based on the NT, God does want to hear our needs and wants......but what about praying for God's Will?
 

Duckybill

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1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain."
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.
 

FHII

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Nothing wrong with praying for your own wants and certainly not with your needs. However. Be careful what you ask for. That's why I end every request with "if it's your will.." as for "letting my team win ", I have a problem with that. God may be a sports fan, but he probably doesn't care unless a child of his is on the field. But if you are a Steelers fan and pray for victory and I'm a ravens fan and pray the same, what's he to do?

Also I do believe God answers all prayers. Problem is since we are like children in his eyes, sometimes for our own good, the answer he gives is no.
 

Prentis

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I think we can definitely pray for our needs. The lesson lies in our hearts and attitude in so doing.

Someone told me a story of a man who had need of money, and could find no work. And so he started crying out to God, despairing before him. Then the Lord told him to praise him instead, and he would provide! The man received the correction and started praising the Lord for taking care of him... The phone rang, a friend had some work for him. The man praised the Lord some more and thanked him for the work he provided... The phone rang again, some more work! Pretty soon he had enough work to provide for the next bit of time.

We are children, and God is our father, it makes sense that we ask. Our desires, well I think the best is to realize that the Lord knows our hearts, and we just love him and obey him, and if it pleases him he'll provide. I don't think it's wrong to pray for it. But we can't be 'attached' to our own desires. Everything is the Lord's :)

That's how I understand it :) ... Blessings to all
 

Duckybill

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There are many Biblical reasons to believe that God wants to bless His people and even promises such. His promises are abundant! It is His will for His people who believe His promises.

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
 

Foreigner

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"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6


Nowhere in the Bible does God say that you have no need to or that you shouldn't pray about your personal needs or desires.

However it does say:
"You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask." - James 4:2

- followed by -

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." - James 4:3
NIV and NASB say, "your pleasures." KIV says "your lusts."

What does that tell us? You should present your requests (personal and otherwise) to God.

But also, if the requests you make for yourself run counter to what is best for your or for your relationship with God, He is doing you a favor by not honoring those requests.
 
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aspen

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I think all of your responses have been helpful. I agree that God is doing us a favor by not giving us things that might hurt us. I find myself discussing my desires with God and then asking that His Will be done, I think it has helped me sort out what is important.
 

Foreigner

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"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4


-- Most new Christians and non-Christians read that scripture and see it as a promise for God to give you anything and everything you truly want if you "delight yourself in the Lord." When in fact, actually working to delight yourself in the Lord causes the selfish, self-centered, desires that can cause a barrier between you and Christ to go by the wayside.

The wonder of this scripture is the fact that if you are truly seeking God, he will renew your mind so that, slowly, over time, your desires - your actual personal desires - will begin to mirror what God wants for you.

It won't be a matter of "Lord, I have my desires but I happily surrender to your will" although that is a good place to start.

Rather, your actual my-heart-desires-this-above-all-things personal desires will parallel what God wants for you.

And the beautty of that is when you pray for something that mirrors God's will, He fulfills your requests.
 

aspen

“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Apr 25, 2012
14,111
4,778
113
52
West Coast
Faith
Christian
Country
United States
"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4


-- Most new Christians and non-Christians read that scripture and see it as a promise for God to give you anything and everything you truly want if you "delight yourself in the Lord." When in fact, actually working to delight yourself in the Lord causes the selfish, self-centered, desires that can cause a barrier between you and Christ to go by the wayside.

The wonder of this scripture is the fact that if you are truly seeking God, he will renew your mind so that, slowly, over time, your desires - your actual personal desires - will begin to mirror what God wants for you.

It won't be a matter of "Lord, I have my desires but I happily surrender to your will" although that is a good place to start.

Rather, your actual my-heart-desires-this-above-all-things personal desires will parallel what God wants for you.

And the beautty of that is when you pray for something that mirrors God's will, He fulfills your requests.

Well, stated! I've never looked at that verse in that way before.
 

Foreigner

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Thanks.

Wish I could say that I came up with that one myself, but...

It was an epiphany for me, too.
 

Robbie

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Jan 4, 2011
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What Good Father wouldn't want to benefit their child? Is there anything that brings the child life that the Father wouldn't give them? If the child is hungry will He not feed them? If the child is sick will He not heal them? If the child is thirsty will He not give them something to drink? If the child is in trouble will He not deliver them?

On the other hand... it doesn't matter how much a kid kicks and screams and wants to play with daddy's razor blade... he's not going to give it to the them...

PS: Dig the big pimpin new profile pic ASPEN...