Where did Jesus say "only pray for what is possible?"

[DuckieLady]

I had a dream and I just woke up.

I had a dream where I saw an older man praying but his prayers were hindered. The people were telling the man to "be realistic about your prayers, try to make it possible, don't pray for anything impossible because it won't happen."

So at the end of my dream, I heard, "I want you to go back and ask them this: Where is the Scripture where I said to only pray for what is possible?"

The point being, it doesn't exist. The Bible tells us the opposite. Jesus taught praying for the impossible.

Luke 18:27

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”


Matthew 14:27-31

But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.”

“Come,” said Jesus.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

 

[ThePuffyBlob]

Where did Jesus say "only pray for what is possible?"
he did not say it directly
it was just my understanding*
on the said verse
James 4:2-3
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

 

[Lambano]

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "

Nope, don't see that it has to be possible.

 

[Hidden In Him]

James 4:2-3
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Different thing though, bro. Here James was talking about praying for things like religiously lording over others one was in strife with. That's a different thing than believing God for good things that might seem impossible in the flesh.

 

[ThePuffyBlob]

Different thing though, bro. Here James was talking about praying for things like religiously lording over others one was in strife with. That's a different thing than believing God for good things that might seem impossible in the flesh.

yes

 

[Lambano]

9 Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

When the Father gives good things, the impossible has become the possible, and the possible has become what is.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I had a dream and I just woke up.

I had a dream where I saw an older man praying but his prayers were hindered. The people were telling the man to "be realistic about your prayers, try to make it possible, don't pray for anything impossible because it won't happen."

So at the end of my dream, I heard, "I want you to go back and ask them this: Where is the Scripture where I said to only pray for what is possible?"

The point being, it doesn't exist. The Bible tells us the opposite. Jesus taught praying for the impossible.

Luke 18:27

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

This is a good word. My prayers usually set very high goals. In fact, if some knew my prayers they would do to me what Joseph's brothers did to him when they threw him down a hole and said, "Exactly who do you think you are!?" LoL.

But the question people always need to ask is this: Who attains more, the man who aims for the stars and only reaches the sky, or the man who aims for a branch above his head and succeeds at reaching it?

 

[Robert Gwin]

I had a dream and I just woke up.

I had a dream where I saw an older man praying but his prayers were hindered. The people were telling the man to "be realistic about your prayers, try to make it possible, don't pray for anything impossible because it won't happen."

So at the end of my dream, I heard, "I want you to go back and ask them this: Where is the Scripture where I said to only pray for what is possible?"

The point being, it doesn't exist. The Bible tells us the opposite. Jesus taught praying for the impossible.

Luke 18:27

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”


Matthew 14:27-31

But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

“Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.”

“Come,” said Jesus.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

As you stated with God all things are possible, with the exception of lies, God is unable to do that. Best way to pray is to follow Bible examples, for a beginning Christian, examining the Lord's prayer is best, Jesus instructed us on proper things to pray for in those few short verses. Mat 6:9-13

 

[amadeus]

Where did Jesus say "only pray for what is possible?"
he did not say it directly
it was just my understanding*
on the said verse
James 4:2-3
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

So, then you quoted a verse giving reason why He might not grant our request. Indeed, He might not, but if we are always in His Spirit and always following the lead of His Spirit, why would we ask from God for anything outside of His will?

 

[Lambano]

One other scripture that came to mind repeatedly during this morning's prayers:

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

 

[Lambano]

I had a dream where I saw an older man praying but his prayers were hindered. The people were telling the man to "be realistic about your prayers, try to make it possible, don't pray for anything impossible because it won't happen."

One other scripture that came to mind repeatedly during this morning's prayers:

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

This is complicated because I'm not certain what I'm praying for is within God's will. When talking about God's "will", the theologians differentiate between God's desires and God's plan. The two are not always aligned; God's will is not yet always done on Earth as it is in Heaven. When praying for my unsaved stepson, I think I'm on solid ground that God desires all to come to repentance and to a saving knowledge of Him, but I don't know what His plan is. Nor do I know if and how His plan takes into account human free will. If it's not in The Plan, it's not possible, and it ain't gonna happen. (Uh, unless God actually changes His plan in response to our prayers????) There's other things I ask for that I'm even less certain about, and I would prefer my desires align with His desires.

I finally decided, screw it, I'm going to boldly ask, seek, and knock (might as well, since He already knows), and trust that He's not going to get mad at me and give me a snake. There's also the issue of disappointment when the answer is "No". I might be better off asking Him to show me what His desires are. But then, His desire might be that I learn to ask boldly.

 

[DuckieLady]

But then, His desire might be that I learn to ask boldly.

Well you know it is because it's says so in there

Elizabeth Elliott said something once that stopped me from worrying about making choices that were God's will. Maybe not the same as praying, but who knows, so...

She said it is easy. If you are a student, God's will is for you to study. Same for other things.

I wish I could be more articulate but I'm having nicotine withdrawals.

I'm Hulk today

 

[Lambano]

Well you know it is because it's says so in there

It's the application part that gets tricky. Part of the reason is wanting to avoid the disappointment when the answer was "No", I learned not to ask. I'm trying to unlearn that bit of neurotic faithlessness that a little late in life.

I wish I could be more articulate but I'm having nicotine withdrawals. I'm Hulk today

Uh oh. Backing quietly out of the room. Hands open and out where you can see 'em. No sudden moves... (But I applaud you for getting off the nicotine)

 

[dev553344]

I try to pray for God's will to be done in my life and my family and friends lives. Sometimes God tells me what to pray for so that I know he will accomplish the thing. Sometimes it's healings for people and other times other things. But if you know God's will for you, your prayers get answered.

 

[Lambano]

But if you know God's will for you, your prayers get answered.

Actually, I rarely know God's will (especially when praying for other people), but even if I don't know, I am to pray boldly. Where's the faith in praying only for what you know you're going to get? Ask for the impossible.

Hey, even us old farts can learn something late in life.

 

[Lambano]

That said, if I am ignorant of God's will in particular situation, would it be double-minded to ask God to reveal His will in the situation while still praying boldly? If it became clear that the impossible I was boldly praying for is contrary to what God wants, it ain't God who needs to change. I don't see any way around it.

 

[DuckieLady]

Actually, I rarely know God's will (especially when praying for other people), but even if I don't know, I am to pray boldly. Where's the faith in praying only for what you know you're going to get? Ask for the impossible.

Hey, even us old farts can learn something late in life.

You know thinking about it I rarely pray for material things, but I pray for skills, and whatever I need to be a good mother to tend to things at home.

I asked to ferment, I learned to ferment.
I asked to crochet, I learned to crochet.
I asked to sew, I learned to sew.

And God provided.

Even things I didn't know I needed.

The other day I was waiting on my yeast to bubble and I was getting ready to bake bread. My neighbor brought some flour while I was waiting. (He wasn't going to use it.)

I didn't realize I was almost out of flour and I wouldn't have been able to make the bread. So he provides. All the time.

Psalm 37:3-6

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD,
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun."

I think all we need to do is ask and place our trust in Him and if is His will, then He will do it.

 

[DuckieLady]

That said, if I am ignorant of God's will in particular situation, would it be double-minded to ask God to reveal His will in the situation while still praying boldly? If it became clear that the impossible I was boldly praying for is contrary to what God wants, it ain't God who needs to change. I don't see any way around it.

I am a person who fears disappointment and what I feel I personally learned is have faith and don't doubt.

Trust whatever he does.

I just ended up with a lot of false hope signs and dreams that brought a lot of hurt, daily. It wasn't God disappointing me, it was looking for answers.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb.11:1).

Look at Gideon!

 

[Lambano]

I am a person who fears disappointment and what I feel I personally learned is have faith and don't doubt.

Trust whatever he does.

I just ended up with a lot of false hope signs and dreams that brought a lot of hurt, daily. It wasn't God disappointing me, it was looking for answers.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb.11:1).

Look at Gideon!

I was going to do a grumpy old man post about too many unanswered prayers, but instead I think it would be better to rejoice and give praise and thanks for where God has been faithful.

Maybe a grumpy old man can learn wisdom from a faithful young lady half his age.