Praying for God

[fastfredy0]

Supply a reason if you voted "yes".

 

[Hazelelponi]

Supply a reason if you voted "yes".

I voted "no".

 

[QVQ]

I voted yes
It is prayer that is expressed in the hymn"Abide with Me"

"Who like Thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me."

If that is what you are asking
Pray to God for God


"

 

[ElectedbyHim]

No.

 

[Papa Smurf]

Hello @fastfredy0, I'm not following you, what do you mean by "pray ~for~ God" (why would we do that)

Also, what would be an example of praying ~for~ God (if it is possible to do so).

Thanks

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

 

[fastfredy0]

Hello @fastfredy0, I'm not following you, what do you mean by "pray ~for~ God"

Well, by way of example ... one prays to God for the health of family or to find a job. You're asking God for something for yourself and/or others.

Also, what would be an example of praying ~for~ God (if it is possible to do so).

One would have to answer YES to the poll question to have an idea of what practical thing they would pray for God. I suppose, if you were a 'free will' person where free will is defined as a person self determining to believing salvificly you might pray the God see to it that people hear the gospel sometime in their life to give them a chance to be saved.

Aside: I just had a thought the other day that I pray for people I love and it occurred that I never did so for God. Upon further contemplation I came to the conclusion that one could pray to God to give something to God but there was no practical reason for doing so.

 

[David Lamb]

I voted yes
It is prayer that is expressed in the hymn"Abide with Me"

"Who like Thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me."

If that is what you are asking
Pray to God for God


"

But Henry Francis Lyte's hymn doesn't have praying to God for God. The words you quote are praying to God, asking Him to abide with the sinner. (I hope I am correct in assuming that the words "Praying for God" in the thread title mean something similar to me praying for a persecuted Christian, in other words, praying for God to do something to help Himself.

 

[Papa Smurf]

Well, by way of example ... one prays to God for the health of family or to find a job. You're asking God for something for yourself and/or others.

One would have to answer YES to the poll question to have an idea of what practical thing they would pray for God. I suppose, if you were a 'free will' person where free will is defined as a person self determining to believing salvificly you might pray the God see to it that people hear the gospel sometime in their life to give them a chance to be saved.

Aside: I just had a thought the other day that I pray for people I love and it occurred that I never did so for God. Upon further contemplation I came to the conclusion that one could pray to God to give something to God but there was no practical reason for doing so.

Yes, this is getting at the question that I had (or really, the point that I wanted to make sure of) because, while we all pray TO God, we don't pray FOR Him (as if He had a need of some sort, and as you said above, there would be no practical reason to do so). So, what you are saying is to pray to God for God .. to act, in your behalf or someone else's, yes?

I think the other thing is, I've just never seen/heard the phrase "pray FOR God" used before, so when I saw it, I wanted to be clear about your meaning.

Thanks

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

 

[QVQ]

But Henry Francis Lyte's hymn doesn't have praying to God for God.

The meaning of the OP was (is) not entirely clear.
If it means pray for God for God have something, then no because God is All.
However, in the meaning I understood, Pray to God for God, then when a loved one was very ill. Someone I depend on very much and the world was falling apart around me, the ground was gone
I was seriously involved in the world.
When I came home from the hospital, I was shattereed, and that hymn came to mind.
It is a prayer to God for God

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

It was a prayer that recalled me to God. I wasn't alone as God abides with me.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

It is how I understood the OP
So I voted "yes"

 

[makesends]

Supply a reason if you voted "yes".

I guess I have to know what you mean by "for God". Can you give an example?

 

[prism]

Well, by way of example ... one prays to God for the health of family or to find a job. You're asking God for something for yourself and/or others.

"To God, for God, and here I took it in the sense that God needed some type of help from our prayers which would be a 'big negatory'.

 

[makesends]

Well, by way of example ... one prays to God for the health of family or to find a job. You're asking God for something for yourself and/or others.


One would have to answer YES to the poll question to have an idea of what practical thing they would pray for God. I suppose, if you were a 'free will' person where free will is defined as a person self determining to believing salvificly you might pray the God see to it that people hear the gospel sometime in their life to give them a chance to be saved.

Aside: I just had a thought the other day that I pray for people I love and it occurred that I never did so for God. Upon further contemplation I came to the conclusion that one could pray to God to give something to God but there was no practical reason for doing so.

So, you are saying, pray to God, for God's sake, as though he would not be ok if we did not? Or so that he would do something for himself? Or so that he would do something for his own purposes?

That last has been addressed by non-believers and free-willers as a redundancy. If God is going to do what he plans anyway, why pray that his will be done on earth? But it ignores the reason(s) for prayer.

Speaking for myself, when I pray that his will be done on earth, it depends on what I mean by 'his will'. I pray both ways—that people would obey and comply with God's commands, and seek after God. And I also pray that his purposes will be done on earth—not as though there is any question as to whether he will do as he pleases, but because I delight in dwelling on what he is doing, and in his own delight with 'the work of his hands'.

 

[fastfredy0]

I guess I have to know what you mean by "for God". Can you give an example?

Example: You ask God to grant to Himself whatever God might desire or what you think He might desire.

So, you are saying, pray to God, for God's sake, as though he would not be ok if we did not? Or so that he would do something for himself? Or so that he would do something for his own purposes?

Those reasons all fit the question.

.. praying for God that His will be done ....I wonder if that's a statement of fact or a request to God that His will be done. Not like it's a request that could not happen whether one prayed for it or not.

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Example: You ask God to grant to Himself whatever God might desire or what you think He might desire.



Those reasons all fit the question.

.. praying for God that His will be done ....I wonder if that's a statement of fact or a request to God that His will be done. Not like it's a request that could not happen whether one prayed for it or not.

praying for God that His will be done ....I wonder if that's a statement of fact or a request to God that His will be done. Not like it's a request that could not happen whether one prayed for it or not.

So, I find myself praying for like this at times, then I question why I prayed that way, because His will is going to be done no matter what.

I usually ask the Lord to do His will in my life and not what I want, because what He wants for me is better than what I want for self.

Not sure that makes any sense.

 

[fastfredy0]

So, I find myself praying for like this at times, then I question why I prayed that way, because His will is going to be done no matter what.

Agreed. Also, the Spirit intercedes for us so I might ask for bananas and next thing I know I have asked for apples.

I usually ask the Lord to do His will in my life and not what I want, because what He wants for me is better than what I want for self.

Well, from God's point of view I agreed that what He wants is best where "best" is defined as to the liking of God. From a person's point of view, they might pray to end up in heaven and God see it a different way. In this example what is "best" for God differs what is best for the person praying.

Not sure that makes any sense.

Well, just putting thoughts out there. God is so much greater than us so that we can barely scratch the surface ... or so I think.
I often pray that God forgive my stupid characterization of Him. It's not as if I could think well enough of Him.

oh well ...

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Agreed. Also, the Spirit intercedes for us so I might ask for bananas and next thing I know I have asked for apples.


Well, from God's point of view I agreed that what He wants is best where "best" is defined as to the liking of God. From a person's point of view, they might pray to end up in heaven and God see it a different way. In this example what is "best" for God differs what is best for the person praying.


Well, just putting thoughts out there. God is so much greater than us so that we can barely scratch the surface ... or so I think.
I often pray that God forgive my stupid characterization of Him. It's not as if I could think well enough of Him.

oh well ...

Well, just putting thoughts out there. God is so much greater than us so that we can barely scratch the surface ... or so I think.
I often pray that God forgive my stupid characterization of Him. It's not as if I could think well enough of Him.

Yep that flesh gets in the way.

 

[makesends]

Example: You ask God to grant to Himself whatever God might desire or what you think He might desire.



Those reasons all fit the question.

.. praying for God that His will be done ....I wonder if that's a statement of fact or a request to God that His will be done. Not like it's a request that could not happen whether one prayed for it or not.

Then I vote yes

 

[fastfredy0]

Then I vote yes

Hmmm, surprised me. O.K., what is the "practical purpose of asking" God to do something for God?

"Practical purpose" refers to the real-world application or usefulness of something, emphasizing its tangible benefits and functionality rather than theoretical or abstract ideas. It highlights the ability of something to be used effectively in everyday situations or for specific tasks

 

[David Lamb]

The meaning of the OP was (is) not entirely clear.
If it means pray for God for God have something, then no because God is All.
However, in the meaning I understood, Pray to God for God, then when a loved one was very ill. Someone I depend on very much and the world was falling apart around me, the ground was gone
I was seriously involved in the world.
When I came home from the hospital, I was shattereed, and that hymn came to mind.
It is a prayer to God for God

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

It was a prayer that recalled me to God. I wasn't alone as God abides with me.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

It is how I understood the OP
So I voted "yes"

I see. I thought it meant praying for God in the same way we might pray for unsaved relatives or persecuted Christians. You took it to mean praying for God to do something for you (abide with you) or for somebody else. But isn't that true of all prayer?

 

[Hazelelponi]

I no longer understand what is meant by praying for God.

I pray for people all the time. I don't pray for God. I pray to Him.

praying for God that His will be done ....I wonder if that's a statement of fact or a request to God that His will be done.

When I pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven I do know this begins with my sanctification, and that I'm praying for God to work in me powerfully so that I might become more like Christ.

And what I pray for myself I am also praying for all God's people. Praying like this helps our minds be rightly ordered and full of humility before God.

It doesn't matter if God was going to do it anyway the praying is a part of the change

Also, I pray for God's Spirit to cover the land and to come into His people all of them to make them His own possession. It's world changing so it's good to pray for good things upon the earth.

Again, doesn't matter what God will do anyway this helps our minds be rightly ordered always putting the good of the Kingdom first in our hearts.

Praying changes us. Helps change our hearts. The Spirit knows what we should pray so we pray it from the 4 corners of the earth. But it's always first to make a powerful change in us personally.