Prayers of supplication- why?

[ArtStudent]

Hi! I am a Christian of 20+ yrs but have recently been thinking about prayer a lot more. Historically I have viewed prayer as a way of becoming more in tune with God and a way to become closer to Him.
I think all of us will often pray with requests such as healing, financial situations, family relationships amongst many other things.

My question though is that if God knows my innermost thoughts, then why do I pray for things like asking him to give my sick friend strength. God knows I want this so does me asking for it in prayer make a difference?

From the BBC
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61413335
The Guardian
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/16/arrest-of-cardinal-zen-sends-chill-through-hong-kongs-catholic-community
Catholic News
www.ncregister.com/cna/cardinal-zen-to-stand-trial-in-september-over-role-with-pro-democracy-fund

@Hawkins001 I could write an essay in answer to your question, but to keep it simple, the Old Testament is more or less the same as the Jewish Tanakh. It's a collection of books written over a period of around a 1000 years detailing creation, the fall, the flood, the Tower of Babel and the nation of Israel.
The New Testament consists of 27 books, written in around 40 years of each other by Jesus' followers, detailing his birth, teachings, death and resurrection. It also contains information about the New Covenant, Church Age and Eternal State (new Heaven and new Earth). The Bible is a single cohesive story and Christians believe Jesus is the promised Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

So to summarise, as e.g. An essay question, could it be debated that the bible is part history book and part holding out for a saviour and part two of the essay, is due to humans being fully responsible for the writings there fore we have to have faith if we want to believe.

It seems people also were at the mercy for thinking the sun was at the centre of the universe, as advocated by the religion at the time which had earth at the center, Galileo, comes to mind.

If you ever go on Black mumsnet you’ll see it’s constantly invaded by white virtue signalers, ignoring the requests for white people not to post on this thread, and saying things like ‘I’m white and I totally agree with you, it’s shocking how black people are treated.’ and then when the response is not the grateful thanks they expected but ‘ you were asked not to post’ the white person responds with, ‘no need to be so aggressive’.

So I don’t think it is the safe space you imagine!

I suggest you just ignore those posts totally and just keep on conversing with good faith posters.

I think some of the perspectives, are when people advocate against e.g. science, then say it's against gods will, then they try to quote the bible as if it's gods philosophy and words, when it could be argued that it's basically all written by humans,

It also focuses you on him rather than your own worries and distractions and developing trust

It was a very good question though

@Hawkins001 Have you read the Bible? It's a rich mix of songs, poetry, letters, prophecy, laws, historical texts, stories and parables, among other things. It's not just a load of dusty old books written by a bunch of dead dudes with beards. Much of the New Testament was completed by the people who knew Jesus personally and were therefore eye witnesses to the events. The Bible is written by human hands yes, but it is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.

@CremeEggsForBreakfast You have a church. Also you have this topic.

I taught myself to read better , via reading the red book and yellow book a4 size that had different bible stories in them and had different artists pictures that illustrated the stories.

That's great Hawkins, not a substitute for the real thing though.

Fair points,

firstly each to their own beliefs. And I'll concede that overall I think religions have helped shaped society's perspectives. Some ways good some ways not as good.

I do hope all you people that believe in these religions, when exterrestials, have ambassador to earth and we make contact, I hope you all don't just brand them heretics and declare a religious war with the beings.

that said.

but if I want to read a good book for human psychological perspectives
My list would be
48 laws of power,
33 strategies of war
Dale Carnegie how to win friends and influence people
Machiavelli, various books including the Prince.

A science and history books for science and history etc.

maybe at some point I'll also add the philosophy of Jesus, into my perspectives.

until then, all, all the best all with your faiths.

Caveat Jew not Christian

But I figured prayers like that are for our benefit really. Almost like counselling? Or venting. Like when my daughter was unwell, my partner knew I was worried. But I wouldn’t just not talk about it because he knew. I’d still tell him, I’m really worried about this. And he’d comfort me.

Prayers of supplication are for us to let those feelings out. To say to G-d how we feel and in so doing, pass the matter to him and out of our hands. To admit that ultimately it’s not something we can control, so we can let go of the worry a little bit.

Thank you, I agree that everyone is entitled to believe what they want unhindered. I wish you well in your search for knowledge Hawkins. As for aliens, I think they will be revealed eventually and will play a part in the mass end times deception, when the Antichrist comes to power...but that's for another day!

Apologies for going off on a tangent ArtStudent.

Following on from what Ravenclawdropout said, I also disagree with this statement. The Apostles gave up their old lives, their homes, their jobs to follow Yeshua. After He was crucified they went into hiding thinking they would be next, until Christ appeared to them in a new resurrected body. They then went out into the world to spread the good news. Almost all of them met violent, gruesome ends and were fully willing to die for their faith.
The Roman Emperor Nero in particular enjoyed persecuting Christians. He would make them into human candles to light his dinner parties. Some of the Christians would sing hymns while burning. They could have avoided this terrible fate by offering sacrifices to the Roman Gods but they chose to die instead. Other punishments for early followers of Christ included beheading, crucifixion and being eaten alive by lions/bears/leopards for sport. Even today in some parts of the world Christians are prohibited from practicing their beliefs and in some cases killed.