2 Questions: Prayer and OT

[Jun]

Hi there
I would really love to know about prayer
If God knows our thoughts, knows everything that is set before us, why pray?
I know people in the Bible pray, but what is the true purpose of prayer? I know one aspect is supposed to be friendship, but how do we have friendship/prayer with God, if he already knows the specific plans that he has for us? Can our prayers change what God has for us?
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated


I didnt want to create a 2nd thread for this since I am already creating 1. My second question is: How are we supposed to view the OT? How are we supposed to learn and act from it? Ex: We learn about where God shows his rath when people arnt faithful. Are we supposed to have the mind set that we should be scared to death by God's rath? Or be swallowed by a fish if we arnt faithful. Etc etc Hope you get the point that I am getting across. This said, I would really love to know how to study the OT

Thank you for taking the time to look at my questions
Any comments would be great!
God Bless

 

[BeneathRainbow]

You ask two very interesting questions. I will be following the replies with interest. I know Jesus taught us how to pray when he gave us the Lords prayer, but surely there is more to it than that.
I look forward to some indepth answers.

 

[Sapphire]

Hi there
I would really love to know about prayer
If God knows our thoughts, knows everything that is set before us, why pray?
I know people in the Bible pray, but what is the true purpose of prayer? I know one aspect is supposed to be friendship, but how do we have friendship/prayer with God, if he already knows the specific plans that he has for us? Can our prayers change what God has for us?
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated


I didnt want to create a 2nd thread for this since I am already creating 1. My second question is: How are we supposed to view the OT? How are we supposed to learn and act from it? Ex: We learn about where God shows his rath when people arnt faithful. Are we supposed to have the mind set that we should be scared to death by God's rath? Or be swallowed by a fish if we arnt faithful. Etc etc Hope you get the point that I am getting across. This said, I would really love to know how to study the OT

Thank you for taking the time to look at my questions
Any comments would be great!
God Bless

Hi Jun, very good questions. Regarding why to pray: as other's have said, I pray to talk with my Father. It strengthens me & it strengthens our relationship. We can't have a full, meaninful relationship with anyone if we don't communicate. Prayer goes both ways - God will communicate with us. As we pray, we learn to recognize our Father's Voice. If we don't talk to someone for a very long time, we forget how to communicate or even what their voice sounds like.

I also pray to express faith in Him, my love for Him & to thank Him for all He has given me. Prayer consists of many things & praise is one of them.

Regarding praying since God knows the plans He has for us: as I said, prayer goes both ways. Sometimes it is a preparation of our hearts to receive what He is doing in our lives. We also pray for others because He tells us to carry one another's burdens. As we pray for others, several things happen. We draw closer to them & create a strong bond before God against the enemy. The enemy knows whether or not we pray....that's another reason to do it. He cannot stay where praise is offered to our Father.

As far as viewing the OT: The whole Bible is God Breathed. It is all important. This is further proven by the fact that Jesus references the OT several times in the NT. The OT contains the prophectic books that tell of Jesus birth, life, death on the cross & resurrection. Studying the OT will give you insight & understanding to God's law in the days before Christ offered Himself for our sake. Because of the sacrifice He made, we no longer have to live under the old law. We live under the new law (the NT). To better appreciate that fact (we should anyway, but God gives us further in sight), we have the OT to read & understand.

God doesn't want us to be devoted to Him out of fear of Him striking us down otherwise. He wants us to love Him of our own free will. However, we do need to have a reverant fear of Him. That is different. It means basically, "we mind what He says". Not because of fear....because we want to & because we know & accept that there will be consequences if we don't. God is true to His Word...He can't change the fact that He cannot look upon sin. If we are sinful, He has to turn His eyes from us for a while until we come back.

How to study the OT: starting in Genesis is best, but you can get bogged down when you get to some of the books of the law. Find a Bible that is easy to understand. The Message is now a Bible that covers the OT. It is written in language more common to today. Try to read The Message along with another translation to get the idea of how the language actually did read in those days.

I hope this helps. I realize it is long & I apologize for that. Please continue with your questions.

 

[To Christ]

Hi there
I would really love to know about prayer
If God knows our thoughts, knows everything that is set before us, why pray?
I know people in the Bible pray, but what is the true purpose of prayer? I know one aspect is supposed to be friendship, but how do we have friendship/prayer with God, if he already knows the specific plans that he has for us? Can our prayers change what God has for us?
Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated

Hey there, Jun.

God gives us the free will to make choices. How we direct our minds is one aspect of choice. Surely His plan for our lives is immutable. Yet every moment, the choices we make affect our alignment with His will. Just as one is influenced by the company one keeps, the more constantly prayer is directed to Him, the more Christlikeness becomes a part of one's character and actions.

God's word tells us in Colossians 3:1-2,

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Thus there is the simple element of obedience, for the things above come only from God. Seeking the Lord in prayer gives us His qualities, so that we reflect Jesus as perfectly as can be in this earthly life.

There is a an excellent thread on the board that is tailor made to answer your questions about prayer. It is called Why Ask? by megbaker under General in Bible Online Chat (near the bottom of the first page at this time). Go there and take some time reading it! It will bless you!!

 

[180 degree]

Old Testament

I didnt want to create a 2nd thread for this since I am already creating 1. My second question is: How are we supposed to view the OT? How are we supposed to learn and act from it? Ex: We learn about where God shows his rath when people arnt faithful. Are we supposed to have the mind set that we should be scared to death by God's rath? Or be swallowed by a fish if we arnt faithful. Etc etc Hope you get the point that I am getting across. This said, I would really love to know how to study the OT

Thank you for taking the time to look at my questions
Any comments would be great!
God Bless

We need to read the OT in the light of the NT.

Jesus said, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O Lord. In the volume of the Book it is written of me" When He said that, the NT was not yet written.

The OT is full of pictures of Christ and His church. eg The covenant with Abram is virtually the same covenant with the church (Based on faith, not works, covenant of blood, through the Seed etc...)

Certain things (Such as the priesthood ) changed after the cross, being fulfilled by Christ.
Other things (Such as praise) were not changed.

The old explained in the New, but the New is contained in the Old

The Old is revealed in the New, but the New is concealed in the Old.

Be blessed in your study of the OT!!