Purpose Of Prayer

[Livin_the_MASS]

[quote]In my own experience, prayer changes me, and forms the framework for my relationship with God, just as my relationships with people in my life are framed around our conversations. And, I would say I am changed through my praying. [/quote]

[Mary's Knight, La]

the thing God wants most is us prayer is a pre-death way of giving ourselves to Him through our day we can offer our actions which in a sense is giving Him our energy and our bodies through vocal prayer we add to that our desires, our intellects, our wills those things which it would be impossible to offer through *actions* we can offer through our words look at the Mass it is a synthesis of action and word for a brief period we engage every faculty we have practiced (motor skills, verbalizing, etc) to the glory of God.

by offering ourselves to God through prayer we allow Him to return to us those parts which are compatible with His will impurity cannot exist in the presence of God so by continuously offering our whole selves to God we are continuously being purified in the fires of His love

[the lumberjack]

you guys are giving good reasons and effects of prayer...but this is not the prayer that Homeschoolmom is talking about...

God bless.

[yiannii]

Sure God knows everything; He knows what we are going to say before we say it. If we are about to ask Him something, He knew before we even thought of asking Him. But if we didn't have to ask Him would we appreciate and recognise our total and utter dependence on Him? In asking God for help in one way or another, we learn humility amongst other things like, as I said before, our dependence on Him. Just a thought.

[Fides_et_Ratio]

I don't have the book with me (I'm house/pet sitting), but after work (at a real job) I will grab the book and look up something I think might help answer your question.

I've actually been reading about prayer a lot these past two weeks, and one of the books I've been reading (alongside the Catechism) is Bishop Wuerl's (I think that's how you spell his name!) "The Teaching of Christ", which is like a commentary on the Catechism. I think in the section on prayer he discusses how "petition" prayers are a further expression of God's glory... in that, in our petitioning God, we are consciously/sub-consciously placing trust and faith in God in a way that only further expresses his glory... We petition God because we trust God, we trust God because He is Everything. ... Something like that, I think he words it better. (I might have my books confused though, so I'll try and check some of the other things I've been reading as well!).

But the Catechism is a great source for thinking/learning about prayer.

[Archangel Raphael]

Homeschoolmom,

I know this thread is a little old, but I felt I'd offer my two cents. Many good points were stated, I like the one on God just wanting us to talk to Him, I totally agree with that. But also remember this, God doesn't force Himself on us. So even though He may know what we need or want, He'll put that desire in our hearts to ask Him anyhow. So when we ask, we give Him permission to give us what we desire and need

[Dave]

God's will for certain situations may be conditional at times, that is, He may be like, "If he prays I'll do A, but if not I'll do B." He wants us to have enough faith and trust to ask. As for praying for someone's conversion, God will always give them the grace to convert, but it's up to them to cooperate with that grace. After all, He gave them free will. If they choose to use their free will to reject Him, then that's their fault, not God's.