On Praying: The How and the What of It

According to an informal survey, the result of which was used in writing a paper as partial fulfillment for a degree, the prayers of people can, generally, be classified into two types: the Save Our Soul type and the Solve Our Problem type.

The Save Our Soul type of prayer is okay because, only God, making a perfect supreme sacrifice, has the power to save human souls from eternal damnation.

What is not okay is the Solve Our Problem type. Why? Because it asks God to do everything. Even if He can, God will not do that. Why? Because we have to do it ourselves. To ask God to do everything is, I believe, annoying to Him. Certainly, being all powerful, God can do everything, but that is not how it should be. It is akin to living our lives for us and making us all inutile. So, God will not do a Genie-like act and eliminate all needs, struggles, trials and temptations, so as to make us carefree in this life. Furthermore, if God will live our lives for us, it will defeat the God-given attribute of free-will! The same will also defeat the purpose of that "seed of longing for the better yet-to-be" God, Himself, had planted in our hearts. That is what heaven is for!

God will only walk through our lives with us. He will lead us, He will guide us, He will protect us and He will help us. But He will never live our lives for us. So, we should quit asking God to do it all. We should just pray for the strength equal to the tasks He sends our way. We should have faith that God will see us through the mazes of this world. We should do what little we can and trust that God will do what we cannot do, because it is beyond our human strength. God will not ask the impossible from us.

Finally, when we pray, it will be more pleasing to God if we will stop giving Him instructions and telling Him what to do, instead, we should start "reporting" for duty, like faithful and obedient servants and place our trust in Him completely.