Thanks for posting all the prayers. I agree that prayer is still good even if we know God has already made up His mind. But at the moment of this prayer, hasn't the issue already been resolved? I mean, within time, hasn't the mercy already been granted or not? IOW, how is this different from saying a prayer today for America's victory in WWII?
If it would be preferable to be away from the body then why give us new bodies?
Paul meant THESE bodies. The new bodies we get will be glorified, so they are desirable.
FK: "Will we all look like 18-year-olds?"
Where does it say that in the Bible? I have heard that said by many people, but I can't figure out whence that came.
Oh, from me it comes from no where. I just picked an early age of maturity. I just wondered if there were any reasoned theories out there about how it will be.
When it comes to God, we can only ask for His mercy, trusting in Him and assuming nothing. That's when the priest says, "let us pray," the people respond "Lord have mercy."
IOW, how is this different from saying a prayer today for America's victory in WWII? Then why pray at all? If our fate is certain, as I am certain you believe, then prayers will do nothing, for the living or the dead.
We do know that the souls will be reunited with their renewed bodies and that those who believe will go to God and those who don't will depart into everlasting fire. What happens until then is the realm of hope, which is faith.