Sure. It said that petition was one of three parts in the Lord's Prayer, for example.
You do not ask for things if you know that they are going to come about for sure. You only ask for things if you know that they are not going to come about.
What? How do you come to that conclusion? First, this would make all the prayers of Jesus a farce, neither of your statements apply to Him. In addition, that would have the Bible contradicting the Lord's Prayer. "Give us this day our daily bread". Do you say this because you are certain that God has no intention of seeing to it that you have food today? Are you sure that God will not provide for your needs, or do you follow this instead?:
Phil 4:19 : And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
You ask for things hoping they are in God's will, not because you are sure you won't get them:
1 John 5:14-15 : 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.
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Therefore, the theology of a Creation set in stone is completely incompatible with petition.
No. God is strong, not weak and unable to make up His mind. His will always governs. When we pray for something in accordance with that will, then we get it. If the prayer isn't, then we don't. Even Jesus recognized that WHAT we pray for is irrelevant as compared to the will of God:
Luke 22:42 : "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
“You ask for things hoping they are in God’s will, not because you are sure you won’t get them:”
Many times when I am troubled or confused, I find comfort in sitting in my back yard and having a scotch and soda along with a quiet conversation with Jesus. This happened to me again after a particularly difficult day.
I said “Jesus, why do I work so hard?” And I heard the reply: “Men find many ways to demonstrate the love they have for their family. You work hard to have a peaceful, beautiful place for your friends and family to gather.” I said: “I thought that money was the root of all evil.” And the reply was: “No, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Money is a tool; it can be used for good or bad”.
I was starting to feel better, but I still had that one burning question, so I asked it. “Jesus,” I said, “What is the meaning of life? Why am I here?”
He replied,” That is a question many men ask. The answer is in your heart and is different for everyone. I would love to chat with you some more, Señor, but now, I have to finish your lawn.”
:::”You do not ask for things if you know that they are going to come about for sure. You only ask for things if you know that they are not going to come about.
What? How do you come to that conclusion? First, this would make all the prayers of Jesus a farce, neither of your statements apply to Him. In addition, that would have the Bible contradicting the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread”:::
The Bible does not contradict the Lord’s Prayer, neither contradicts Jesus. The only entity in opposition to them is the Larger Confession. I submit that when the Confession contradicts the Bible, then the Confession has to go.
:::Therefore, the theology of a Creation set in stone is completely incompatible with petition.
No. God is strong, not weak and unable to make up His mind. His will always governs. When we pray for something in accordance with that will, then we get it. If the prayer isn’t, then we don’t.:::
Under Reformed theology we get that which He has foreordained whether we pray for it or not. Therefore we must come back to the premise that petition is useless if one is Reformed; a mechanical exercise only.
Jesus taught us to petition God. Calvin teaches us that God has set everything in stone and nothing that we do can change that. I see it as a philosophical divide between them.
FKWhat? How do you come to that conclusion? First, this would make all the prayers of Jesus a farce, neither of your statements apply to Him
FK, Jesus' prayers were pure intent. Just because we feel ours are "pure" doesn't mean they are. God grants prayers that are pure in heart.
God knows our needs and desires. Yet prayer is what He wants of us because it is a synergistic relationship that He wants from us. We receive Spirit, and we give our spirit to God.
Do you say this because you are certain that God has no intention of seeing to it that you have food today?
No, we pray in hope. The trapped miners who died in September certainly hoped they would be rescued, yet it was their time to die, regardless of their prayer. For all we know, they may be in a much better and happier place now, but they did not want to die; they wanted to live and their prayers, and the prayers of their families and of the entire nation, indeed, resulted in their demise.
Phil 4:19 : And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Tell that to the starving and persecuted Christians in Darfur.
1 John 5:14-15 : 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us
Yes, according to His will. And that we are not always privy to. I would say, never. So, we pray in hope, blindly, and accept what God gives us, knowing that He is merciful and just, even if we don't think so.