Praying for someone

[BlueHair]

In our culture we are often asked to "keep (insert name) in your prayers". This has always seemed like an odd request to me. Are we to believe that God in withholding blessing from someone in need until he receives a pre-determined number of prayers on their behalf? Or is it more of a request to be mindful of the person in need so we can respond if said person needs assistance. I know I've had a few times where people have told me I am in their prayers. It made me feel good to know they cared for me, but I wasn't expecting God to do anything extra just because they asked.

Thoughts?

[il Padrino Ute]

I just think it's a way to demonstrate that one cares about the well being of another.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

In our culture we are often asked to "keep (insert name) in your prayers". This has always seemed like an odd request to me. Are we to believe that God in withholding blessing from someone in need until he receives a pre-determined number of prayers on their behalf? Or is it more of a request to be mindful of the person in need so we can respond if said person needs assistance. I know I've had a few times where people have told me I am in their prayers. It made me feel good to know they cared for me, but I wasn't expecting God to do anything extra just because they asked.

Thoughts?

I've thought about this too. A relative of mine will call tons of temples and have the name of somebody placed on the prayer rolls when in special need. I've always thought that was silly. If it was a quantity thing, the church would set up a special system for distributing names to all temples for added prayers. In this view God would just be a big vending machine -- if you insert enough prayers you get your bag of chips.

I'd like to think that keeping someone in your prayers is a way of mourning with those who mourn, bearing one another's burdens, and comforting those who stand in need of comfort. In a community, when one person has a problem, we all have a problem -- at least to a degree. It's also become shorthand for 'I hope everything works out.'

[SoCalCoug]

I had a friend in law school who is Catholic. Over one weekend, there were some big fires that destroyed a bunch of homes in an area near where my family lived. After the weekend, my friend, who knew where my family lived, told me he heard about the fires, and he said a prayer for my family.

All I know is that it was a very touching gesture for me.

I guess it worked, too, because my family wasn't affected by the fires.

Since then, though, knowing how much I appreciated it, I've made it a point to try to remember people in my prayers. If we truly believe in prayer, it should mean something, right?

[YOhio]

I have found that as I pray for others I open myself up to inspiration as to how I can best serve that particular individual. I often find myself growing in appreciation and love for the individual as I name them in prayers. I'm not sure how my prayers for others influence our Heavenly Father, only how they affect me.

[Archaea]

Prayer is first and foremost meditation. A person evaluates one's inner thoughts and feelings. In this contemplative mode, as YOhio points out, to the extent we are open to revelation, we can receive it better. To the extent we are not, at least we can align our thoughts for good karma for those individuals.