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[Oddball]

How do you rationalize the power of prayer with the notion that God already has a plan for you?

I’m an atheist but even when I was Christian I never understood so I just didn’t think about it.

If God has a perfect plan for your life, which you don’t know ahead of time but know will play out no matter what, then what is the purpose of praying for guidance, assistance, or for something to happen? I understand that the act of praying may just feel good, but most Christians do not consider their prayer merely symbolic.

I can only see this as a contradiction. Either prayer is obsolete, or God’s plan is malleable you human whims. I could never justify it, but I’m curious what your arguments around it are.

[jimwalton]

The mistake in your thinking is that God doesn't have a perfect plan for my life, or anyone's. Despite that this is what Christians say, there is no verse that teaches such a concept. Our lives are not determined; we get a lot of say in how we are going to live them.

> God’s plan is malleable you human whims

Yes. God adjusts His plan according to our behavior. Read Jeremiah 18.1-12, Jonah 3.10, and 2 Chronicles 7.14. It's a dynamic relationship and real life as we live it, not a set-in-stone determinism where we are robots and prayer is obsolete.

[Oddball]

Wait this is... quite literally the FIRST time I have ever heard this. I notice your flair says evangelical, would you say this is a common evangelical idea? I’m very curious as to how I’ve never heard this take until now.

[jimwalton]

I can't say whether it's a common evangelical idea. I hate to generalize and stereotype anyway. All I did was show you what the Bible said and then say that's what I go by: what the Bible says. I have no idea what exposure to Christians you've had, but it's weird to me that you've never heard this. Ya wanna talk some more about it?