How to change God

[Cmass]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

[SpikedLillac]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

Though I have given examples how one might alter their relationship with god (Noah), prayer and exaltation in todays society goes expressly agains what christ preached:
Matthew 6:5-8 And when your pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Of course based on christian theology, we can anger him and make him happy in the exact same moment. But todays prayer goes against his commandment.
Personally, I think he needs a mood stablizer.

I am now going to explain Matthew 6:5-8. Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who would claim to be more holy than everyone else because they would "...love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men..." The Pharisees thought they were better than everyone else because they would flaunt their faith to everyone. People were told to make their faith their own by not flaunting their faith to other people by going "...into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen..." This means that one should pray to communicate with God not to pray because one wants to make a good impression on someone else.

1 John 3:22 says "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (NKJV)" One can pray for ones needs because God said one can and should. One is not manipulating God by asking him for things because He wants to help his people and be a part of their lives. He wants to have them include Him in their lives. If the person has the faith to believe that He will answer their prayers then He will. Now what a person wants may not be a part of His plan so he may not answer it the way they want him to. God does know better than man and knows what's best for them. God does know what one will say when they pray. God knows everything a person says or does. But that is not the point. God wants one to communicate with Him to help their relationship grow.

On the issue of "altering relationships with God," asking for forgiveness does not alter the relationship but perfect it. People are not consistent. They disobey God. They turn away from Him. Mark 6:11-2 says "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent" (NKJV). To repent means to make oneself right with God, not because God needs to hear it, but because to repent is a promise to oneself to stop doing that particular sin. One must repent to make themselves right with God. God does not change people do. People choose to do whatever they want whenever they want even when they believe that Jesus died for their sins. People are not good; they are evil. People want to sin. Sin is fun. Now Christians do their best to be righteous but they still sin so they repent. They don't repent to satisfy God. They repent to make themselves right again. They realize the sin they have committed and they repent. To repent means to turn away from one's sin and turn back to God. This doesn't mean that if one becomes a Christian they can do whatever they want. They must strive to do what is right even if they are not always successful.

[Confused]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

Though I have given examples how one might alter their relationship with god (Noah), prayer and exaltation in todays society goes expressly agains what christ preached:
Matthew 6:5-8 And when your pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Of course based on christian theology, we can anger him and make him happy in the exact same moment. But todays prayer goes against his commandment.
Personally, I think he needs a mood stablizer.

I am now going to explain Matthew 6:5-8. Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who would claim to be more holy than everyone else because they would "...love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men..." The Pharisees thought they were better than everyone else because they would flaunt their faith to everyone. People were told to make their faith their own by not flaunting their faith to other people by going "...into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen..." This means that one should pray to communicate with God not to pray because one wants to make a good impression on someone else.

1 John 3:22 says "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (NKJV)" One can pray for ones needs because God said one can and should. One is not manipulating God by asking him for things because He wants to help his people and be a part of their lives. He wants to have them include Him in their lives. If the person has the faith to believe that He will answer their prayers then He will. Now what a person wants may not be a part of His plan so he may not answer it the way they want him to. God does know better than man and knows what's best for them. God does know what one will say when they pray. God knows everything a person says or does. But that is not the point. God wants one to communicate with Him to help their relationship grow.

On the issue of "altering relationships with God," asking for forgiveness does not alter the relationship but perfect it. People are not consistent. They disobey God. They turn away from Him. Mark 6:11-2 says "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent" (NKJV). To repent means to make oneself right with God, not because God needs to hear it, but because to repent is a promise to oneself to stop doing that particular sin. One must repent to make themselves right with God. God does not change people do. People choose to do whatever they want whenever they want even when they believe that Jesus died for their sins. People are not good; they are evil. People want to sin. Sin is fun. Now Christians do their best to be righteous but they still sin so they repent. They don't repent to satisfy God. They repent to make themselves right again. They realize the sin they have committed and they repent. To repent means to turn away from one's sin and turn back to God. This doesn't mean that if one becomes a Christian they can do whatever they want. They must strive to do what is right even if they are not always successful.

I think your interpretation of Matthew was pretty much what the scripture said. So I am not sure what you mean by "explaining" it. Now if asking for forgiveness perfects it, then whatever you are asking for forgiveness for obviously went against his teachings. If they disobey god, they anger him, when they repent they make him happy again. This is an ever changing relationship. In perfecting it, you are altering it.

Do you really want to get me started on this evil thing. People aren't evil. Actions are evil. There is a difference. And people don't sin just to defy God. Overall, I think most people are good and do the best they can in life. They try to live in a way that hurts others the least yet helps them the most. You say people want to sin? That is by far the worst interpretation of the human race I have ever heard. I am not usually rude, but I am sorry, your judgement of people is harsh, undeserving, and ignorant. Maybe you want to sin because sin is fun or whatever, but don't speak for people in general. I am sure sociologists would have feild day with you and freud would make you cry for your momma. How dare you come out and say people are evil. Shame on you. That is passing the buck. By your analogy, no person is responsible for their evil actions because they were born evil. IF this is really how you meant to portray your opinion, then I pity you. Your vision of our world truly is twisted.

[SpikedLillac]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

Though I have given examples how one might alter their relationship with god (Noah), prayer and exaltation in todays society goes expressly agains what christ preached:
Matthew 6:5-8 And when your pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Of course based on christian theology, we can anger him and make him happy in the exact same moment. But todays prayer goes against his commandment.
Personally, I think he needs a mood stablizer.

I am now going to explain Matthew 6:5-8. Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who would claim to be more holy than everyone else because they would "...love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men..." The Pharisees thought they were better than everyone else because they would flaunt their faith to everyone. People were told to make their faith their own by not flaunting their faith to other people by going "...into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen..." This means that one should pray to communicate with God not to pray because one wants to make a good impression on someone else.

1 John 3:22 says "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (NKJV)" One can pray for ones needs because God said one can and should. One is not manipulating God by asking him for things because He wants to help his people and be a part of their lives. He wants to have them include Him in their lives. If the person has the faith to believe that He will answer their prayers then He will. Now what a person wants may not be a part of His plan so he may not answer it the way they want him to. God does know better than man and knows what's best for them. God does know what one will say when they pray. God knows everything a person says or does. But that is not the point. God wants one to communicate with Him to help their relationship grow.

On the issue of "altering relationships with God," asking for forgiveness does not alter the relationship but perfect it. People are not consistent. They disobey God. They turn away from Him. Mark 6:11-2 says "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent" (NKJV). To repent means to make oneself right with God, not because God needs to hear it, but because to repent is a promise to oneself to stop doing that particular sin. One must repent to make themselves right with God. God does not change people do. People choose to do whatever they want whenever they want even when they believe that Jesus died for their sins. People are not good; they are evil. People want to sin. Sin is fun. Now Christians do their best to be righteous but they still sin so they repent. They don't repent to satisfy God. They repent to make themselves right again. They realize the sin they have committed and they repent. To repent means to turn away from one's sin and turn back to God. This doesn't mean that if one becomes a Christian they can do whatever they want. They must strive to do what is right even if they are not always successful.

I think your interpretation of Matthew was pretty much what the scripture said. So I am not sure what you mean by "explaining" it. Now if asking for forgiveness perfects it, then whatever you are asking for forgiveness for obviously went against his teachings. If they disobey god, they anger him, when they repent they make him happy again. This is an ever changing relationship. In perfecting it, you are altering it.

Do you really want to get me started on this evil thing. People aren't evil. Actions are evil. There is a difference. And people don't sin just to defy God. Overall, I think most people are good and do the best they can in life. They try to live in a way that hurts others the least yet helps them the most. You say people want to sin? That is by far the worst interpretation of the human race I have ever heard. I am not usually rude, but I am sorry, your judgement of people is harsh, undeserving, and ignorant. Maybe you want to sin because sin is fun or whatever, but don't speak for people in general. I am sure sociologists would have feild day with you and freud would make you cry for your momma. How dare you come out and say people are evil. Shame on you. That is passing the buck. By your analogy, no person is responsible for their evil actions because they were born evil. IF this is really how you meant to portray your opinion, then I pity you. Your vision of our world truly is twisted.

Yes there is a difference when it comes to people being evil and actions being evil. I don't back down on what I said but I do have a question for you. How did the actions start? Who created them? Was there a book way back when that had a list of actions that were considered evil so we knew what to do we we wanted to sin? (Do not say the bible because sin started before Genesis was ever written) The other day, I was standing in line at the grocery store. There was a mother and two year old standing in line. The little kid wanted candy and the mother said no. The little kid started crying the throwing a tantrum. He knew he couldn't have any but decided to defy and cry about it to his mom anyway therefore disrespecting the mother and being selfish. Who taught the child this? The book of things to do wrong? I doubt he knew how to read. Evil actions were created by man. Man chooses to do those actions rather they think its wrong at the time or not.

[Confused]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

Though I have given examples how one might alter their relationship with god (Noah), prayer and exaltation in todays society goes expressly agains what christ preached:
Matthew 6:5-8 And when your pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Of course based on christian theology, we can anger him and make him happy in the exact same moment. But todays prayer goes against his commandment.
Personally, I think he needs a mood stablizer.

I am now going to explain Matthew 6:5-8. Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who would claim to be more holy than everyone else because they would "...love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men..." The Pharisees thought they were better than everyone else because they would flaunt their faith to everyone. People were told to make their faith their own by not flaunting their faith to other people by going "...into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen..." This means that one should pray to communicate with God not to pray because one wants to make a good impression on someone else.

1 John 3:22 says "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (NKJV)" One can pray for ones needs because God said one can and should. One is not manipulating God by asking him for things because He wants to help his people and be a part of their lives. He wants to have them include Him in their lives. If the person has the faith to believe that He will answer their prayers then He will. Now what a person wants may not be a part of His plan so he may not answer it the way they want him to. God does know better than man and knows what's best for them. God does know what one will say when they pray. God knows everything a person says or does. But that is not the point. God wants one to communicate with Him to help their relationship grow.

On the issue of "altering relationships with God," asking for forgiveness does not alter the relationship but perfect it. People are not consistent. They disobey God. They turn away from Him. Mark 6:11-2 says "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" So they went out and preached that people should repent" (NKJV). To repent means to make oneself right with God, not because God needs to hear it, but because to repent is a promise to oneself to stop doing that particular sin. One must repent to make themselves right with God. God does not change people do. People choose to do whatever they want whenever they want even when they believe that Jesus died for their sins. People are not good; they are evil. People want to sin. Sin is fun. Now Christians do their best to be righteous but they still sin so they repent. They don't repent to satisfy God. They repent to make themselves right again. They realize the sin they have committed and they repent. To repent means to turn away from one's sin and turn back to God. This doesn't mean that if one becomes a Christian they can do whatever they want. They must strive to do what is right even if they are not always successful.

I think your interpretation of Matthew was pretty much what the scripture said. So I am not sure what you mean by "explaining" it. Now if asking for forgiveness perfects it, then whatever you are asking for forgiveness for obviously went against his teachings. If they disobey god, they anger him, when they repent they make him happy again. This is an ever changing relationship. In perfecting it, you are altering it.

Do you really want to get me started on this evil thing. People aren't evil. Actions are evil. There is a difference. And people don't sin just to defy God. Overall, I think most people are good and do the best they can in life. They try to live in a way that hurts others the least yet helps them the most. You say people want to sin? That is by far the worst interpretation of the human race I have ever heard. I am not usually rude, but I am sorry, your judgement of people is harsh, undeserving, and ignorant. Maybe you want to sin because sin is fun or whatever, but don't speak for people in general. I am sure sociologists would have feild day with you and freud would make you cry for your momma. How dare you come out and say people are evil. Shame on you. That is passing the buck. By your analogy, no person is responsible for their evil actions because they were born evil. IF this is really how you meant to portray your opinion, then I pity you. Your vision of our world truly is twisted.

Yes there is a difference when it comes to people being evil and actions being evil. I don't back down on what I said but I do have a question for you. How did the actions start? Who created them? Was there a book way back when that had a list of actions that were considered evil so we knew what to do we we wanted to sin? (Do not say the bible because sin started before Genesis was ever written) The other day, I was standing in line at the grocery store. There was a mother and two year old standing in line. The little kid wanted candy and the mother said no. The little kid started crying the throwing a tantrum. He knew he couldn't have any but decided to defy and cry about it to his mom anyway therefore disrespecting the mother and being selfish. Who taught the child this? The book of things to do wrong? I doubt he knew how to read. Evil actions were created by man. Man chooses to do those actions rather they think its wrong at the time or not.

Boy, did you pick the wrong person to ask this. I will answer you with an analogy and a question. You say man chooses to do actions that are evil. This in effect makes man evil. What happens when one doens't know what is evil and what is good? What happens when circumstances are such that a child isn't capable of distinguishing between evil and good and can be taught wrong from right, but only after a right or wrong action has occurred. Even then, there is only wrong or right, no gray area. Tell me, if this person was to do something against what the bible preaches, would he be considered evil? Let's say he strangled someone. Was this an evil act? If he stood in the middle of the mall and screamed bloody murder despite his parents attempts to calm him down, is this him being defiant? Did he learn this behavior from man. What about when this child has no real ineraction with man. Did he learn it from his parents? I can say with 100% accuracy: no. I know this is off thread, so forgive me everyone. But my question now is: Who defines what is wrong and right to those who can't distinguish this? Does it make them evil if they do wrong things if they didn't know they were wrong. And now, tell me, what is this persons relationship with God? Is it not changing. As he learns right from wrong based on societal values and ethics, can he have a relationship with God since he is doing what is right only because he was told to, not because God dictated it.

[Curious]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

People tend to pray to change themselves, not to change God. If you change yourself, then you change your relationship with everything.

[Confused]

Is it possible for you to alter your relationship with God in any way?

Can you do something to anger Him?

Can you please Him?

If you do a bad thing and pray for forgiveness, and He forgiveness you, have you altered your relationship with Him?
If you cannot change God in any way including changing His mind or obtaining forgiveness, then is there any meaning in prayer other than pure exaltation?

People tend to pray to change themselves, not to change God. If you change yourself, then you change your relationship with everything.

Actually, I think most Christians I know pray to change circumstances as opposed to changing themselves. I am not speaking for you because I don't know you, but any time I have gone to church, the predominant prayers have been to change the hard times one family is having, the health another family is having, the troups in war etc.... Those that do pray to change themselves, should those changes occur, do they not in fact change their relationship with God. If they pray for more faith, more patience, more tolerance, etc.... and those prayers are answered, has their relationship with God not grown stronger, ie. changed? If one turns his back on God and cheats on his wife or murders his boss, or whatever, have they not changed their relationship with God? Obviously you have angered him. As opposed to pleased him. This is a change. Not a physical change, but a spiritual change. Or is it that the actions of one person aren't important enough for God to take enough notice of to warrant anger or happiness. Must it be a large group in opposition or in support to warrant His attention to anger or please him. You know, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts? Just curious.

[bernee51]

Actually, I think most Christians I know pray to change circumstances as opposed to changing themselves. I am not speaking for you because I don't know you, but any time I have gone to church, the predominant prayers have been to change the hard times one family is having, the health another family is having, the troups in war etc....

Why is it that people apperar to only ever pray for something they want and never for something they don't want?

[methylatedghosts]

Actually, I think most Christians I know pray to change circumstances as opposed to changing themselves. I am not speaking for you because I don't know you, but any time I have gone to church, the predominant prayers have been to change the hard times one family is having, the health another family is having, the troups in war etc....

Why is it that people apperar to only ever pray for something they want and never for something they don't want?

I don't see why someone would. It's like saying "Oh, I hope I get mugged today" isn't it?

Or do you mean praying for something someone else wants, and isn't going to give benefit to the person praying?

[Confused]

Actually, I think most Christians I know pray to change circumstances as opposed to changing themselves. I am not speaking for you because I don't know you, but any time I have gone to church, the predominant prayers have been to change the hard times one family is having, the health another family is having, the troups in war etc....

Why is it that people apperar to only ever pray for something they want and never for something they don't want?

I don't see why someone would. It's like saying "Oh, I hope I get mugged today" isn't it?

Or do you mean praying for something someone else wants, and isn't going to give benefit to the person praying?

I think it was more along the lines of praying for something you didn't want in order to benefit someone else. For example: Your son is a drug addict. You don't watn him to die, but he suffers and nothing you do helps. So you pray for his death. People don't do this. They pray for him to get well, no matter how many people he is hurting to support his habit while waiting for this prayer to be answered.

[methylatedghosts]

Why is it that people apperar to only ever pray for something they want and never for something they don't want?

I don't see why someone would. It's like saying "Oh, I hope I get mugged today" isn't it?

Or do you mean praying for something someone else wants, and isn't going to give benefit to the person praying?

I think it was more along the lines of praying for something you didn't want in order to benefit someone else. For example: Your son is a drug addict. You don't watn him to die, but he suffers and nothing you do helps. So you pray for his death. People don't do this. They pray for him to get well, no matter how many people he is hurting to support his habit while waiting for this prayer to be answered.[/quote]

Ah, I understand. If this was this case (druggie), then I would pray for what he wants (that isn't more drugs).