I will “seed” this open guitar case [Please see AskRob at the top and/or right and hover your pointer over the the button/link to see what that category is for] with a few bucks here by uploading some question dialogs that I have had as of late with some mates from the class I teach. Here is one:

Howdy Rob,

Thanks for sending the extra notes, I’ve been slowing reading through them and it’s been great!  These came at a perfect time because I’ve been wanting something new to read/study in the morning and this has been very structured & challenging which I like.

As for my questions, I hope I can word them in a way that makes sense.  Also, if you’ve already answered them in class, I apologize, sometimes when I’m taking in a lot of new info, I don’t absorb everything right away. So here goes…(oh and please no rush on these, I realize you are very busy!)

(1) After learning about the attributes of God, I felt confused about the purpose of prayer, or whether it is ok to pray for things (like for someone who is sick, or for help with finances, etc).  To clarify, what I mean: Is the purpose of prayer to help open our eyes to the path God has laid out for us and open our hearts to align to His will as opposed for asking for things to change?  I know it is always good to praise/thank God, and I often pray that He would guide my steps & show me what is true because I want to do what is right.  Or if I am angry I tell God about it and ask for help to process it correctly, or if I really want something (want not need), I might mention it in prayer and then pray that God would show me what He wants in that area and change my heart to match His.

But for example this week, [my daughter] is sick for the first time (horrible!!!) & I have been praying for peaceful sleep for her & quick healing.  I don’t know how to explain my question about this type of prayer, but basically I’m wondering if this is the right way to pray about the situation and if not, what is?  Is it ever ok to ask specifically for something that is wanted (like her getting well or for us to be able to afford for me to continue to stay home)?  And if not, how do we pray about these kinds of things?  Likewise, I am not even sure about praying for someones salvation in light of election. Which leads to my next question. Read the rest of this entry »