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Objection 1: It would seem that it is unbecoming to pray. Prayer
seems to be necessary in order that we may make our needs known to the
person to whom we pray. But according to Mt. 6:32, "Your
Father knoweth that you have need of all these things." Therefore it
is not becoming to pray to God.
Objection 2: Further, by prayer we bend the mind of the person to
whom we pray, so that he may do what is asked of him. But God's
mind is unchangeable and inflexible, according to 1 Kgs.
15:29, "But the Triumpher in Israel will not spare, and will
not be moved to repentance." Therefore it is not fitting that we
should pray to God.
Objection 3: Further, it is more liberal to give to one that asks
not, than to one who asks because, according to Seneca (De
Benefic. ii, 1), "nothing is bought more dearly than what is
bought with prayers." But God is supremely liberal. Therefore it
would seem unbecoming to pray to God.
On the contrary, It is written (Lk. 18:1): "We ought
always to pray, and not to faint."
I answer that, Among the ancients there was a threefold error
concerning prayer. Some held that human affairs are not ruled by
Divine providence; whence it would follow that it is useless to pray
and to worship God at all: of these it is written (Malach.
3:14): "You have said: He laboreth in vain that serveth
God." Another opinion held that all things, even in human affairs,
happen of necessity, whether by reason of the unchangeableness of
Divine providence, or through the compelling influence of the stars,
or on account of the connection of causes: and this opinion also
excluded the utility of prayer. There was a third opinion of those who
held that human affairs are indeed ruled by Divine providence, and
that they do not happen of necessity; yet they deemed the disposition
of Divine providence to be changeable, and that it is changed by
prayers and other things pertaining to the worship of God. All these
opinions were disproved in the FP, Question 19, Articles
7,8; FP, Question 22, Articles 2,4; FP, Question
115, Article 6; FP, Question 116. Wherefore it behooves
us so to account for the utility of prayer as neither to impose
necessity on human affairs subject to Divine providence, nor to imply
changeableness on the part of the Divine disposition.
In order to throw light on this question we must consider that Divine
providence disposes not only what effects shall take place, but also
from what causes and in what order these effects shall proceed. Now
among other causes human acts are the causes of certain effects.
Wherefore it must be that men do certain actions. not that thereby
they may change the Divine disposition, but that by those actions they
may achieve certain effects according to the order of the Divine
disposition: and the same is to be said of natural causes. And so is
it with regard to prayer. For we pray not that we may change the
Divine disposition, but that we may impetrate that which God has
disposed to be fulfilled by our prayers in other words "that by
asking, men may deserve to receive what Almighty God from eternity
has disposed to give," as Gregory says (Dial. i, 8)
Reply to Objection 1: We need to pray to God, not in order to
make known to Him our needs or desires but that we ourselves may be
reminded of the necessity of having recourse to God's help in these
matters.
Reply to Objection 2: As stated above, our motive in praying is,
not Divine disposition, we may change the Divine disposition, but
that, by our prayers, we may obtain what God has appointed.
Reply to Objection 3: God bestows many things on us out of His
liberality, even without our asking for them: but that He wishes to
bestow certain things on us at our asking, is for the sake of our
good, namely, that we may acquire confidence in having recourse to
God, and that we may recognize in Him the Author of our goods.
Hence Chrysostom says [Hom. ii, de Orat.: Hom. xxx in
Genes.; Caten. Aur. on Lk. 18]: "Think what happiness is
granted thee, what honor bestowed on thee, when thou conversest with
God in prayer, when thou talkest with Christ, when thou askest what
thou wilt, whatever thou desirest."
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