如果上帝已经知道一切，祷告有什么用？
If God already knows everything, what's the point of prayer?
简答 Short Answer
祷告不是通知上帝祂不知道的事，而是与上帝建立关系的方式。上帝预定了结果，也预定了祷告作为实现结果的途径。
Prayer isn't informing God of things He doesn't know, but a way to build relationship with Him. God ordains outcomes and also ordains prayer as a means to accomplish those outcomes.
详细解答 Detailed Answer
这个问题背后有一个错误假设：如果上帝已经知道一切，那么祷告就是多余的。但圣经教导的是，上帝不仅预定了结果，也预定了达成结果的途径——而祷告正是这些途径之一。雅各书说：「你们得不着，是因为你们不求」（雅4:2）。
更重要的是，祷告的核心不是改变上帝的心意，而是改变我们自己。当我们在祷告中来到上帝面前，我们承认自己的有限和依赖，我们的心被上帝的旨意塑造，我们与上帝的关系得到深化。祷告是上帝赐给我们的恩典途径。
想想一个父亲和孩子的关系。父亲当然知道孩子需要什么，但孩子向父亲表达需要、与父亲交流，这本身就是关系的核心。上帝希望我们把一切忧虑卸给祂（彼前5:7），不是因为祂需要信息，而是因为祂渴望与我们亲近。
This question rests on a false assumption: if God already knows everything, prayer is redundant. But Scripture teaches that God ordains not only outcomes but also the means to achieve them — and prayer is one of those means. James says: 'You do not have because you do not ask' (James 4:2).
More importantly, prayer's core purpose isn't changing God's mind but changing us. When we come before God in prayer, we acknowledge our finitude and dependence, our hearts are shaped by God's will, and our relationship with Him deepens. Prayer is a means of grace God gives us.
Consider a father-child relationship. The father knows what the child needs, but the child expressing needs and communicating with the father is the heart of the relationship. God wants us to cast all our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7), not because He needs information but because He desires closeness with us.
📖 经文引用 Bible Verses
📚 推荐阅读 Related Readings
- •Prayer (Tim Keller)
- •A Call to Spiritual Reformation (D.A. Carson)