> How can believers sincerely pray, knowing the path of the future is already known and set out by God, knowing their prayer is pointless in every way except for the single reason that God likes to hear it? How can believers ask others to pray for a particular result for them, if this is the case? Praying just because God likes it works fine as a reason for praise/thanksgiving, but not for request prayers.
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> Obviously the relationship of God to humans is not the same as we have with each other. But a human relationship in which Person A asks for things because it pleases Person B, but Person B has already decided whether or not to give Person A those things, doesn't strike me as a particularly nice relationship.



The first sentence in your last paragraph is, I think, key. I agree with you about your example, but the relationship we have with God is different. I can't think of a good way to explain things right now, but I will keep thinking.