Ask and You Might Recieve

I discuss prayer and show it infringes upon free will if asking for certain things

Prayer is defined as a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.

In this case, we will be assuming God specifically (Judeo-Christian), instead of “object of worship”. We also assume this God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

I have no qualms with the second part of the definition, the expression of thanks, but I question the purpose of the first, the request.

We will also be assuming we have complete free will.

Now, to illustrate my argument, I will use an election. Let's say this is the Presidential election, matter-of-fact.

So, you and the nation are gearing up to vote on your favorite candidate. You have seen the debates, the commercials, the bumper stickers, and you're quite frankly ready to get it over with.

The night before you have to vote, you pray to God and pray that your favorite candidate will win. The next day, you go to the voting booth, wait in line for 3 hours, and cast your vote for the next President of the United States.

Lets pause from the analogy.

There is an ultimatum here, and I don't want you to miss it. We either have complete free will, or we have no free will. God has either complete control, or control over only the things our free will can't effect. Any influence by God of the free will, instantly the free will is tainted.

Now, you asked God that your candidate would win. Since your free will has effect on that outcome, how is praying to God going to effect how other people vote? There is only one way: influence. The only way God can effect the outcome is by influencing enough people so much that they change their mind and vote for the candidate you prayed for.

If God does that, then it isn't free will, and we are simply puppets for God's voting booth. If we are simply puppets, why pray and ask Him? He obviously is going to choose who He wants.

But lets say God doesn't influence people's choice, making it remain free will. This means God had no control over it at all. If He has no control over the choice at all, why pray and ask Him to?

Either way, the prayer is useless.