Does God need humans?

[sunlight]

So does he? What is the purpose of prayer? Why do we talk to God?

Beware... The responses may or may not be part of next weeks Sunday school lesson...

[Babs]

I don't believe he NEEDS us. Prayer is more for our benefit. For US too build our faith by speaking things into existence so too speak.

God is God And can do anything he wants.

It in us praying that God can mold us into what we need to be.

If he can create worlds & universes, peoples & animals etc. I am sure here can do anything else without us. Its just a way to include us in the process and then we have our own personal stories & testimonies of how God worked in our life.

Just My take one it.

[Melody]

Here's my 2 cents.

God created all we know on the basis of partnership.  So I don't think of God "needing" us per say but more along the lines of this is our purpose, to partner with Him.  Not that we are anything but He made man in His image, an immediate indication of desired intimacy.  He chose to allow certain things depend on our choices.  But the big picture, the end game, will happen if we join or not.  Somebody will, and those will be the ones who filled the gap.  We know that SOME body is going to step up. 

It's a pretty awesome concept because at the end of the day, it comes down to pure choice from us.  If we don't live our part, it's because we really didn't want to.  No grey neutral territory.  No one can keep us from Jesus if we want Him.

Based on that criteria/set up/creation, it is an epic destiny. 

If you're asking if God needs us individually, I think God is bigger than that, working all things for good... His intense desire for us to partner with Him trumps the question of need as we see it.  The idea of needing weakens our view of God and I can't help but wonder why we would want to over simplify it?  "Need" obligates, even belittling our personal choice. We only understand "need" from a human limited view.  Even our needs are met by way of desperate desire toward Him.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God... 

What IF we need to partner with God so immensely that w/o that need, we could never have that intimacy with Him?  I can't slice or dice it in any shape or form to support God needing us, only us feeling a deep sense of necessity to do all He has said to be intimate with Him.  Perhaps that's why people ask the question in the first place; to stir up a deep zeal to do as He has asked.  I think some of our personalities affect how we see "love" and "obey." Focus on "obey" and there are strong words of need and duty.  Focus on love and see desire and integrity.


Prayer:  The purpose of prayer is relationship.  There is none without it.  And it is directly reflective of the depth of the relationship.  I talk to God because I desperately long for (need) Him.  With that comes right desires to be and do what He wants to be done, in me, the world.

[Lynx]

Does God need humans....  That depends on the level of "need" you mean.  Do you need your husband?  Does he need you?  Certainly if you two had never met you would both have continued living and would probably have prospered well enough on your own.  But I don't think anyone on this forum would be callous enough to say you don't need each other.

The Bible refers to the church as the bride of Christ many times, and for good reason.  Whether you will be able to use that analogy in your class depends on how old your students are...

[taco_harvell]

Do you need cookies? I mean there are better foods for you some that take less work. Yet, out of a love and desire for cookies you spend time creating them and working on recipes till you get them just right.

That's kind of how I see humans in GOD's eyes. HE desires a relationship with us. HE already had ANGELS yet he decided to create stubborn hard headed humans and even gave them a choice to love HIM or not. Sure am glad I ain't GOD cause I would of gave up on the recipe for me a long time ago.

[taco_harvell]

Prayer puts God's work in his hands-and keeps it there.
- E. M. Bounds

[mini]

A pastor I am friends with on facebook shared this:

A human has to tell them the GOSPEL...

A human has to pray for them...

A human has to baptize them...

A human has to disciple them!

NO ONE GETS SAVED WITHOUT A HUMAN INVOLVED! So....

Who do you think that human might be?! Hello??!!

[taco_harvell]

Still not needed... Takes a big ego to look at GOD and say "You need me".


Unless he is trying to make a statement about JESUS, and in that case we needed HIM.

Humans need humans! We need a pastor and a church family. God desires all these things and allows us to take part in HIS plan.

When the creation reaches a place it thinks the creator needs it to keep going something is wrong. IMO

[mini]

I agree.  God doesnt need you at all.  Cause if you won't do it, he will find someone that will.

[sunlight]

Not you individually necessicarily... But as a collective unit... Humans...

[taco_harvell]

Not you individually necessicarily... But as a collective unit... Humans...

Desires them YES!

Needs them NO!

HE is GOD what do we have he needs? He has tons we need.

[Lynx]

So Chel, how did the lesson go?

[sunlight]

I'm not satisfied with my own understanding of the subject yet... So the lesson was an even more  controversial topic... With follow up next week. It was on the question... Is it ok to question god about bad things that's happen? Anyone wanna chime in on that one too?

[taco_harvell]

What age group  is this?

[Lynx]

Many people in the Bible have questioned God.  Moses even saved the whole nation of Israel when God was going to wipe them all out and start all over again with Moses himself.  Abraham questioned God repeatedly about one set of cities God intended to destroy. 

What matters is the attitude with which you question God.  Jonah questioned God in a decidedly wrong attitude.  When the disciples were in the boat and Jesus was asleep in the bottom, they didn't ask "God will you take care of this storm?" or even "God why are you not helping us?"  They went straight to "Don't you care that we're about to drown?" 

[sunlight]

I think they are 12-14ish?