#STRask

Questions about whether we should be praying for our souls rather than for material things, why we need to pray about decisions, whether the devil can hear our prayers and tempt us with “answers,” and whether it’s okay to pray for someone’s death rather than healing.
 

Shouldn’t I be praying for my soul rather than for material things such as a house or a new job—i.e., a diet version of the prosperity gospel?

If I’m faced with a decision to do something that’s a good thing and doesn’t violate anything in Scripture, why do I need to pray about it to see if it’s something God wants me to do?

Can the devil hear our prayers, and if so, will he tempt us with “answers” to those prayers?

Is it okay to pray for someone’s death—i.e., for God to release them from suffering rather than for his miraculous healing?

Questions about why we should pray if God already knows what’s going to happen, how the effectiveness of prayer is measured, and whether or not things would have happened the way they did if no one had prayed for them.
 

Why should we pray if God already knows what’s going to happen?

How is the effectiveness of prayer measured—e.g., would Christopher Yuan have been saved if his mother hadn’t prayed fervently?

Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not being God.
 

Prove to me that Jesus is not a created being, that “begotten” doesn’t mean he was created, and that he has always existed.

What does it mean to say God became fully human if part of being human means not being God?

Questions about good books on Christian apologetics, philosophy, and theology with more in-depth information and ideas, and resources to help an intellectually-inclined person with spiritual formation and developing the non-cerebral side of living a Christian life.
 

As a high school student, I have read many baseline books on Christian apologetics, theology, and philosophy, so could you recommend good books with more in-depth information and ideas?

As someone with a passion for intellectual pursuits such as apologetics, theology, and philosophy, what resources might be helpful for spiritual formation and developing the non-cerebral side of living a Christian life?

Questions about whether there’s an issue with churches advertising on social media, whether it’s weird if we pray along with a YouTuber, and whether Christian social media influencers are going against Matthew 6:1–2 when they film themselves doing good deeds.
 

What are your thoughts on churches advertising on social media?

Is it weird that I often find myself praying along with a YouTuber when he ends his videos with a prayer?

Are Christian social media influencers going against Matthew 6:1–2 when they film themselves doing good deeds?