If you believe that everything is pre-destined by God, then why do we pray if things happen anyway?

Prayer is not to recieve yes or no answers from God, or to have something granted or denied. It is so that we can have a RELATIONSHIP with God. God know what's best, and prayer helps us to put our trust in him no matter what the outcome is. Yes we can ask God for things in prayer, but he may not give them because someone else is in need of something different concerning the same situation. We may pray for people to recover from sickness when there purpose on earth is complete and its time for them to go home to glory. God's thoughts are not ours but through prayer, we can fellowship with him and develop a relationship with him.

Apparently you and your friend don't understand (no disrespect intended). God does answer prayers but you must understand. Just because some little boy doesen't want his friend to die dosen't mean God's going to stop the whole plane from crashing. For one that would be intervening with many other lives which God tries to do little of and another thing is that crash could lead to something else (Maybe the world stops wars and world peace is obtained......I know stupid example but still...) God only fufills the prayers which are sincere and to the ones who really need help or want protection for the one's they love but he does it so that it dosen't have some big effect change on there life. It could lead to something but he will never just give someone money if they ask for it. Everything is not pre-destined. God knows the outcomes of the choices we make. It's up to us to choose our choices and hope they are the right ones.

God answers prayers. Maybe not always the way we want Him to. Safety for a loved one on a plane? Their time was up. Maybe safety is in Heaven safe.

1. Everything is not pre-destined. Even when God has made a decision He has been known to change His mind.

Jonah 3:10 (NASB)

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do {it.}

2. Sometimes His answer is "No".

It's OK to pray for things you desire but pray, primarily, that His will be done.

God requires a personal relationship with us. He wants us to ask. You can ask, but sometimes his answer is no. There is a reason for the crash. Perhaps it was those peoples time. Perhaps there is a bigger picture here. It's important to remember that everything has a purpose. You are right in asking. In it you will find God and become more intimate with him. Have a lovely day.

We know not what we pray for, could be that while you where praying for that loved one going down on the plane that it was your prayers that got him to open his/her eyes and ask Jesus into there heart and they were Saved from a lost eternity from God

Great question, and yes, I'm squirming on this one because I really don't know. All I can tell you is that God is in charge of this world, and he does as he pleases. It doesn't hurt to ask, though. How do you know whether a plane crash was avoided because of your prayer?

That's a question that no one this side of heaven can answer. Having said that, I think we should still pray, because God does hear and answer our prayers. Sometimes the answer is "no."

Its yet another contradiction of christianity...an infallable god that is never wrong, that can be petitioned with prayer to stop his mistakes from happening. People only say "it was god's plan" AFTER the person dies/bad thing happens...but before the event you can WISH (or "pray" in christian-speak) for a desirable outcome. When its all said and done, if you're a christian, you can make up whatever rule you want to feel happy, and attribute it to "God".

ok, imagine each critical event or sequence of events that are predestined, as bones.

now these are connected together, with varying degrees of space.

in between this space, and surrounding the critical events, theres big cushions... some cartilage thats firm, but not crucial... and then very flexible, fluid padding... cushions... between those firm-ish events.

for many, I think the basic idea of prayer, is to try to shift the fluid parts, and the semi-firm parts in your favor, to make the flow between them, and impact of the predetermined events occur more smoothly, and more favorably.

or maybe some spots theres a juncture of more than one potential outcome, rather than a path of critical events thats 100% decided, and prayer can be a means of attempting to pick this in a more deliberate manner.

at least thats how I see it.