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June 21, 2001
When praying with my four year old son one evening, I explained to him that it's important for us to pray for those people who do bad things in hope that they will seek forgiveness and return to God. My son thought carefully and asked if we could pray for the devil. After a few minutes of humming and hawing I said yes. When I later suggested to him that the devil had already made his decision, he pointed out that mom and dad told him God can do anything and that he (my son) needs to believe in the power of prayer. I'd like to give a straight answer to my son, but am not sure what the answer is. Is praying for the devil good, bad or simply ineffective? --corpus |
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The following pages contain a selection of your responses.

--goss98
(MESSAGE 5)

393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for man after his death."
--religiousjourney
(MESSAGE 6)

--Azshrahm
(MESSAGE 9)

...If you dismiss Satan as worthy of prayer, then don't pray for anyone.
If you pick and choose which Godly creation to love, then you are a hypocrite.
Give Satan a hug today. I wonder when was the last time Satan received a kiss or a hug from God.
--infidelguy
(MESSAGE 14)

--MTSmith131
(MESSAGE 16)

You have to be doing something right to have your son so interested in helping others do the right thing and get closer to God. He may be a bit too young to be able to understand that the devil chose the job he has from his own free will, however this may be a very good time for you to introduce to your son how very important our choices are.
--chelseanna
(MESSAGE 17)

--homsikcajun
(MESSAGE 22)

--infidelguy
(MESSAGE 29)

so it's a slim hope but maybe if more people pray for him then his chances will improve.
--bobshmob
(MESSAGE 30)

It cannot hurt for your son to pray for Satan's repentence; it may not do Satan any good, but it shows deep compassion, and cannot do your son any harm.
--Eolas_Pellor
(MESSAGE 31)

--catsrule
(MESSAGE 37)

--kerouac
(MESSAGE 40)

--physic22
(MESSAGE 50)

--bobshmob
(MESSAGE 44)

If he does not have free will, then he has no sin. Don't you need free will and choices to sin? If the Devil has made his choice, is now stuck, and now can no longer make choices, then he is no longer a being capable of sin. He no longer has the ability to decide to continue doing evil--it is now his nature to be evil and he cannot change it. Therefore, he is not guilty of that evil any more than my cat is guilty of murder when, in obedience to his nature, he kills a mouse.
Isn't the capacity to sin directly related to the capacity to stop sinning?
--Catken
(MESSAGE 51)