A WOMAN FOR SOME REASON ASKS ABOUT CAT LACTATING AFTER NIPPLE HAS BEEN PIERCED. The Request Is A Matter Of A Mixed Communication, So It Receives The Oddest Answer. What could a cat's nipple being pierced have to do with prayer? But why would a person ask such a question of myself?

One of my clients wants to have her kitten's nipple pierced, but could that interfere with the kitten's future lactation as a cat?

Harry Riches Answer requested by Celia Escalante

Thank you very much. Your response is a blessing. Stewardship, rights and responsibilities are in your words. Love, caring and respect are in my intentions.—Celia Escalante

Prayer is communion with God. The word “prayer” is used also to categorize all expressions of thought directed towards God. There are different types of prayer:

1. supplication—a request to God to meet one’s personal need
2. intercession—a request to God made on behalf of another
3. communion—experiencing the presence of God and learning from Him
4. thanksgiving—expressing one’s gratitude by verbally giving God the glory

The four types of prayer are found in the book of Timothy where the Apostle provides instruction concerning prayer in the hope that not just some people but every person may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

• First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men. (1 Timothy 2:1)

God has given us freewill in the hope that we might think critically with an honest recognition that our lives are futile if we are merely born to die—especially, since we can conceive of eternity. If we are honest we will call upon the Lord of the Creation to reveal Himself to us through supplication.

Having established our relationship with our Heavenly Father, we can intercede for other people. We could intercede for the world, but this is not what Jesus did.

• I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them…(John 17:9–10)

Jesus said that He was praying for those whom God had given Him. If we are to follow Jesus, we will do what He did. In which case, we will pray for those whom God has given us responsibility. Now many people distort this Scripture to claim something that this does not state; that Jesus was only praying for those who had been selected before they were born, which is a doctrine of the god of this world.

The teaching of Unlimited Election (certain people were saved before the world was created without exercising freewill) is a deceptive teaching from the bowels of hell that misleads people towards unbelief. Those who hold this teaching have no power in their prayers, because they believe they can sin, and it does not matter, because they were selected for salvation before the foundation of the world.

Note whom Jesus also prayed for besides those whom the Father had given to Him:

• I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word (John 17:20)

When we read about Jesus praying for the people who believe in Him according to the word of those who preach the Kingdom of God, we can understand the congruence of the teaching that the Apostle Paul stated in First Timothy that we pray for all men in the hope that they might come to salvation.

However, we need to pray for those for whom we are responsible. Jesus said that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. This means that if all of us assume responsibility for those whom we come in contact with and pray for them to be saved, then like a massive movement sweeping the Earth, people will change.

Importantly, we need our prayers to be answered. People who sin are not heard of God.

• He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)

• The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

First we need to repent of our sins and exercise faith towards God before we can pray for other people and have our prayers heard. God will not hear our prayers if we have unconfessed sin and are not walking in his ways. This is why it is necessary to understand the implications of the Ten Commandments and repent from dead works.

How To Have An Effective Prayer Life And Access To God Through Repentance