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A question arose while in discussion with my friends and they made a valid point to which I do not know how to answer. Why do people make a promise/vow to God? Would not God listen and help regardless of a promise/vow as it seems like we are paying or influencing God's decision by saying "I'll give You this, if You give me that;" and when it does happen (what we've asked for), we are not allowed to break the promise/vow, which again seems like we are making a deal with God and we are not allowed to break our side of the deal. I do not necessarily agree with this, given that God will or will not respond according to His wisdom, and not according to what we give Him (e.g., donations, candles, curtains, etc). That being the case, is this a wrong practice or a misunderstanding of mine?

Vows are a rare form of worship. There are several vows one makes throughout his/her life: marriage, monasticism, consecration, baptism of a child, a particular petition, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes people forget that their marriages and the baptism of their children are indeed vows of which they will be held accountable.

 

There are some vows to which one adds a condition. Nonetheless, it should not mean that it is 'this for that'. One should perform the vow at least once regardless of the outcome. These kinds of vows are presented as deep prayers beseeching God for a specific petition. One promises to dedicate time, talent, or treasure as an offering, but not as compensation. How can anyone ever compensate God for anything?

God teaches us to be people of our word, to keep our promises to each other and to God. When Zacchaeus the chief tax collector repented, Christ forgave him and did not request anything more of him (Luke 19:1-10). Yet, Zacchaeus was overwhelmed by God's generous mercies and vowed to give back what he felt he owed and more as proof of his seriousness and true repentance.