Is praying the same as petitioning?

It is more like begging.

An eye doctor that I used to go to was talking to me abuot God once, during one of the visits, and he said you’re not supposed to only talk to God when you’re in need of something. He pointed out that it would be like only calling a friend when you need something. He said you should talk to God daily, about anything and everything. I’m not that religious but I guess that’s one theory and it would debunk the “petitioning” idea.

Sure, if you want to look at it that way.
Once, when I was young and still attending church and catechism classes, a priest mentioned that “God” didn’t listen to your prayers when you were praying for yourself. Only when you were praying for the benefit of others. I thought that that was very interesting…

I don’t know enough about the Doors or that song in particular to know the artist’s intent.

What I can say is that petitioning is one of a number of ways to use prayer, so they are not synonymous.

@kevbo1 Well, the last line of that verse is “You cannot petition the Lord with prayer!” so I would guess that is what the Doors meant.

Here is a good explanation of the difference between Prayer and Petitioning (and Supplication and Intercession). Basically all are versions of prayers. It is the urgency and “direction” of the prayer that might make the difference.

Prayer is a general term for communicating with God. The question asks about prayer and petition. In this context, “prayer” would be the common effort we make at communication that doesn’t carry any particular driving force or even any action by God. The article uses “Thank you, Lord, for that beautiful sunset!” as an example. The “petition” would carry more urgency and would be asking for God’s actions. Again, the article uses “Lord, please give me the wisdom I need for this situation!” as the example. Petition and supplication are basically the same. Intercession would be asking God for help on behalf of someone else. An example might be “Lord, please help my wife to recover from her illness”.

Petition is the message.
Prayer is the medium.

@janbb, I will add that to my list of lizard king maxims.

“A hasty explanation can suppose that to pray is a futile act because a person’s prayer does not, of course, change the changeless; but in the long run would this be desirable, could not the changing person easily come to repent that he had managed to get God changed! Thus the true explanation is also the one and only to be desired: the prayer does not change God, but it changes the one who prays.”
—Søren Kierkegaard, Edifying Discourses in Diverse Spirits

While some prayers may be petitions and some petitions may be prayers, it does not follow that all prayers are petitions. But seeing as @seawulf575 has already demonstrated this more than adequately with his examples, I’ll just say that I disagree with your interpretation of “The Soft Parade.” It does not imply that petitioning the Lord is the same as praying. It implies that petitioning the Lord is not something that prayer can actually achieve.

I thought that petitioning is a request to God after one died. To get into Heaven or to be reborn?

According to the Roman Catholic doctrine, the petition is one form of prayer, definitelythe most common. Another common form of prayer is the act of adoration. A third, as mentioned above, is gratitude.

@RedDeerGuy1 If you wait until you are dead, you are too late.

@SavoirFaire As I said above.