Does prayer work?

[talulabelle]

It seems to me OP that you are thinking of prayer as something different than what it is. Prayer is not making "wishes". Prayer is conversation with God. Prayer is talking to God. God is not a "wish grantor". You can't "wish" to him to win the lottery, and then he waves a magic wand for you. It is not even something people of faith would consider. We "pray" (talk) to God and tell him our troubles, and give him thanks for what is good in our lives. He is our Father and loves us as his children. Just as you would not go to your earthly father and say "Dad, you love me and you say you would do anything for me, so I would like for you to arrange for me to win the lottery" If your Dad doesn't do that for you, does that mean he loves you less? Maybe God knows too much money would ruin your life. Anyway, if it is something he wants for you, whether for your good, or to teach you a lesson, he will do it for you if you are in conversation with him about it. He is our Father, good parents say "No" alot.

 

[Eric95403]

No...otherwise my Buffalo Bills would have at least ONE Super Bowl

 

[darlak]

For me, prayer is my own quiet time in communication with God. I give thanks for the abundant blessings in my life. I know that my personal route to happiness is found in counting my blessings daily. You could certainly do that outside of prayer, but I like to give thanks. I don't believe that there is anything too small or too large to take to God in prayer. These are my personal beliefs and I'm not judging anyone who's beliefs are different than mine. Not judging others is another core value in my belief system.

So...yes, I do believe prayer works. I believe that God always answers prayers, but sometimes his answer is no.

 

[Saphire]

Have you ever had your prayers answered?

More times than you can imagine. Like others have said, I think of prayer as conversation with God, and during that conversation, often my (or others) needs are brought up and a request is made. I think of it as a privilege to be able to share my needs with God. I know He hears every request. No request is too small. I have prayed for lost pets here on the boards, and people stuggling with cancer. Sometimes those prayers are answered just as I have wanted, sometimes they are not. Prayer is bigger than getting what we want. It is about a relationship.
There are many things I still have to learn about prayer. But I do know that God is here, that He loves us, that He is close to the broken hearted, that He wants us to come to Him and talk to Him, that He desires we get to know Him more. Prayer brings me closer to God, makes me feel more connected to Him. And yes, many times He has given me the deepest desires of my heart.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I believe in the power of prayer, and it sounds like in a way similar to several who have posted here. Primarily it is a time of focusing on God, and giving thanks for all the blessing God gives me. On my best days I do lots of listening, but too often my mind gets cluttered with other things. I consider this to be a real spiritual weakness in my life.

There are times I offer up prayers of supplication -most often asking for things for other people (good health, safe travel, etc). I think there's nothing too big for God to handle.

As for the example give of the child losing a limb and believers not praying for God to grow it back... the way I see it God won't work outside the "rules" for creation he has established. It's not that he can't, but he won't. In a complicated way, even things like tragic accidents are byproducts of our freedom to choose to believe/follow God or not. The short answer: If God went around fixing all things, even outside the "rules", tehre would be no freedom for you or me to choose or reject God.

Thanks for reading my novel

 

[qtwns]

That's true. God could do that easily. Why doesn't he?

Evidently it isn't his will for that to happen..you know, "THY will be done" not MY will be done. But I guarantee he'll give the strength to deal with it and move forward.

I have a big exam coming up that I have to pass. Am I asking God to give me a passing grade? Nope. I have prayed for the strength, time and focus to prepare myself, and I will use whatever outcome to His glory. If I don't pass you better believe I'll be asking for strength and guidance to handle whatever situation that puts me in.

So...I'm gonna finish my big glass of wine, stop Dissing and go study some more.

Please pray for me and yes, wish me luck, too!!

 

[C.Ann]

I believe all prayers are answered.. We just may not necessarily get the "answer" that we want..

 

[Aidensmom]

I have not read any responses yet...

I believe every prayer I make is answered...yes, no, or maybe. I do believe that God sometimes intervenes in our day to day matters, though I don't believe that the majority of times he does. I think he intervenes when what you are asking for benefits more of society than just the one praying. For example, do I think he intervenes because I want a certain football team to win. Um, heck no, if I just want a team to win. Does he intervene if a certain player on the team wants them to win? Again, heck no, if the reason is just that the person wants the team to win. However, if an outcome of a game would have a significant positive effect on a person's life (i.e. the win caused someone to have more confidence in themselves and in turn ask the woman they were truly intended to marry to marry them...), then yes, I think prayer has a positive effect. In that kind of case, I believe God has his plans, but if the person involved isn't invested in asking that it may happen, it may not. And I would only think it would not as a life lesson to the person to believe in themselves and be more confident.

 

[lizardqueen]

I believe prayer makes people feel good. Personally, it helps my mind and my soul to pray and to feel a little closer to God. Do I believe that if I pray for something hard enough and have everyone else pray for me that the outcome will always be what I want it to be? No. Not to sound cliche' but the chorus to Martina McBride's song Anyway pretty much sums it up for me:

God is great, but sometimes life ain't good. And when I pray, it doesn't always turn out like I think it should. But I do it anyway.

 

[darlak]

I believe in the power of prayer, and it sounds like in a way similar to several who have posted here. Primarily it is a time of focusing on God, and giving thanks for all the blessing God gives me. On my best days I do lots of listening, but too often my mind gets cluttered with other things. I consider this to be a real spiritual weakness in my life.

There are times I offer up prayers of supplication -most often asking for things for other people (good health, safe travel, etc). I think there's nothing too big for God to handle.

As for the example give of the child losing a limb and believers not praying for God to grow it back... the way I see it God won't work outside the "rules" for creation he has established. It's not that he can't, but he won't. In a complicated way, even things like tragic accidents are byproducts of our freedom to choose to believe/follow God or not. The short answer: If God went around fixing all things, even outside the "rules", tehre would be no freedom for you or me to choose or reject God.

Thanks for reading my novel

Not that it matters, but are you Methodist by any chance?

 

[John VN]

I have not read any responses yet...

I believe every prayer I make is answered...yes, no, or maybe.

If no prayer was said, would not the result still be yes, no or maybe.

I do believe that God sometimes intervenes in our day to day matters, though I don't believe that the majority of times he does. I think he intervenes when what you are asking for benefits more of society than just the one praying. For example, do I think he intervenes because I want a certain football team to win. Um, heck no, if I just want a team to win. Does he intervene if a certain player on the team wants them to win? Again, heck no, if the reason is just that the person wants the team to win. However, if an outcome of a game would have a significant positive effect on a person's life (i.e. the win caused someone to have more confidence in themselves and in turn ask the woman they were truly intended to marry to marry them...), then yes, I think prayer has a positive effect.

There can be just the opposite result for another person whose team lost. Not a happy ending for that person. I guess we're back to the yes, no or maybe answer.

In that kind of case, I believe God has his plans, but if the person involved isn't invested in asking that it may happen, it may not. And I would only think it would not as a life lesson to the person to believe in themselves and be more confident.

Many have said that praying brings comfort to them and that is a very good feeling to have. To reply that the answer is a yes, no or maybe could just be a relief valve to justify that there is no definitive proof that prayer works.

 

[Buckalew11]

Many have said that praying brings comfort to them and that is a very good feeling to have. To reply that the answer is a yes, no or maybe could just be a relief valve to justify that there is no definitive proof that prayer works.

Just a note...I saw someone else put bolded answers into someone's quote the other day (first time I had witnessed this) and it was not well received on this board (the quoted or the readers here did not appreciate it). Just a FYI.

I am not sure why you would think that every answer by God (or anyone) needs to be "yes". Answers include "yes", "no", or "maybe". And sure, for skeptics that makes it a win-win situation. However, anyone who prays would probably tell you that they are happy now that some of the desires of their hearts were not fulfilled then.
Call it what you want. People who believe in the power of prayer see the whole differently because we know that we are sending "wishes" to God to fulfilled and granted. We are more than likely asking for help dealing with a situation that is happening. Sure the results are the same, but how we might deal with them becomes different.

Before my dad died, I prayered for his health to be restored if it was God's Will. He slowly got sicker over a a 3 years period. I needed help in accepting Dad's fate and asked for that help. I wanted my dad to find peace with it and I needed that type of peace also.

If you use God as a genie in a bottle, granting wishes and making your dreams come true, yes, you will be disappointed. If you ask God for help in accepting the curves and such, you will receive that help. Prayer is NOT about getting what you want. You may see it as a win, win, win. Go ahead...because I think the reality is, you are right.


My daughter's basketball team prayers before every game and after every game. Do they pray to win? No! How crazy do people think people who prayer are?! It is a ballgame and someone will lose and someone will win.

 

[John VN]

My daughter's basketball team prayers before every game and after every game. Do they pray to win? No! How crazy do people think people who prayer are?! It is a ballgame and someone will lose and someone will win.[/QUOTE]

Some people do pray to win. Are these people crazy? I don't think so. According to many here they are just misguided.

There are many invocations said before sporting events for a safe event yet many times there are injuries or deaths. No prayers for victory just for a safe event and it did not happen.

Would this be one of those "just not the way you wanted it to turn out " answers after 100,000 people said Amen?

 

[Skywalker]

It works. In fact, the outcome of my prayers saved my life and restored my belief and relationship with God.

I have never prayed for "things" so I don't know if that would work. LOL.

 

[huckster]

Yes , no doubt , way more than i deserve,
God is an awesome God .

 

[Buckalew11]

My daughter's basketball team prayers before every game and after every game. Do they pray to win? No! How crazy do people think people who prayer are?! It is a ballgame and someone will lose and someone will win.

Some people do pray to win. Are these people crazy? I don't think so. According to many here they are just misguided.

There are many invocations said before sporting events for a safe event yet many times there are injuries or deaths. No prayers for victory just for a safe event and it did not happen.

Would this be one of those "just not the way you wanted it to turn out " answers after 100,000 people said Amen?[/QUOTE]

Honestly, my answer is still that you cannot and do not pray like "wishing and hoping". No one wants to be injured during an event. No one wants to die either. But injuries happen and death happens. I see nothing wrong with praying for safety but is that supposed to be an assurance that you stay safe? "Well, I prayed about it so I'll be safe." ?? Honestly, in my view, that is not the way it works. Things happen for a reason--wins, loses, injuries, death. There is a reason behind it all. You learn from wins, loses and even injuries. Everyone dies from something, sometime so if your time to go is on the race track, then maybe you'd die on the track or maybe in your lounge chair--who am I to say?

I accept that people will always be skeptical of prayer. I also accept that people who pray usually have seen some type of result that has touched their life in some special way that means something to them in a pretty big way.

 

[jimmiej]

Many have said that praying brings comfort to them and that is a very good feeling to have. To reply that the answer is a yes, no or maybe could just be a relief valve to justify that there is no definitive proof that prayer works.

The Bible often compares our relationship to God as a child to a parent. Do you always say yes to your children's requests? Of course not. Why is it different in the case of prayer to our heavenly Father?