How powerful is a PRAYER?

[Buckalew11]

I think part of it is that she is excited and nervous about her purchase and wanted to share with her DIS friends. You have a problem with that? What seems *silly* to you or me that is posted on the DIS doesn't make it *silly*, BTW. There are many posts I read that don't have anything to do with praying that make ma wonder why anyone would really care. I don't think it is up to you or me to to judge someone's thoughts and concerns or requests.
As they always say, why'd you read it?

Do you really think people who "pray at the drop of a hat" expect you to understand why and when they pray?
I think that poster was just wanting to share with her friends here. People that care about her, want to share her concerns. Is that so bad????

 

[Buckalew11]

Yeah, I saw that, too... People get very wrapped up in their hopes and desires.

Not sure what this comment really means? Yeah, she seems to want the house because she really likes it and would like to live there (we've all been at that place in our life with hopes and desires). But her prayer is not about "getting the house or not". It is about dealing with the disappointment of not getting it and moving on. I am not sure what is so darn bad about that.

 

[cardaway]

Yeah, I saw that, too... People get very wrapped up in their hopes and desires.

And it amkes that SNL skit somebody posted about even more relevant.

I'm also reminded the the Weaver family in the Family season of The Amazing Race. Prayed all the time for them to get the advantage or win, but did they ever pray for the safety of all the teams for example? Not that they ever showed, and I have to think they would have if it happened.

 

[orljustin]

We are not praying that we will get the house. We are praying that God's will be done. If it is supposed to be our house, there is no way that anybody else will get it, but if it's not meant to be then it's not meant to be. I'm praying that I will accept whatever happens without getting angry if it does not go our way.

What is the point of this? Why pray that "god's will be done"? If you believe in "god's will", then you have to imagine that "god's will" is going to be done regardless of you. Why the need to draw attention to your problem of the day? How is some unnamed, unknown person's thoughts going to affect your ability to handle a situation? Take the time and personally come to your own terms, but why the need to yell for attention?

This is not really a dig at the poster in that thread. I know house buying is a stressful process, and it's good to find support from friends, but why tie it into the whole prayer thing, which, as I've read from this thread, is not at all supposed to be something like this.

 

[freckles and boo]

Not sure what this comment really means? Yeah, she seems to want the house because she really likes it and would like to live there (we've all been at that place in our life with hopes and desires). But her prayer is not about "getting the house or not". It is about dealing with the disappointment of not getting it and moving on. I am not sure what is so darn bad about that.

What I meant was that it does indeed seem to minimize those requests for prayers for ill friends, loved ones in Iraq, etc. It seems a little frivolous by comparison. Obviously I don't know the person who made this request and she may well have really wanted others to pray to give her strength to accept God's will. But it kind of comes across as "Pray that I get what I want." And, yes, we have all been at that place where we so badly want something that we are reaching out to others for support. But I have to say that I feel much less cynical about prayer requests for people rather than things.

 

[orljustin]

And it amkes that SNL skit somebody posted about even more relevant.

I'm also reminded the the Weaver family in the Family season of The Amazing Race. Prayed all the time for them to get the advantage or win, but did they ever pray for the safety of all the teams for example? Not that they ever showed, and I have to think they would have if it happened.

My wife even hated them, and she's Methodist. "Jesus, help us find the entrance to the stadium!"

 

[SwedishMeatball]

This is the kind of thing that makes me hate prayer request threads:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1365364

Praying that god's will be done on a house purchase decision? Ok, "god's will" is going to be whatever happens anyways, so why the request? And why bother other people with it? If you need to go meditate on your own to accept the outcome, fine, but this just seems silly. Some people will "pray" at the drop of a hat, and that just makes the whole prayer setup a farce, imo.

Some people are private about prayer and others are not. While you may not agree and/or understand, do you see how it poses any negative impact to the poster or anyone else?? While I can accept that you may consider this type of prayer silly, can you accept that they consider it beneficial to their life and just appreciate that difference??

 

[orljustin]

Aside from this one, these request seem to be coming faster and faster, regardless of the sticky thread at the top for such a purpose. It's like "Look at me! Look at me! My case is too important to put in that thread". Relatives, pets, neighbors, co-workers, houses, tests, etc..... It doesn't seem to stop. It all seems very self centered.

 

[cardaway]

Aside from this one, these request seem to be coming faster and faster, regardless of the sticky thread at the top for such a purpose. It's like "Look at me! Look at me! My case is too important to put in that thread". Relatives, pets, neighbors, co-workers, houses, tests, etc..... It doesn't seem to stop. It all seems very self centered.

Good point. What happened to the idea of keeping them in one place or thread so they don't take up a lot of space on the first few pages?

And I agree, people are giving them a lot fo credit when the posts say nothgin fo the kind. People are writing they want people to help them pray to get things, not that they want help in accepting the outcome.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Well I suppose if you really found it that much of an annoyance then you might be motivated to report the post and request it to be moved.

 

[orljustin]

Personally, I find them all to be an annoyance, because people aren't following the rules. There wouldn't be a sticky there, if it wasn't made by a board owner for a reason. And I don't read them. They just get in the way.

 

[rockbottomsound]

Aside from this one, these request seem to be coming faster and faster, regardless of the sticky thread at the top for such a purpose. It's like "Look at me! Look at me! My case is too important to put in that thread". Relatives, pets, neighbors, co-workers, houses, tests, etc..... It doesn't seem to stop. It all seems very self centered.

I agree in a way, although i would never critisize someone for praying about anything, my feelings are I don't want to "bother" God with trivial matters and particularly about gaining superficial advantages in this life over other humans. "Make me the prom king over Joe blow." Crap like that. I keep prayer for very important things. But it is a free country and they can pray about whatever they want too, but I don't take that approach.

 

[orljustin]

I agree in a way, although i would never critisize someone for praying about anything, my feelings are I don't want to "bother" God with trivial matters and particularly about gaining superficial advantages in this life over other humans. "Make me the prom king over Joe blow." Crap like that. I keep prayer for very important things. But it is a free country and they can pray about whatever they want too, but I don't take that approach.

It doesn't bother me that people personally pray for anything, really, even though I don't think it does any good. It is the constant public solicitation for anything they personally think is important enough to broadcast that bothers me.

 

[Buckalew11]

I don't see that posters request going against what this thread is speaking of. She isn't asking for people to pray she gets the house. She's asking for prayer to help her deal with the outcome. I just don't understand why you all are reading the thread that wayand it is clear she is not asking for that. Oh well.

It is a pet peeve of mine to hear people say you shouldn't pray about small things only "big things". And I see that works the opposite for others--they only pray for big things like life and earth situations, war, etc. God has no limits on what you can and cant pray about. This means nothing to people who don't try to understand God from a Biblical standpoint but still, it is where I come from. The Bible says you pray to God about anything that concerns you. Anything. Large or small. I just don't think you can put limits on God like you can on mankind. JMHO.

 

[Aidensmom]

What is the point of this? Why pray that "god's will be done"? If you believe in "god's will", then you have to imagine that "god's will" is going to be done regardless of you. Why the need to draw attention to your problem of the day? How is some unnamed, unknown person's thoughts going to affect your ability to handle a situation? Take the time and personally come to your own terms, but why the need to yell for attention?

This is not really a dig at the poster in that thread. I know house buying is a stressful process, and it's good to find support from friends, but why tie it into the whole prayer thing, which, as I've read from this thread, is not at all supposed to be something like this.

In this case, it appears she believes "God's will" would be that she graciously accept whatever outcome there is without anger. She is praying that she is able to use HER free will to do that. I don't define God's will as God just controlling everyone and every event on the planet, but rather as what God sees as the best decision. We still have to make the decision.

Perhaps it would be easier to understand if people use religious terminology when they asked for prayers, and just said "I am praying that I can keep from getting angry if we don't get the house."

 

[orljustin]

We are praying that God's will be done. If it is supposed to be our house, there is no way that anybody else will get it, but if it's not meant to be then it's not meant to be.

I don't see that at all. She's asking for prayers that what is going to happen, is what is supposed to happen. Obviously, what is going to happen is what is "supposed" to happen. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened. What's the point of that?

Then, this can be one of those things, where when you don't get the house, and it burns down next week, you can say your prayers were answered, or if you move in and find a stash of pirate gold in the basement, you can say your prayers were answered. But I digress...

 

[Kath2003]

This is why God is so logically circular.

Get the house --> God's will --> Happy
Don't get the house --> God's will --> Happy

Mass death through terrorism --> God's will --> It's all OK
World peace --> God's will --> It's all OK

It's a very clever system - no matter what the outcome of any situation, God is always designed to triumph.

 

[rockbottomsound]

This is why God is so logically circular.

Get the house --> God's will --> Happy
Don't get the house --> God's will --> Happy

Mass death through terrorism --> God's will --> It's all OK
World peace --> God's will --> It's all OK

It's a very clever system - no matter what the outcome of any situation, God is always designed to triumph.

Well there are many Christians like me that absolutely DON'T believe like that. If a terrorists attacks someone, I dont say that was God's will, it may in fact be the will of the other entity (Satan, Lucifer). If you want to believe in the Bible it says that Satan is the ruler of this Earth. When bad things happen I don't think they were because God "willed" them to be. I personally think that God has just set all of this in motion and rarely intervenes, but sometimes he may intervene, I do not know, nor does anyone else. I think in fact he may intervene, but of course cannot prove it. I think in the general sense of things he does not intervene in this world at this point in time. But that's just MO.

I absolutely do not think that God intervenes in the Great RAce, or football games, and other very trivial matters. If someone wants to pray about such things go ahead. I don't think God necessarily minds, just as a Mother doesn't necessarily mind when her daughter asks her for a new Barbie, but that doesn't mean she is going to get it.

Its just a personal thing with me about not "bothering" God with trivial matters. If someone else does that's fine.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Well there are many Christians like me that absolutely DON'T believe like that. If a terrorists attacks someone, I dont say that was God's will, it may in fact be the will of the other entity (Satan, Lucifer). If you want to believe in the Bible it says that Satan is the ruler of this Earth. When bad things happen I don't think they were because God "willed" them to be. I personally think that God has just set all of this in motion and rarely intervenes, but sometimes he may intervene, I do not know, nor does anyone else. I think in fact he may intervene, but of course cannot prove it. I think in the general sense of things he does not intervene in this world at this point in time. But that's just MO.

I absolutely do not think that God intervenes in the Great RAce, or football games, and other very trivial matters. If someone wants to pray about such things go ahead. I don't think God necessarily minds, just as a Mother doesn't necessarily mind when her daughter asks her for a new Barbie, but that doesn't mean she is going to get it.

Its just a personal thing with me about not "bothering" God with trivial matters. If someone else does that's fine.

The God I believe in doesn't give people cancer or put them on United 93 with a terrorist. Those things happen because of human frailty and intervention. Human bodies are frail, and susceptible to disease and humans can and do choose to do things that kill or injure other humans. However, I believe that God is in the compassion of the caregivers for their patients and in the rescuers that ran into the Towers to try and save people.

If someone wants to pray to win a sporting event, buy a house or win the lottery, more power to them. I don't do that personally, but I'm certainly not going to tell someone else what they can and cannot pray for.

 

[cardaway]

I don't see that at all. She's asking for prayers that what is going to happen, is what is supposed to happen. Obviously, what is going to happen is what is "supposed" to happen. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened. What's the point of that?

Yup. What she posted is really clear. It appears to be OK to read more into posts like that if you agree, but not if you disagree.