About Prayer

[Anon]

So, six months ago there were things about Buddhism which you knew were true, which now you aren't so sure about?

 

[michel]

So, six months ago there were things about Buddhism which you knew were true, which now you aren't so sure about?

No, six months ago, there were things about buddhism which I thought were very tue, and I had a belief that I would be reincarnated, over several life times. Having sat down and taken stock, and meditated, and prayed, I now realize that my belief in reincarnation was not much more than a 'prop' for what I saw were inequalities in life; I realise that now, and have decided to commit myself fully to Christ.

Buddhism and christianity are not opposed, you know. Most of Buddhism - and someone put me right if I am wrong - is more about how to live one's life, in the best possible way. There is no conflict, as far as I am concerned; the onlything I was lacking was the conviction that God loves me.

 

[Aqualung]

One day when I was young, and alone in my bedroom, I said (something to the effect of), "God, if you are out there, I would love to believe in you. But I need a sign that you are really there. If you can speak, speak to me, if you can't speak, put a yellow star on my bedroom ceiling as a sign that you heard me. Or do something else to show me you are there. Then I will believe in you."

Yeah, i did that too, and I know what it feels like to have nothing happen. But that's not the way God works. He wants you to beleive because you want to, and because you have free will and faith. If it were that obvious for everybody, it would be kind of dumb. So you have to look for what he has done. There have been a ton of "coincidences" in my life. For example, I have prayed, "God, make it really obvious which chruch is the true church. Send me someone tomorrow that is of that church." It didn't happen the next day, but I can tell you, I have since then met many, many people who have led me, each person little by little, to what I now know is the true church. These are people who happened to just "coincidentally" end up where I was, at a specific time in my life. God won't answer you with some yellow star. But, if you pray in faith, he will answer.

 

[Anon]

There is no conflict, as far as I am concerned; the onlything I was lacking was the conviction that God loves me

So you didn't believe that God loved you before, and now you do. What changed? Did he tell you he loved you? Or was it perhaps that you simply wanted to believe that he is there and he loves you? If you want to believe it, that's fine, but that doesn't make it true.

My opinion: if you want to be loved unconditionally, get a dog.

 

[Anon]

There have been a ton of "coincidences" in my life.

Coincidences happen to everybody - they happen to me too. It doesn't mean that there is a God behind them.

And referring back to the old argument, are you saying that God had the time and the ability to get these people to lead you to the "true" church, but he didn't have the time or ability to save the people in the path of the hurricane. Why couldn't he have just lead these people to the correct shelter?

What kind of god would concern himself with what church you go to, but do nothing about the hurricane?

 

[Aqualung]

Coincidences happen to everybody - they happen to me too. It doesn't mean that there is a God behind them.

And referring back to the old argument, are you saying that God had the time and the ability to get these people to lead you to the "true" church, but he didn't have the time or ability to save the people in the path of the hurricane. Why couldn't he have just lead these people to the correct shelter?

What kind of god would concern himself with what church you go to, but do nothing about the hurricane?

Nope. That's not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is that I have seen some of my prayers answered. I have seen God working in my life to fulfill what I have asked for. The only reason he did that was because I asked in faith and because he saw that it was a good thing to do. I don't know why God doesn't want to divert hurricanes, but for some reason he doesn't. Now, I'm not saying that one day, I magically saw the answer to my prayers. It took a lot of looking, and a lot of searching, but what God put in my path was the sort of thing that I needed to complete that looking and searching.

God had the time and the ability because that was something that was necessary. I had asked before and gotten no response. That's not because he didn't have the time or ability; it's because he didn't see it as a good time. Appearantly, in his infinite wisdom, he doesn't think this is a good time to divert a hurricane.

 

[Aqualung]

My opinion: if you want to be loved unconditionally, get a dog.

:biglaugh: Yep, dogs are awesome animals.

 

[Anon]

I have seen some of my prayers answered. I have seen God working in my life to fulfill what I have asked for.

How can you be sure that it was God, and not a random coincidence?

Why is it that when something good happens, people attribute it to god, but when something bad happens, it is just bad luck?

In a world without a god, good things and bad things happen - it's randomness.

And as far as your church example, it may not be much of a coincidence that you found a church you are comfortable with - if you didn't find that one, you probably would have found another which you like as much; it's not like churches are hard to find.

 

[Anon]

Every once in a while you hear a story on the news about a chuch getting burnt down or struck by lightning or something, and the church members are saying, "It's a miracle because nobody was in the chuch when it happended!" or "It's a miracle, because our statue of Jesus wasn't damaged".

Of course my reaction is, "Lady, your church just got struck by lightning! Are you sure that you want to assert that God was somehow involved?"

It's actually pretty funny.

 

[flacsmada]

some of these answers are funny to me. The truth is not many people know why they pray or what it should look like including myself a lot of the times. Prayer is simply communication with God. Think of it as a personal relationship with your father who happens to be the King of Kings. The more we time with and in search of God and His voice in our lives the more we can hear and discern that voice. So the quote is partly right, but i wouldn't word it like that personally. Therefore, the more time we spend with God the closer relationship we have with Him just like any other relationship we have. So how much time do we spend getting to know the creator of the universe is my question/challenge to myself. I hope this was helpful

adam

 

[flacsmada]

There are things that happens in this world that go way beyond coincendences(sp?) but i would say there are coincendences for good and bad. To say that people always attribute bad things as evil and good things as coincedences is false and i have found that it can even be used as a copout to the truth. When something in my life is a peaceful something that can only be expained by attributing it to God, I give Him the merit He deserves. And also God is the personification of good so we wouldn't know what good is unless it was by Him so why wouldn't we attribute most of the good that happens in our life to Him (as followers of Him) if your not a follower than you would be in the wrong I believe to attribute God's hand in your life because you are still "enemies of GOd" as it says in luke.


Adam

 

[michel]

So you didn't believe that God loved you before, and now you do. What changed? Did he tell you he loved you? Or was it perhaps that you simply wanted to believe that he is there and he loves you? If you want to believe it, that's fine, but that doesn't make it true.

My opinion: if you want to be loved unconditionally, get a dog.

I believed that God loved me, but that I would have to go through many incarnations until I was 'fit' enough to go to heaven; I have never doubted that God existed - my only variance has been with the business of reincarnation, which I realized was 'out' of the Christian framework, although I have always believed that Jesus Christ did live a life on Earth, to show us by example how we should live.

That, and the fact that he died on the cross for us, that we might be forgiven our sins.

As far as your 'want' to believe in God, I think it is more a case of believing that there must be a God, and, having prayed to him, I know that he has spoken to me.

 

[michel]

some of these answers are funny to me. The truth is not many people know why they pray or what it should look like including myself a lot of the times. Prayer is simply communication with God. Think of it as a personal relationship with your father who happens to be the King of Kings. The more we time with and in search of God and His voice in our lives the more we can hear and discern that voice. So the quote is partly right, but i wouldn't word it like that personally. Therefore, the more time we spend with God the closer relationship we have with Him just like any other relationship we have. So how much time do we spend getting to know the creator of the universe is my question/challenge to myself. I hope this was helpful

adam

That's a nice post adam;

I agree that some people pray for the wrong reasons; and I do agree with you about the fact that we really need to spend 'Quality time' with God; just rattling off the Lord's prayer each day is hardly going to work. I spend hours each day, opening my heart to God - and I do know that he hears me; prove it? no, of course I can't. But I can be happy in the knowledge that there is a heaven, and that God loves us all.

BTW, I notice that you're new here, and I would like to welcome you to the forum; perhaps you would post an introduction of yourself on:-
Are you new to ReligiousForums.com?

I look forward to seeing your posts.

 

[Aqualung]

How can you be sure that it was God, and not a random coincidence?

Well, it's like, how do I know that the JFK shooting was not a conspiracy? It's because of how complex it would actually have to be. Occum's razor. It would essentially be impossible for it to all be coincidence. It's just too complex, to perfect. It just woudn't have been possible.

Why is it that when something good happens, people attribute it to god, but when something bad happens, it is just bad luck?

Nope. I don't attribute anything to bad luck. I usually just see it as bad because I don't see what is happening. What I once thought was the worst thing to have ever happened to me I now see that it was actually a pretty good thing. I had just had to see what God was trying to teach me and what he wanted to happen to it.

And as far as your church example, it may not be much of a coincidence that you found a church you are comfortable with - if you didn't find that one, you probably would have found another which you like as much; it's not like churches are hard to find.

That's actually a pretty good generalization of othe rpeople, but as for me, I was very comfortable in my church. As a matter of fact, I have had to make many, many changes in my life, to even be able to get baptised, which I haven't done yet. My life was perfectly comfortable before I found the church, and anything but comfortable after I found it. I had to make some pretty big changes in my thoughts and actions before I could think of myself as actually following that religioun. While your generalisation was on pretty safe ground (lots of people do what you describe), that's essentially the oposite of what I did.

 

[michel]

Well, it's like, how do I know that the JFK shooting was not a conspiracy? It's because of how complex it would actually have to be. Occum's razor. It would essentially be impossible for it to all be coincidence. It's just too complex, to perfect. It just woudn't have been possible.

Nope. I don't attribute anything to bad luck. I usually just see it as bad because I don't see what is happening. What I once thought was the worst thing to have ever happened to me I now see that it was actually a pretty good thing. I had just had to see what God was trying to teach me and what he wanted to happen to it.

That's actually a pretty good generalization of othe rpeople, but as for me, I was very comfortable in my church. As a matter of fact, I have had to make many, many changes in my life, to even be able to get baptised, which I haven't done yet. My life was perfectly comfortable before I found the church, and anything but comfortable after I found it. I had to make some pretty big changes in my thoughts and actions before I could think of myself as actually following that religioun. While your generalisation was on pretty safe ground (lots of people do what you describe), that's essentially the oposite of what I did.

Aqualung;

It sounds like you have really been through the mill from what you have said; do you feel able to explain (of course if you would rather not, it would be perfectly understandable) what all the problems have been ?