Christians: Who answers prayers of others?

[Me Myself]

I think i'd freak out if I heard him say 'Yo wazzup!'

I have had the experience similar to what you describe. this scritpural counsel comes to mind

Philipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.

notice how Paul isnt saying that by praying, all your problems will be solved... he said that by praying, Gods peace will guard your heart and mental powers. IOW, God doesnt take away our problems, but he does give us the strength to cope with them.

Well, I think he does both. "if you that are bad give your sons bread when they ask for bread. How not your father in the sky, that is good would not give you what you ask for?" (paraphrased) "seek and you´ll find, ask and you shall receive" "If you had the faith of a grain of mustard, you could tell the mountain move and it would do so" (again paraphrased)

All religions in the world have said that we can pray and receive, and all or most said to have had miracles done to them.

But hey, sometimes we do just need strength, and after we manage to solve things up, we know we did it, even if with a little help of dadda

 

[Pegg]

Can you scripturally provide a reference of God answering the prayers of a people that do not believe in him?

There are scriptural examples of people from different false religions who had their petitions heard by God and he acted for them...ie Rahab the philistine prostitute, the Gibeonites were a Canaanite nation who sought peace with Israel. They were heard by God and he protected these false worshers...of course the people became worshipers of God thereafter though.

One thing about praying to God is that he hears them no matter what nation or religion they are from....at Psalms 65:2 it says “O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come.”

But with regard to people who do not believe in God at all, the scriptures say this:
“Without faith it is impossible to please him well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” Hebrews 11:6. God is not going to be mocked. If someone is silly enough to pray to something they dont believe exists, then God is not going to respond to that person. God requires that people believe in him at the very least.

 

[Otherright]

There are scriptural examples of people from different false religions who had their petitions heard by God and he acted for them...ie Rahab the philistine prostitute, the Gibeonites were a Canaanite nation who sought peace with Israel. They were heard by God and he protected these false worshers...of course the people became worshipers of God thereafter though.

One thing about praying to God is that he hears them no matter what nation or religion they are from....at Psalms 65:2 it says “O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come.”

But with regard to people who do not believe in God at all, the scriptures say this:
“Without faith it is impossible to please him well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” Hebrews 11:6. God is not going to be mocked. If someone is silly enough to pray to something they dont believe exists, then God is not going to respond to that person. God requires that people believe in him at the very least.

I don't recall Rahab praying to God and he hearing her. I do recall her striking a deal to be spared for helping Israel. But she didn't strike that deal with God, she struck it with Joshua.

I don't recall the Gibeonites praying to God either. I recall them swearing by the God of Israel to save their own skins. But never praying to the Israeli God to be spared against the Israelis.


Which false religions are you referring to? Other Christian groups, Judaism, Islam, the Eastern religions? Who are these false religions?

 

[Pegg]

I don't recall Rahab praying to God and he hearing her. I do recall her striking a deal to be spared for helping Israel. But she didn't strike that deal with God, she struck it with Joshua.

you are right, the account doesnt specifically mention that she prayed. However, the account does show that, even though she was a prostitute and involved in a pagan religion (they worshiped the moon god) she expressed great faith in Jehovah and a person of faith is one who certainly prays. Faith in him is one of his prerequisites for answering prayers and petitions.
Joshua 2:9 And she went on to say to the men: “I do know that Jehovah will certainly give YOU the land,...10 For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea from before YOU when YOU came out of Egypt..., for Jehovah YOUR God is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 And now, please, swear to me by Jehovah that, because I have exercised loving-kindness toward YOU, YOU also will certainly exercise loving-kindness toward the household of my father"
All worshipers are quite familiar with praying...she would have done so as part of her worship too. So its hard to imagine that a woman who expresses such great faith in God would not have prayed to him for salvation.

And the account shows that when the walls of Jerico fell, her apartment was left standing. So that was a miraculous deliverance for her by God because the Isrealite army had nothing to do with the walls tumbling down....that was Gods doing. And he spared the one part of the wall where Rahabs apartment was located. I would certainly call that an answer to a prayer.

I don't recall the Gibeonites praying to God either. I recall them swearing by the God of Israel to save their own skins. But never praying to the Israeli God to be spared against the Israelis.

this is a similar situation to Rahab. These people had faith in Gods ability, they knew that the land belonged to God because when Joshua asked them why they had lied, they said it was because of what God told Moses about the land... so these were people who believed in God and had faith in him just like Rahab. Because of the faith they showed, God spared them. The 4 cities of the Gibeonites were to be devoted to destruction because they were cannanites... but God allowed these 4 cities to remain and the people became servants of Isreal. They even served at Jehovahs temple as gatherers of wood for the alter.

Which false religions are you referring to? Other Christian groups, Judaism, Islam, the Eastern religions? Who are these false religions?

Babylon the Great. That is all religions who do not worship the Almighty Creator in spirit and truth.

 

[Me Myself]

Joshua 2:9
All worshipers are quite familiar with praying...she would have done so as part of her worship too. So its hard to imagine that a woman who expresses such great faith in God would not have prayed to him for salvation.

If this Joshua had done miracles before reuniting with her, then she just beleives this is a man who has such a close relationship with a deity(one of many) that whatever he asks to it, the deity will grant him.

To pray to such a deity that she doesn´t know, and don´t know the rituals to pray to it and in her mind probably won´t even listen to her... While it´s not imposible there certanly is not reason to beleive that she prayed to such deity just because the deity existed.

I beleive in various gods and have talked to numerous people that also do and I can tell you first hand: If you know somebody who is particularly "blessed" by a deity and you can get an important favour for him (in this case the woman wanted something from joshua as I understand) you just ask him to ask the deity.

I mean, in normal senses, it takes a heckuvallot of praying for a god to listen to you (generaly) and that IF it is the god you normally pray to. She probably put all her effort and making sure Joshua interced for her rather than praying.

To use an analogy, praying to a god that you don´t even know how to pray to and almost have no knowledge of him is like giving him 1 cent everytime you pray, when the poor woman probably wanted a 10000000 dollars miracle or favour. So better ask to the guy whose prayers are worth 10000000 dollars to such god (It is a rough analogy, but hopefully I can make myself understood)

 

[Pegg]

If this Joshua had done miracles before reuniting with her, then she just beleives this is a man who has such a close relationship with a deity(one of many) that whatever he asks to it, the deity will grant him.

To use an analogy, praying to a god that you don´t even know how to pray to and almost have no knowledge of him is like giving him 1 cent everytime you pray, when the poor woman probably wanted a 10000000 dollars miracle or favour. So better ask to the guy whose prayers are worth 10000000 dollars to such god (It is a rough analogy, but hopefully I can make myself understood)

Yes I understand your analogy.

I would certainly love to meet Rahab one day and ask her about that week when Isreal came to Jericho.

 

[Me Myself]

Yes I understand your analogy.

I would certainly love to meet Rahab one day and ask her about that week when Isreal came to Jericho.

Guess you´ll have good time to chat in heaven

 

[Pegg]

Guess you´ll have good time to chat in heaven

haha, oh really?

Nah, im planning on keeping my feet on the ground thank you

 

[pwfaith]

So... God then is required to answer Christian prayers?

IMO, yes, but not required to answer however we want like a magic genie or something. God is not a magic genie. God promises to answer us when we call and he will answer according to His will, not ours, which as a Christian we should want it that way.

 

[pwfaith]

I asked pretty much the very same thing right after she originally made that post. I never got an answer and I doubt you will either, but good luck.

Sorry, I may have just missed it in the hast of answering other posts. A little benefit of the doubt goes a long way sometimes I did not ignore your post purposefully

 

[pwfaith]

Can you scripturally provide a reference of God answering the prayers of a people that do not believe in him?

Didn't I answer that already (or was that a different thread)

 

[pwfaith]

In the bible, it is very clear that Jesus says that everyone is son of god. He also says that everyone is god. he also says that he is in everyone.

Can you give me the passages you are referring to so I can read them in context? thanks!

 

[Gentoo]

IMO, yes, but not required to answer however we want like a magic genie or something. God is not a magic genie. God promises to answer us when we call and he will answer according to His will, not ours, which as a Christian we should want it that way.

I get that "No" is still an answer, though we may see it as being ignored or unanswered... but it seems odd to me that there would be behavioral Requirements for an Almighty jealous God.

 

[Me Myself]

Can you give me the passages you are referring to so I can read them in context? thanks!

I remember it is in John, and I remember it is because some people are giving him trouble for calling himself son of God or something the like. So he cites jewish scriptures saying that this scriptures had God telling men "you are gods". His accusators didn´t deny such scripture that Jesus provided.

Let me see if I look it up for you now... uhmm...

 

[Me Myself]

Can you give me the passages you are referring to so I can read them in context? thanks!

found it!

John 10: 34

The regular christian explanation to that jewish scripture is basically that god meant that those men were "like" gods because they were in a role of judges. But the passage provided doesn´t give much context for the scripture because Jesus only says that and doesn´t add more to it "Isn´t it written in your law: I have said you are gods" that is what I ahve in my bible jesus says.

edit: ah! I only provided in which he said we are gods and omited the others xD. Well he calls God father not only for him, there are many examples, sure you do are familiar with that one. (one that I recall on the surface of my mind is when he says "if you that are bad give good things to your children(...) how will your father that is in heaven not give you good stuff (that´s Paraphrased) ) About Jesus being in everyone, he says that when he says "because I was hungry and you fed me(...) because when you fed the smallest of my brothers you fed me"

 

[Draka]

Sorry, I may have just missed it in the hast of answering other posts. A little benefit of the doubt goes a long way sometimes I did not ignore your post purposefully

Ok, sorry then.

If god answers then, only how he sees fit, then how is that different from answering prayers from non-believers? If he is answering prayers from believers and non-believers alike, both as he sees fit, then why would it matter what anyone believes?

 

[Otherright]

Didn't I answer that already (or was that a different thread)

I don't recall you answering it. I was looking forward to a reply.

 

[Otherright]

Babylon the Great. That is all religions who do not worship the Almighty Creator in spirit and truth.

1) So, does that include Judaism and Islam?

2) Do you see Buddhism as Babylon?

 

[Pegg]

1) So, does that include Judaism and Islam?

2) Do you see Buddhism as Babylon?

that is really for God to decide. He will be the judge of that. The bible tells us that he will make his inspection and pass his judgement on all of mankind and their way of life and religion. Its up to us individually to make an honest search and to worship him in the way he has instructed in scriptures. And it is possible to know if one is worshiping correctly for God even tells mankind:

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if YOU do not want to share with her in her sins, and if YOU do not want to receive part of her plagues. 5 For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind....7 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury,... 8 That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong"

 

[pwfaith]

Ok, sorry then.

If god answers then, only how he sees fit, then how is that different from answering prayers from non-believers? If he is answering prayers from believers and non-believers alike, both as he sees fit, then why would it matter what anyone believes?

If you have children, do you feel obligated to provide for and nurture their friends in the same manner and degree you do your own children? Are you legally obligated to?