Christians: Who answers prayers of others?

[fantome profane]

Ive heard and seen many miraculous things in Christian Church's. I have never heard or seen anything in a Mosque or Jewish Temple.

Selection bias. Muslims, Jews, Hindus and others certainly do make claims for miraculous events. The fact that you haven’t heard any of these claims is evidence only of selective deafness on your part.

 

[Otherright]

"Hello there. I already have made up my mind that I disagree with you, but despite my own equally faith-based belief, I will set up an easily assailable component of yours (again, I in no way with to further debate or make a legitimate attempt at helping you break out of what I consider to be detrimental to your life, but instead wish to cap your suffering with a pretty little insult cherry on top). You will notice my assumption of something I already consider to be fallacious; I have done this because you will defend your religion, whereas I only have the confidence to attack. Don''t bother asking to me to put forward any sort of scientific position - I have achieved such a standard level of intelligence that I have realized that I can ignore almost all of life by never having the courage to really think about anything."

There is nothing wrong with venting frustration or ranting, but the empirical agnostic community (agnostic is what you call a lack of belief in god without a disbelief in any god) has allowed itself to descend to the crust of the conceptual planet - zealots have convinced otherwise intelligent people that the various dogmatic rites of a religion can be proved, disproved, or even convincingly supported or debunked.

You're too smart for these continued swats. Yes, you're right, but it's obvious and there are more interesting things to discuss and more important goals for people like us - doing things that actually start loosening the grip the ideological Absolutists on our society, for example.

Its a theological question, asking the opinion of a phenom, as it pertains to one group, and their beliefs vs another group.

 

[fantome profane]

In my opinion, the same individual answers the sincere prayers of anyone who offers them. It doesn't matter how they envision or understand Him.

A somewhat related, somewhat tangential thread based on this reply, for Christians only.
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/same-faith-debates/118375-does-matter-how-we-envision-god.html

 

[idav]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

I appreciate that whole 'ask in my name' that christians go by but I doubt God is too hung up on labels. If it is prayed in positive spirit you should be getting the right god without having to know what his name is. Doesn't mean we might not be decieving ourselves by asking selfishly and getting another type of being all together but thats another story.

 

[ChristineES]

Years of study of religious dogma.

Are you 100% certain that God follows dogma?

 

[pwfaith]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

God does, although he is not required to.

 

[logician]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

The idea that a "prayer" can be answered really is illogical, in that you have millions of people making prayers that would go at cross purposes. For example, one person praying for rain may nean another person would no longer get their needed rain.

 

[Katzpur]

The idea that a "prayer" can be answered really is illogical, in that you have millions of people making prayers that would go at cross purposes. For example, one person praying for rain may nean another person would no longer get their needed rain.

You are just so brilliant, logician. I am in awe every time I read one of your posts.

 

[pwfaith]

The idea that a "prayer" can be answered really is illogical, in that you have millions of people making prayers that would go at cross purposes. For example, one person praying for rain may nean another person would no longer get their needed rain.

Why would that be? Does it only rain in one place at a time?

 

[Draka]

God does, although he is not required to.

Do you feel your god is "required" to answer anyone's prayers? If not, how would it be any different from answering Christians' prayers? Also if there's no distinction, and your god responds to all despite religion, then one would have to wonder why it even matters what religion a person is at all.

 

[logician]

Why would that be? Does it only rain in one place at a time?

There are many other examples. People on both sides of a war praying for victory, a thousand peolpe praying to get the same job(common in this economy). Again it makes little sense.

 

[logician]

You are just so brilliant, logician. I am in awe every time I read one of your posts.

Hey, thanks.

 

[pwfaith]

There are many other examples. People on both sides of a war praying for victory, a thousand people praying to get the same job (common in this economy). Again it makes little sense.

I suppose, if you see God as a magic genie. As I said earlier, God is not required to answer the prayers of those who do not believe in him or acknowledge Jesus as Lord. He has never promised to answer their prayers. He only does so out of love for them. As a Christian I don't see God as a magic genie either. I don't rub my little prayer lamp and expect a prayer wish to be fulfilled. I first and foremost pray for God's will to be done. My husband has been laid off multiple times (did contract work for a while). We prayed for many a job that he did not get. It was only in hindsight that we learned why sometimes and other times we never found out. Sometimes he didn't get the job b/c it really was not God's will for him to get it, ended up to be a bad job, even though we thought it was GREAT initially. Another time we know that someone else manipulated their way and cheated my DH out of the job. God has given us free will and sometimes people use their free will to screw over others. God will not impose on the free will of men (although he will try to move the person to do right, he won't make them). But God brought good from bad, as he always does and gave DH an even better job. It ended up working out perfectly - he was in the process of writing a book and was able to write it at work many days b/c of the little work they had to do. Had he gotten the job he wanted and the guy hadn't screwed him over, DH would not have finished the book in the time frame he did and had the opportunity to finish school faster.

Things may not always be what they seem Simply b/c 2 people pray for the same thing doesn't mean both should be answered yes, there are bigger reasons involved than just asking. We don't always know what is best for us. There are also eternal reasons involved at times.

 

[Otherright]

As I said earlier, God is not required to answer the prayers of those who do not believe in him or acknowledge Jesus as Lord. He has never promised to answer their prayers. He only does so out of love for them.

Can you point to scripture where this belief is confirmed? Where do you see, in scriptural text, an example of God answering the prayers of a people who have no belief in him?

 

[pwfaith]

Can you point to scripture where this belief is confirmed? Where do you see, in scriptural text, an example of God answering the prayers of a people who have no belief in him?

The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.

Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.

In 1 Kings 21:17-29, especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time.

The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter.

Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10, had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.” (link)
​

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

God did. There is only one all-encompassing God of all religions. That God is known in many forms, names, and attributes, or as just one sovereign Lord. God is the God of all religions.

 

[Blackdog22]

The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.

Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.

In 1 Kings 21:17-29, especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time.

The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter.

Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10, had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.” (link)
​

Um, these are all examples of people praying to God and receiving an answer to their prayer. I believe he was wanting an example of someone praying to Baal and receiving help from God. If God truly is answering the prayers of other religions then the Bible God is one real, real sick individual.

Lets take the story of Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal. Elijah tests the prophets of Baal to see whos God is the true God. He does this by asking for each group to pray and start a fire on a nearby altar. Baals group prays and fails and Elijahs group prays and a fire is started. Every person is then put to death in Baals group......
Okay, lets imagine that God had answered one of Baals prophets prayers as you are saying. These people would then "falsely" believe that Baal was the true God. You are telling me that God then suddenly decides to not answer their prayer before Elijah and then commands that the Baals prophets be killed? Is God just really trying to confuse everyone and then kill everyone for being confused?

The bible is full of messages like this. Anyone who didn't worship God were killed or swallowed up by the earth by God himself. Pagans were slaughtered. Why would God reinforce the idea that the Pagan religions were true by answering their prayers if he was planning on killing them for believing that they were right about their religion because of said answered prayer?

 

[pwfaith]

Um, these are all examples of people praying to God and receiving an answer to their prayer. I believe he was wanting an example of someone praying to Baal and receiving help from God. If God truly is answering the prayers of other religions then the Bible God is one real, real sick individual.

To address the first part, you need to follow the quotes.

I said

As I said earlier, God is not required to answer the prayers of those who do not believe in him or acknowledge Jesus as Lord. He has never promised to answer their prayers. He only does so out of love for them.

And he asked

Can you point to scripture where this belief is confirmed? Where do you see, in scriptural text, an example of God answering the prayers of a people who have no belief in him?

He asked for examples of people who have no belief in God but God answered them anyway.

To address the last line, this would be true if other gods existed. We believe there is only one true God, so he is the only one able to answer any prayers prayed, regardless of who they are prayed to. I have heard many a person of no particular religion pray "Help me God". God answers. God sees the heart of every man (and woman). And will answer according to His will.

A loose analogy may be as a parent, legally I am obligated to feed and care for my children, not all their friends. However I do, b/c I love my children and I love their friends. I don't just feed any of them whatever they want though I feed them healthy food, food that is good and enjoyable to them, with the occasionally snack thrown in.

This is what I was understanding we were discussing, following the quotes between Otherright and myself. If I am mistaken, perhaps he can step in and correct me.

 

[pwfaith]

Lets take the story of Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal. Elijah tests the prophets of Baal to see whos God is the true God. He does this by asking for each group to pray and start a fire on a nearby altar. Baals group prays and fails and Elijahs group prays and a fire is started. Every person is then put to death in Baals group......

Only the prophets were put to death from what I recall.

Okay, lets imagine that God had answered one of Baals prophets prayers as you are saying.

These people would then "falsely" believe that Baal was the true God. You are telling me that God then suddenly decides to not answer their prayer before Elijah and then commands that the Baals prophets be killed? Is God just really trying to confuse everyone and then kill everyone for being confused?

No I believe God sees the heart of every man and will answer in such a way that will show Him as the true God, and bring them to a saving knowledge of Him. How that will be for each person is vastly different. As I said before, God is not obligated to answer their prayers, nor did I say he answered EVERY prayer they made, only that he does answer some, out of love.

The bible is full of messages like this. Anyone who didn't worship God were killed or swallowed up by the earth by God himself. Pagans were slaughtered. Why would God reinforce the idea that the Pagan religions were true by answering their prayers if he was planning on killing them for believing that they were right about their religion because of said answered prayer?

I don't believe God answers with the intent to reinforce Pagan religions. He can't force people to see it is Him answering but God does not desire anyone to perish so He will continue to reach out to every human being in whatever way He can to draw them to Him. I have no doubt there are people who God has shown himself to in undeniable ways who still don't believe in him and attribute the things of God to other gods.

I think this is a great explanation Does God Hear Hindu Prayers? - Dr. Ray Pritchard Christian Blog
I just think there is more to it than just who is praying. God sees the future and knows the outcomes of the prayers he answers. I don't believe God will ever answer a prayer that will not have the potential to bring glory to Himself.

 

[Erebus]

The idea that a "prayer" can be answered really is illogical, in that you have millions of people making prayers that would go at cross purposes. For example, one person praying for rain may nean another person would no longer get their needed rain.

Having a prayer answered and having a wish granted are two different things. An answer to a prayer could easily be "nope, not going to happen" or even "screw you."