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Does God Answer Prayers?

Beaudreaux

Beaudreaux

Well-Known Member
The Bible is ambiguous on many things, but one of the subjects on which it is very clear is prayer. In multiple locations, Jesus tells his followers that if they ask God for something in prayer that He will provide it.

Christians I have encountered understandably to take this to heart. I have friends who not only pray to God in private, but take part in prayer groups that collectively go to God in prayer to make requests.

My question is, does anyone really believe that God grants prayer requests?
 
Charity

Charity

Let's go racing boys !
I believe that I have many prayers that have been answered....One just now when you asked this question just so I could tell you that mine have been answered many times......;)
 
Charity

Charity

Let's go racing boys !
There are some conditions with those prayers though....just thought I should mention that......Like ask in faith believing. If we ask anything that is within the will of God. Whatever you ask the Father (God) in my name, He will give it to you....If you ask and receive not because ye ask amiss.

Well I guess this is enough to stir controversy about God being unfair....Remember it's just like a parent when a child asks for something. As a parent you have to answer as to what is in the best interest of the child.....
 
ChristineES

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
God has answered a lot of my prayers. Of course, skeptics could say it was a coincidence, but I don't think so.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Beaudreaux, If my perspective here is unwelcome, just say so and I'll delete my post. :)

The simple answer is, no, God doesn't answer prayers. However, in some cases, the act of prayer itself can strengthen your resolve, answering the prayer.
 
arcanum

arcanum

Active Member
how about there are different levels of prayer.if you are a peasant and ask for trivial things then maybe not.if you ask for help for spiritual knowledge and development then maybe you might be getting somewhere. :bow:
 
B

blah782

Member
Beaudreaux said:
The Bible is ambiguous on many things, but one of the subjects on which it is very clear is prayer. In multiple locations, Jesus tells his followers that if they ask God for something in prayer that He will provide it.

Christians I have encountered understandably to take this to heart. I have friends who not only pray to God in private, but take part in prayer groups that collectively go to God in prayer to make requests.

My question is, does anyone really believe that God grants prayer requests?
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No he does not. I have prayed countless times, I have asked people to pray for me as well. I convinced myself he would help me and prayed "with confidence" just as you're supposed to. God never did anything, any time I prayed. It is all in everyone's head.

Many convince themselves things that happen to them are "the act of God"...it is actually just luck. It would have happened anyway even if you never prayed.
 
Beaudreaux

Beaudreaux

Well-Known Member
arcanum said:
how about there are different levels of prayer.if you are a peasant and ask for trivial things then maybe not.if you ask for help for spiritual knowledge and development then maybe you might be getting somewhere. :bow:
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Are the trivial things by any chance physically verifiable? Because, while I may be wrong, this sounds a lot like a pattern I see in Christians who pray.

Pattern 1: Don't ask for anything that can be verified not to have been granted

I used to see this all the time. If a member of the church had broken a leg, we would not pray for God to instantly heal the leg (which we would know right away wasn't granted). Instead, we would pray that God "comfort" the person and "speed" their recovery (which of course cannot be measured). But why not ask for instant healing? Jesus did it. It is certainly not a selfish request and it eases the pain and suffering of a fellow Christian. If God would be willing to "comfort" the person and "speed" their recovery, then why wouldn't he be willing to take care of it all at once?

On a more general level, I have heard things similar to what you are saying. Don't pray for trivial things like money or job security. Instead pray for patience and spiritual health. Again, you will know if God doesn't give you the money, but how will you know if you got your spiritual requests? It can't be empirically verified by others.
 
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B

blah782

Member
Beaudreaux said:
Well, let's say I ask God to grow my sister's amputated leg back and it happens. Wouldn't that be a solid indicator?
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lol You speak the truth.

What I don't get is people who believe in miracles after praying for something, and say whatever happened to them was impossible to explain other than a miracle. Here's the thing about that:

Say if you have a huge tumor somewhere and it shrinks (people have claimed that before)...that is wonderful for you. I am sure you'd be so happy to be alive, but the human body and modern medicine can do things like that. Sometimes you just get lucky and beat an illness. It has happened many times. Not every person with cancer or a tumor will die, millions survive it with and without prayer. I am sure many Atheists have survived severe illness as well.

However, if God in fact CAN perform miracles on people such as the ones with severe medical problems...why has he NEVER performed a blatant, no other explanation possible miracle ...such as having an amputee grow a new leg? That would be a CLEAR indication that something outside of the human race was responsible. No medicine can make you re-grow a leg. So why has God never done a thing like that? Why have these medical "miracles" always been something that could have easily been medication or the human body fighting on its own?

If a killer is chasing you and you're saying "please God don't let him hurt me" just as ANY other victim would be saying...and you don't get hurt but the other victim in a different situation did, how exactly is that a prayer being answered? It's more of a luck situation. Many pray to not be killed yet they still are, many pray and walk away from a situation like that unharmed. Now if you said "please God I am being kicked out of my house because I can't pay for it...I need 10 grand right now!" and then suddenly 10 grand came falling from the sky, Id say you've got yourself a miracle.
 
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Beaudreaux

Beaudreaux

Well-Known Member
Storm said:
Coolness. :)


That's the same guy who did The God Who Wasn't There, isn't it? I find him rather annoying, myself, but I made it about halfway through, to the end of the milk jug spiel.
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Yeah. It's tough to watch through the end unless you're in violent agreement with him already.

Thanks to YOU though, I found another video on prayer that is funny and poignant.

YouTube - Mr. Deity Episode 4: Mr. Deity and the Messageshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaZDcS-rMf4&feature=channel_page
 
Dezzie

Dezzie

Well-Known Member
I believe that many of my prayers have been answered. I've prayed to God back then that someday I would fine a wonderful man that I will some day marry. I prayed that he would be a lot like me... I told God that I wasn't necessarily telling him to give me that, but that I was so lonely and that all I wanted was happiness... I definitely found that... I have a Fiance now, and he is everything I could have asked for. I didn't think he would have answered that prayer because I asked him for something. I never thought asking for things from God was nice... It was just something I have always wanted and I felt I at least deserved a good man. :D I still pray in thanks for what he has answered... I have so much love for what he has done in my life. He showed me so many things... :candle:
 
Beaudreaux

Beaudreaux

Well-Known Member
Dezzie said:
I believe that many of my prayers have been answered. I've prayed to God back then that someday I would fine a wonderful man that I will some day marry. I prayed that he would be a lot like me... I told God that I wasn't necessarily telling him to give me that, but that I was so lonely and that all I wanted was happiness... I definitely found that... I have a Fiance now, and he is everything I could have asked for. I didn't think he would have answered that prayer because I asked him for something. I never thought asking for things from God was nice... It was just something I have always wanted and I felt I at least deserved a good man. :D I still pray in thanks for what he has answered... I have so much love for what he has done in my life. He showed me so many things... :candle:
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Hey Dezzie. I'm a bit confused. You list your religion as "agnostic" yet you seem to believe in God. Can you clarify for we the easily flummoxed? :)

Do you ever pray for others? Perhaps someone who is ill? Have you ever prayed for something that did not come to pass?
 
Autodidact

Autodidact

Intentionally Blank
God answers prayers at the exact same rate as random chance, that is, the same as if you had not prayed.
Prayer affects the pray-er in many positive ways. It has no effect whatsoever on anything outside the person praying.
 
Autodidact

Autodidact

Intentionally Blank
Dezzie said:
I believe that many of my prayers have been answered. I've prayed to God back then that someday I would fine a wonderful man that I will some day marry. I prayed that he would be a lot like me... I told God that I wasn't necessarily telling him to give me that, but that I was so lonely and that all I wanted was happiness... I definitely found that... I have a Fiance now, and he is everything I could have asked for. I didn't think he would have answered that prayer because I asked him for something. I never thought asking for things from God was nice... It was just something I have always wanted and I felt I at least deserved a good man. :D I still pray in thanks for what he has answered... I have so much love for what he has done in my life. He showed me so many things... :candle:
Click to expand...

Try this, Dezzie: For a week, write down everything you pray for at the time you pray for it. Then go back and count how many of your prayers were granted. Tell us the results. I predict that your prayers will be granted at the exact same rate as those things tend on the whole to happen without prayer, that is, that your prayer will have no effect.
 
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