Does God Answer Prayers?

[Beaudreaux]

Of course they do. Even if the outcome is completely the opposite of what they asked for, many people will receive that as an "answer."

So, asking for soemthing from God is inneffectual? Ask and SOMETIMES ye shall receive?

 

[ChristineES]

God will do His will, always. Whenever I ask for something, I say "if it is your will". Why would anyone think that God is taking a job from another person just because I get it? Everyone who applies for a job has an equal opportunity to get it, don't they?
If I were a child and I asked for something and my mother would give it to me, it doesn't necessarily mean she is taking what I am asking for from my brother or sister. And I never said anything about stealing a job from anyone, that was assumed by Logician. I didn't even insinuate that.

And I certainly understand that an atheist wouldn't believe in anything but coincidence if I were to get something I prayed for. I wouldn't expect anyone who doesn't believe God to believe that prayers are answered.

 

[Katzpur]

God will do His will, always. Whenever I ask for something, I say "if it is your will".

I have come to the conclusion that while God may not always give us everything we ask for, He will always give us everything we need. I believe that He wants us to pray, and even to ask Him for the things we want, because it's the way in which we acknowledge His power. He wants us to realize that He is not oblivious to us or our needs. He knows everything about what's important to us and what our desires are, so we're not really telling Him anything He doesn't already know when we pray to Him. What we are doing, though, is expressing to Him that we recognize His ability to intercede in our lives. I believe that when it is in our best interest (in the overall scheme of things) for us to have something we've asked for, He will actually give it to us expressly because of our willingness to submit to His will. Non-believers will argue that if it's for our best good, He'd have given it to us anyway. That's where I disagree. It's the relationship that's important to Him, and when we put forth the effort to develop the relationship, He blesses us for it.

 

[Storm]

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 Messages

Hee, I've created another Mr. Deity fan.

 

[fantome profane]

God will do His will, always.

This is what I don’t understand. Wouldn’t “God” do his will regardless of what you ask, or even if you ask at all? What is it that you are trying to accomplish by asking things of “God”? Presumably if it were “God’s will” that you get the job, then you will get the job, if it is not “God’s will” then you won’t. What are you trying to change by praying? Are you trying to get “God” to change his mind in your favour? Are you trying to inform an omniscient “God” about something or get his attention? What are you trying to do?

Some people have made the point in this thread about how prayer affects the person doing the praying. I can understand that. But I guess the question is does prayer change “God”?

I wouldn't expect anyone who doesn't believe God to believe that prayers are answered.

It is not simply a matter of not believing it. I honestly don’t even understand it.

 

[ChristineES]

It is not simply a matter of not believing it. I honestly don’t even understand it.

Unfortunately, it is one of those things that can't really be explained to someone who doesn't believe. You would have to experience to actually understand it.

 

[Beaudreaux]

God will do His will, always. Whenever I ask for something, I say "if it is your will". Why would anyone think that God is taking a job from another person just because I get it? Everyone who applies for a job has an equal opportunity to get it, don't they?

Here is the problem. There is only one job for which more than one person is applying. You pray to God that He will give that job to you. Here are the only possible outcomes:

1. You get the job, but only because you were supposed to. This means God did nothing. You were the best candidate and your prayer made no difference
2. You do not get the job because someone else gets it. This means God did not answer your prayer.
3. You get the job BECAUSE GOD ANSWERED YOUR REQUEST. This means that you were NOT going to get the job (scenario 2), but God interfered with the events of this world to give it to you. That means that the person who would have gotten the job in scenario 2 is prevented from getting it.

If I were a child and I asked for something and my mother would give it to me, it doesn't necessarily mean she is taking what I am asking for from my brother or sister. And I never said anything about stealing a job from anyone, that was assumed by Logician. I didn't even insinuate that.

Your comparison to a mother giving a child a gift does not apply here. There is only one job and more than one person wants it. Giving it to one person by definition means that you cannot give it to anyone else.

And I certainly understand that an atheist wouldn't believe in anything but coincidence if I were to get something I prayed for. I wouldn't expect anyone who doesn't believe God to believe that prayers are answered.

If prayers are answered, there is little to BELIEVE about it. We should be able to see empirical evidence of God's handiwork. If you believe the Bible, then in Jesus day, there was no question that God was physically intervening in the world. People were healed of blindness, leprosy...heck they were even brought back from the dead. Why do you think we don't see that today?

 

[Beaudreaux]

Unfortunately, it is one of those things that can't really be explained to someone who doesn't believe. You would have to experience to actually understand it.

This makes no sense at all. Jesus did signs in the Bible specifically so that people would believe. Again, if prayers requests are really granted, the there is nothing to explain. If you go into a hospital and pray for an amputee to grow back a limb and it happens, what is there to explain?!?! That would be pretty convincing to me.

 

[Katzpur]

If you go into a hospital and pray for an amputee to grow back a limb and it happens, what is there to explain?!?! That would be pretty convincing to me.

You know what? I bet it wouldn't be.

 

[Autodidact]

I have come to the conclusion that while God may not always give us everything we ask for, He will always give us everything we need.

So if you happen to be born into an impoverished family in Somalia, and die of measles before your first birthday, that's all you needed?

I believe that He wants us to pray, and even to ask Him for the things we want, because it's the way in which we acknowledge His power. He wants us to realize that He is not oblivious to us or our needs.

As long as you define to "need" to mean, "whatever we happen to have."

He knows everything about what's important to us and what our desires are, so we're not really telling Him anything He doesn't already know when we pray to Him. What we are doing, though, is expressing to Him that we recognize His ability to intercede in our lives.

In what way does He actually intercede?

I believe that when it is in our best interest (in the overall scheme of things) for us to have something we've asked for, He will actually give it to us expressly because of our willingness to submit to His will.

So if you're not willing to submit to His will, or don't believe there is any such thing, does He then NOT give you things that you ask for? Do believers get stuff at any greater rate than non-believers? If so, what?

Non-believers will argue that if it's for our best good, He'd have given it to us anyway. That's where I disagree. It's the relationship that's important to Him, and when we put forth the effort to develop the relationship, He blesses us for it.

Thank you, but I prefer to make my own arguments. You've got enough on your plate responding to the arguments we're actually making, rather than inventing ones for us. So my question in response to your statement is, if I don't think there is any such thing, do I get blessed any less? Cuz I gotta tell ya, I'm awfully blessed, and I'm pretty darned atheist. I submit that, to use a random example, Bill Gates is rather blessed, and he's just as atheist. And I don't mean just financially.

 

[Autodidact]

Unfortunately, it is one of those things that can't really be explained to someone who doesn't believe. You would have to experience to actually understand it.

Have to experience what? Why is it so hard to explain?

 

[Autodidact]

You know what? I bet it wouldn't be.

Well, I suppose calling the other side a liar is one way to win an argument, just a cheap, rude way that I wouldn't resort to without evidence. Would you like us to talk to you that way?

Speaking for myself, when I was tentatively testing my atheist belief, such a thing would have persuaded me of the existence of God, and I would not be atheist today.

Now, can you say the same? Does the fact that this does NOT happen cause you NOT to believe?

 

[ayani]

He does.

there are some Christians who fall into the trap of doubting God when they don't get everything that they want. many pastors teach that God answers prayers, all prayers, in the form of material or physical blessings, and that just because one is a Christian, the one will be blessed with a comfortable life and with wealth to spare.

what Jesus says is that we are to pray in His name- not just use His name like a magic tool, but to pray in His name, as He prays, like Him. Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread, and that we should pray that ultimately, the Father's will be done.

His will for us may not be comfort, health, ease, or happiness at all times. His will for His Son certainly involved a lot of suffering, trials, and humble living. He gives us what we need, if we ask Him. what Christians should realize is that if we really love Him in imitation of His Son, that His will be dearer to us that our own plans, opinions, or preferences.

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?

 

[Beaudreaux]

You know what? I bet it wouldn't be.

You might be right, but if God really does grant prayer requests, wouldn't we be seeing some of that kind of stuff?

 

[doppelganger]

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

But God does answer them. The answer is usually "no," which is simply not the answer anyone wants to hear.

The totality of the universe will bring things to be what they are as the universe of one's experience is integrated into memory and subconscious processes do their thing. One's conscious desires, expressed in the magical practice of prayer, can bend that reality to a limited extent (by bending conscious thought), but it can only do so much about sensory experience and the subconscious, both of which are "out of God's hands". Develop a habit of expecting anything beyond that - and one is sure to find magical practice of any kind (including prayer) to be a profound disappointment.

 

[ChristineES]

Have to experience what? Why is it so hard to explain?

What would be your response if I asked you what is was like to be gay? You would more than likely (judging from my experiences with others and no I wasn't asking, other people were) that you either wouldn't or couldn't explain it to me. And even if you were willing to try- I still wouldn't know what it is like to be gay. Why would it be any different for me to try to explain my faith?

 

[Beaudreaux]

What would be your response if I asked you what is was like to be gay? You would more than likely (judging from my experiences with others and no I wasn't asking, other people were) that you either wouldn't or couldn't explain it to me. And even if you were willing to try- I still wouldn't know what it is like to be gay. Why would it be any different for me to try to explain my faith?

I don't get this. If I were gay, I could explain it easily. "You know how you're attracted to the opposite sex? Well that's how I'm attracted to the same sex." Doesn't seem to difficult to me.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't get this. If I were gay, I could explain it easily. "You know how you're attracted to the opposite sex? Well that's how I'm attracted to the same sex." Doesn't seem to difficult to me.

I didn't ask what it is to be gay but what it was like to be gay.

 

[Beaudreaux]

But God does answer them. The answer is usually "no," which is simply not the answer anyone wants to hear.

So clearly you do not believe that God "grants" prayer requests as I asked in the OP. In fact, since you say he "usually" says no, you believe that prayer has no effect most of the time.

 

[Beaudreaux]

I didn't ask what it is to be gay but what it was like to be gay.

Oh. Well then it's like a nice, fresh warm apple pie.