Does God Answer Prayers?

[doppelganger]

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.

Prayer has effects on that for which it (or any other magical practice) is intended - it affects conscious perceptions and to a very limited extent moods. Thinking prayer can do more than that will likely have negative consequences - perhaps even a dead end trip down Nihilism Way.

 

[fantome profane]

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?

No one asked you to explain your faith. I would never ask something like that. What I was asking is what you are trying to accomplish by praying for something. The question is not that complicated. Let me put it this way. Are you trying to change “God’s mind” about something? If not what are you trying to do?

 

[ChristineES]

Prayer is pretty tough thing to debate as I am finding out (see, I learned something new today). It is like belief in God, either you believe it is effective or you don't. (Other things- such as if I ask for a job and God takes it from someone else is a whole other debate).
If I say that God answers my prayers- that would be my belief (an opinion, really). It is a part of my faith. And faith is the belief in something there is no real evidence for.

 

[ChristineES]

No one asked you to explain your faith. I would never ask something like that. What I was asking is what you are trying to accomplish by praying for something. The question is not that complicated. Let me put it this way. Are you trying to change “God’s mind” about something? If not what are you trying to do?

It would be pretty arrogant to say I am trying to change God's mind. Prayer is my way to talk to God. I just don't ask God for things, I also thank Him for my blessings and let Him know what is going on (even though He already knows it). It makes a person feel good to talk to someone else, even if that Someone Else is God.

 

[Storm]

Well, Beaudreaux, I'm bored, so I thought I'd throw this in.

God can't answer prayers, but deities (something altogether different in my theology, for which I really need to find a less confusing word) might. It depends on whether the prayer is directed to them, whether granting it lies within their power, and also upon their rather fickle whims. So it's a crapshoot, but it can happen.

 

[fantome profane]

It would be pretty arrogant to say I am trying to change God's mind. Prayer is my way to talk to God. I just don't ask God for things, I also thank Him for my blessings and let Him know what is going on (even though He already knows it). It makes a person feel good to talk to someone else, even if that Someone Else is God.

Now I think you are talking about how prayer affects you. Which makes perfect sense to me, that I can understand.

 

[Katzpur]

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.

Oh, cut it out with the hurt feelings, Auto. I didn't call anybody a liar. I simply think that it would be pretty hard for anyone (possibly even God) to convince a confirmed atheist that He existed. In my experience, atheists always have an answer for any supposedly divine manifestation.

Would you like us to talk to you that way?

If that's the worst way an atheist had ever treated me, I'd consider myself lucky.

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.

Well, that's nice to know. Maybe someday it will.

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

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. If you're asking me if the fact that I don't get everything I want when I pray is reason enough for me not to believe in God, then the answer is no. But then I don't expect to get everything I ask for.

 

[DallasApple]

Sometimes when you pray you are asking God to help you open your eyes so you can find an answer to something.Your not asking Him to give you something..your asking Him to help you see .(I guess thats asking something but I hope you know what I mean)

Love

Dallas

 

[Autodidact]

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

In fact, it's "no" at the exact same rate it would be if there were no God--the same as random chance.

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.

Not sure exactly what you mean here, but if you expect any magical practice to affect anything outside yourself, you'll be disappointed, because it doesn't. At all.

 

[Autodidact]

Oh, cut it out with the hurt feelings, Auto. I didn't call anybody a liar. I simply think that it would be pretty hard for anyone (possibly even God) to convince a confirmed atheist that He existed. In my experience, atheists always have an answer for any supposedly divine manifestation.

It's not about my feelings, it's about your manners. What you're saying is that we are dishonest. Easy to speculate about what things would be like if they were other than they are. But they're not. In reality, the evidence is clear that intercessory prayer has no effect. Maybe the reasons that atheists have an answer is that there is one, that is, there is no God.

Let's look at the subject at hand. The evidence is that intercessory prayer has no effect on the outside world. Nevertheless, you continue to believe that your God, the one who is said to grant such prayers, exists, despite the evidence being to the contrary. Then you accuse us, the ones basing our beliefs on the evidence, of being willing to disregard the evidence if it were the opposite of what it is, all the while blithely disregarding the actual evidence. Someone in this conversation is not being intellectually honest, and it's not the atheists.

If that's the worst way an atheist had ever treated me, I'd consider myself lucky.

Good job of painting yourself as a victim after mistreating others. The polite and humble thing to say would have been, "I'm sorry." Did you notice how you're the only one calling other people liars, and then complaining about how you've been treated?

Well, that's nice to know. Maybe someday it will.

It would--if that' swhat the evidence showed. Since it shows the opposite, and since I am only interested in the truth, it has done the opposite. Unlike most theists, I have no investment in faith; my everlasting salvation isn't based on my ability to believe despite the evidence. I am free to follow the evidence. I have, and it has led me to atheism.

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. If you're asking me if the fact that I don't get everything I want when I pray is reason enough for me not to believe in God, then the answer is no. But then I don't expect to get everything I ask for.

Gee, I thought I was pretty clear. According to you, if God granted intercessory prayers, that would be evidence that He existed, evidence that atheists should take into account. O.K., if there is ever any such evidence, I will take it into account as tending to support the existence of God. By the same token, if the evidence shows that such prayers have no effect, then theists, including you, should take that into account as tending to show that there is no God. Despite asking us to follow the evidence; I take note that you do not do so yourself. We have a word for that.

It's not that God doesn't grant everything you ask for, it's that it turns out that He grants prayers at the exact same rate as random chance; the same as if He didn't exist. Coincidence? I don't think so.

 

[S-word]

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?

YEP! I do. I only added the 'I do' because less than 5 characters is unacceptable.

 

[Autodidact]

YEP! I do. I only added the 'I do' because less than 5 characters is unacceptable.

So if you pray for someone to get recover from illness, is it your belief that they are any more likely to recover, or recover more quickly, than if you don't pray for them?

 

[DallasApple]

So if you pray for someone to get recover from illness, is it your belief that they are any more likely to recover, or recover more quickly, than if you don't pray for them?

Yes..If they know you are praying for them.

Its the same thing if you say something nice to someone it can cause a physical reaction.Or in reverse if you say something hateful.Our bodies react.

Love

Dallas

 

[Beaudreaux]

Yes..If they know you are praying for them.

God will not help them unless they know about the prayer? Why is that? So if you pray for Patrick Swayze to be cured of pancreatic cancer, God won't do it because Patrick doesn't know you're praying for him?

 

[Beaudreaux]

YEP! I do. I only added the 'I do' because less than 5 characters is unacceptable.

Do you pray for God to heal sick people?

 

[DallasApple]

Thank you for your post. Do you ever pray that God will heal someone who is ill?

I dont exactly pray for "healing".I pray for the person to be at peace.Whether thats healing..or ease of suffering(even if that means death) ..just to not be afraid.And to use me and give me strenght and help me see how I can be of use to that person.

Love

Dallas

 

[Beaudreaux]

I dont exactly pray for "healing".I pray for the person to be at peace.Whether thats healing..or ease of suffering(even if that means death) ..just to not be afraid.And to use me and give me strenght and help me see how I can be of use to that person.

Why in the world wouldn't you ask God to heal them? It's a good and completely selfless request. Jesus healed the sick during his ministry, so you know he's in favor of it. Seriously, why don't you pray for them to be healed?

 

[DallasApple]

Why in the world wouldn't you ask God to heal them? It's a good and completely selfless request. Jesus healed the sick during his ministry, so you know he's in favor of it. Seriously, why don't you pray for them to be healed?

Peace of mind is healing.

Love

Dallas

 

[doppelganger]

Not sure exactly what you mean here, but if you expect any magical practice to affect anything outside yourself, you'll be disappointed, because it doesn't. At all.

You can affect others' thoughts and moods with magic to a more limited extent. But other than that, you're quite right.

 

[Katzpur]

It's not about my feelings, it's about your manners. What you're saying is that we are dishonest.

Stop exaggerating, Auto.

Good job of painting yourself as a victim after mistreating others. The polite and humble thing to say would have been, "I'm sorry." Did you notice how you're the only one calling other people liars, and then complaining about how you've been treated?

No, actually I didn't notice that. What I noticed was that virtually every time I get into a conversation with you, you're all over me about something. I seriously don't think I've ever been rude to you. I just don't know what I've done to get on your bad side, but it must have been pretty bad, 'cause you really don't seem to be able to find anything about me to like. I'm not such a bad person, and I think the majority of atheists on this forum would tell you that they don't have the same problems with me as you do. Even the poster I actually made the remark to hasan't complained that I was rude. If he'd really been insulted, I would imagine he'd have said something.

Anyway, if that remark was as hurtful as you are saying it was, I'm sorry. I really am. On the other hand, an apology from you would be nice, too, because you have hurt me on numerous occasions.

Despite asking us to follow the evidence; I take note that you do not do so yourself. We have a word for that.

I'll bet you do, and I'll bet it's not a very nice one. But I'm not the victim here, am I, because you've always been very respectful and courteous to me.

It's not that God doesn't grant everything you ask for, it's that it turns out that He grants prayers at the exact same rate as random chance; the same as if He didn't exist. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Well, that's not how I see it, but I guess we'll simply have to agree to disagree on this one.