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Do you believe every prayer should be answered as asked? What if i ask for something today and then change my mind tomorrow?
What if the prayer is for someone to die, or at least have a bad accident? Should the god you believe in grant all prayers for everyone who prays?
Finally are prayers different from wishes? I wish that cute guy will ask me for date. Is that a wish or a prayer?
Silly questions like that are what I was trying to avoid in this conversation.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
in my opinion and in the way i think about prayer, and do, prayer is first of all adoration and worship. It might have no wishes attached to it at all. Or express gratitude. In hardship, yes asking for help, very much like the serenity prayer.
I am not saying that is what prayer should be for you or anyone else. But it is certainly not a knee jerk response, it is actually quite deeply contemplated.
This thread is specifically about prayers requesting something, though. Asking.
Very true. I don't cherry picking if one is just picking what they like, but I do like cherry picking if it's based on thought and consideration of the topic.
Sorry MQ, but I was simply going by what I've heard from a few former Christians turned atheist. No disrespect meant.
Of course not. However, if we don't get what we pray for, it may be for our spiritual benefit. At times I've tried to analyze why I may not have received an affirmative answer to prayer. Very often, I can see why.
Again, of course not. The Bible tells us that we should pray for these things (as demonstrated by Jesus through the Lord's Prayer), but that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him.
But if we pray, "Thy Will Be Done", and we don't get the specific thing we asked for, does that mean our prayers weren't answered? After all, if we're praying for His Will to be done, how could ANY prayer be counted as 'unanswered'?
Nope, not saying that, either. I've asked for some of the things on your list...and got them. Not immediately, but I got them.
Not at all.
When I pray, I don't always or only pray for what I want. Sometimes, I simply pray giving God glory. Maybe I'll read some Psalms in praise (Psalm 104 is my fave) without asking for anything. Or, I'll list things I'm thankful for, no matter how small it may seem.
I've done both ways before. That is, sometimes I've asked for something specific. Other times, I've asked for something more general, as you related above, like a "method of transportation" and not a brand new car.
Well, I'll repeat, the thread is not about prayers of gratitude or praise, though it's nice to note you do the others, of course
Don't know if you are familiar with the Christian writer Anne Lamott, but she wrote a book called Help Thanks Wow, the three types of prayer. This thread was specifically about the Help part.
But I think the problem people have is when the Help prayers NEVER get answered. And yes, one can and will say God's will, have faith, mysterious ways, ours not to reason why, some form of "you're obviously doing it wrong" and so forth, but time after time after time of no response dims hope and fades faith, and eventually, the Thanks and Wow prayers will diminish as well.
Can anyone answer, truthfully and without quoting scripture or from some other text, that you have thought about unanswered prayers without using your religious model?
I have had 1 prayer unanswered...and there were external forces influencing...wait...one other...again ext forces.
There's a Formula to prayer. If one is serious about prayer or anything else(!) for that matter - ya gotta research the thing...whatever it is. And it could take a year or 2 of study.
1 thing: Core, unconscious beliefs have a huge part of getting prayers answered or wishes or hopes fulfilled or affirmations...all of it ..Law of Attraction...all the same things.
I'll say it again: Formula.
Silly questions like that are what I was trying to avoid in this conversation.
This thread is specifically about prayers requesting something, though. Asking.
I am sorry the responses you are getting all seem silly or knee jerk to you. Asking can be anything including courage and hope. I hope you find more reasonable responses from others.
Well, I'll repeat, the thread is not about prayers of gratitude or praise, though it's nice to note you do the others, of course
Thanks for the reminder.
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Don't know if you are familiar with the Christian writer Anne Lamott, but she wrote a book called Help Thanks Wow, the three types of prayer. This thread was specifically about the Help part.
Not familiar with her. I'll have to look into it.
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But I think the problem people have is when the Help prayers NEVER get answered. And yes, one can and will say God's will, have faith, mysterious ways, ours not to reason why, some form of "you're obviously doing it wrong" and so forth, but time after time after time of no response dims hope and fades faith, and eventually, the Thanks and Wow prayers will diminish as well.
O.k., but...like I mentioned before, did you *look* for prayers to be answered in a specific way? I mean, is it possible that they (at least some) were answered, but you just didn't notice?
I apologize if I'm harping on this, but I find it almost unbelievable that you had NO prayers answered EVER. I suppose it happens but...NEVER?
You seem to be saying that what happens is up to the person, not the religion.
I'm saying that how a person is living their life is supposed to be based on their religion.
And if it's not, what good is the religion?
A fair question to ask a Muslim, for example, is why is so much violence associated with their religion.
A fair question to ask a Buddhist, for example, is why are Burmese Buddhist monks actively involved in acts of violence and other discrimination against the Rohingya Muslims? Or, in Thailand, why are you monks blessing instruments of war?
There are many such questions that can be asked of all religions. And saying that, "It's just the people, not the religion" is avoiding the issues since some of those people will justify their behavior based on their religious beliefs. And if they're behaving inappropriately, based on their religious beliefs, what does that say about their religions?
Sure, living according to the way they interpret the religion. What good is the religion is as good as it is for them.
But You are not responding to my questions. Do you hold the rioters at the capitol accountable for their actions, or Democracy that allows free speech and protest? Do you ask what good is Democracy and free speech if people don’t obey the laws? Why is religion different? Aren’t politicians supposed to uphold the law? If they break laws do we do away with government? Why is religion different?
If ypu ask a muslim the question he is sure to say Islam is about peace, not violence, because it is. If you, Phet, associate Islam with violence because of a bunch of extremists, then it is you who should explain why you do that.
Either you are unable to see how politics uses religion as ideology, including in the US, or you are pleading ignorance to bolster your false argument.
I have had 1 prayer unanswered...and there were external forces influencing...wait...one other...again ext forces.
There's a Formula to prayer. If one is serious about prayer or anything else(!) for that matter - ya gotta research the thing...whatever it is. And it could take a year or 2 of study.
1 thing: Core, unconscious beliefs have a huge part of getting prayers answered or wishes or hopes fulfilled or affirmations...all of it ..Law of Attraction...all the same things.
I'll say it again: Formula.
I DO believe that. I've started to pray many a time, and STOPPED because I realize that my heart really isn't into it. I even TELL Jesus something like, "You know what? My heart's not really into this. Tell you what, Lord...give me a chance to really think about what I'm asking for. Meanwhile, do what you will with the other prayers I've already said. Give them to someone else who needs them right now, and I'll get back to you." after that I think, "Yup! You're double-minded right now, Mink!"
What Jesus says about prayer really resonates with me. "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed..." But then again I think, "But if I have doubt as small as a mustards seed..." I won't get what I'm asking for.
Sure, living according to the way they interpret the religion. What good is the religion is as good as it is for them.
But You are not responding to my questions. Do you hold the rioters at the capitol accountable for their actions, or Democracy that allows free speech and protest? Do you ask what good is Democracy and free speech if people don’t obey the laws? Why is religion different? Aren’t politicians supposed to uphold the law? If they break laws do we do away with government? Why is religion different?
If ypu ask a muslim the question he is sure to say Islam is about peace, not violence, because it is. If you, Phet, associate Islam with violence because of a bunch of extremists, then it is you who should explain why you do that.
Either you are unable to see how politics uses religion as ideology, including in the US, or you are pleading ignorance to bolster your false argument.
I'm not foolish enough to stick up for religion no matter what.
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