I get some of it, some makes me cringe
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Originally Posted by
IncitingRiots
I never understood why people prayed for things. To me it makes more sense to go out and actually do something constructive towards achieving your goals rather prayer from some supernatural being to do it for you
Praying for stuff because you are lazy will be a net zero gain. If it is answered it will be a coincidence.
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I have heard countless stories of kids getting sick with diseases that could easily be cured by doctors, but the parents decide to try and use prayer instead. The result? Their children die. All the parents had to do was take their kid to a doctor, but no, they would rather put there trust in some god. The whole thing just seems pathetic to me.
It is to me as well especially since one of the gospel writers was a physician. To be sure though not all kids that go to a Doctor get well either. Granted there is a better chance if they do. Some groups misinterpret scripture badly and to go to a doctor is seen as a lack of faith so there is fear and peer presure involved. Certainly not what was intended.
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If you are going to pray to God; why not pray to a bottle of glue as well? Isn't it just as effective? If I were to pray and pray to a bottle of glue for some money, and by some stroke of luck I recieve a check in the mail for $20; did the bottle of glue do it? Did my prayer to this bottle actually result in me getting that money? "Surely not" you would say,"It is just a coincidence." How is praying to God any different?
Has someone ever had a conversation with you but did not actually engage you in that conversation? It happens to me at work all the time. Just about the time I try to join in, it's on to the next person. Why? Because there is no real relationship there. Same thing with prayer. Now I do understand that some people can have a relationship with a bottle of glue and that they would have some other pretty eccentric ideas as well. The again some people have the personality of a bottle of glue but who am I to judge? ;)
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***uming there is a god, with all these people praying for different things is it really worth the effort? It seems that the amount of compe***ion would make it useless to even try.
Compe***ion makes not worth it? JB Phillips wrote a skinny little book "Your God Is Too Small". Your posit is addressed in there among others. God cannot be overwhelmed by our prayers as He is not limited by having only two ears and limited attention span. Jesus once said "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Now this seems to be a nonsequiter because I lifted it out of context but if God can keep track of the sparrows and quickly changing numbers of hair on my head then the ***umption is that he can handle engaged conversations/prayers. Another aspect is that not even Jesus got everythig that he prayed for: "And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup p*** from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot p*** away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more." Three times he prayed for a way for the cup to p*** (basically the impending crucifixion). Paul, a significant figure in the New Testament known to heal many even left a man behind on a missionary journey becasue that man was sick and advised Timothy a discipled of his to take a medicinal treatent for his stomach. These men were not healed neither was Paul himself. I guess all prayers are answered. Sometimes even for our greats, it's "no". And sometimes it "Yes".
One last thought on prayer (though there is much more). In the Old testament, Abraham being alarmed for his brother's life upon learning God's plan for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah quizzed God (prayed/conversed with) "Surely if there are fifty righteous in the city you will not destroy it?" "If there are fifty, I will not destroy it". "Forty?" "No." It went like this down to ten. Abraham did not take his query down to one, he stopped at ten apparantly satisfied. Prayer sometimes changes us as we come to understand who God is.
Blessings,
MacG