Praying - does it help?

[Ghostwriter]

Does it?, has it ever, it always makes me wonder whenever a disaster or tragedy occurs that people say they are prayin' for the victims, the sick etc, and I can't even imagine how many people are praying at the moment and nothings happening, is it?

 

[bunsen burner]

I'm betting not too many religious people are touching this one. Why would you touch something that must send serious doubts about their faith? Much better to pretend they didn't see this one and forgot about it asap.

 

[- PC -]

Does it?, has it ever, it always makes me wonder whenever a disaster or tragedy occurs that people say they are prayin' for the victims, the sick etc, and I can't even imagine how many people are praying at the moment and nothings happening, is it?

IMO prayer is about self catharsis
___________________________________________
ca·thar·sis ( P ) Pronunciation Key (k-thärss)
n. pl. ca·thar·ses (-sz)
Medicine. Purgation, especially for the digestive system.
A purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, described by Aristotle as an effect of tragic drama on its audience.
A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit.
Psychology.
A technique used to relieve tension and anxiety by bringing repressed feelings and fears to consciousness.

_____________________________


It serves no other purpose than making one feel better or understand the feelings or emotions one is going through

But like meditation and co if it makes a person feel good to do so then do so

 

[Ghostwriter]

What about when people pray for rain etc. during a drought and when it rains they say our prayers were answered, at the moment heavy rain is falling in Aceh, perhaps the prayers got mixed up.

 

[Roobunny]

As an athiest me praying would simply be hypocritical and false, why would I pray to a God I don't believe in? If I said to anyone my prayers were with them, it would be insincere.

 

[- PC -]

What about when people pray for rain etc. during a drought and when it rains they say our prayers were answered, at the moment heavy rain is falling in Aceh, perhaps the prayers got mixed up.

Serendipity...concidence...life

If they DIDNT pray for rain , would they have thought it was gods work?

 

[demon_dave]

praying is self-serving, its all about person doing it, if you have a logical mind you know prayer is ridiculous, but the person who says "I will pray for you" or "I prayed for you" its all about them thinking I'm doing my bit, I suggest instead of praying for someone you roll up your sleeves and do something

 

[deeslover4ever]

No. Unless you really think it does.

 

[Birdy]

Does it?, has it ever, it always makes me wonder whenever a disaster or tragedy occurs that people say they are prayin' for the victims, the sick etc, and I can't even imagine how many people are praying at the moment and nothings happening, is it?

Prayer is never in vain, God is pleased when people seek Him and come to repentance. We are told that God will hear our prayers if they are according to His will.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

 

[mulhollanddrive]

I am pleased when people talk to me too.

 

[Rookie]

I'm betting not too many religious people are touching this one. Why would you touch something that must send serious doubts about their faith? Much better to pretend they didn't see this one and forgot about it asap.

With comments like that how could I not post?

If there is a God, who is involved in the lives of men such as the Biblical God, why would appealing to Him be a waste of time, especially seeing He encourages it?

...the person who says "I will pray for you" or "I prayed for you" its all about them thinking I'm doing my bit, I suggest instead of praying for someone you roll up your sleeves and do something...

Fair enough, too.

 

[finders]

Prayer is never in vain, God is pleased when people seek Him and come to repentance. We are told that God will hear our prayers if they are according to His will.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

So you are an expert on every thing are you?
Or do you just look for convientent qoutes from the bilbe to back up your religious fanatisim?
Can you give us the enlightenment of your vast human knowledge and PROVE that prayer to ANY god (or is it only the jesus god we have pray to?) has ever changed ANYTHING.

 

[CharlieG]

Prayer is never in vain, God is pleased when people seek Him and come to repentance. We are told that God will hear our prayers if they are according to His will.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Oh, so you mean they won't actually change anything? That they'll only be answered if God already planned to do it anyway?

What, then, is the point of praying?

 

[bunsen burner]

Prayer is never in vain, God is pleased when people seek Him and come to repentance. We are told that God will hear our prayers if they are according to His will.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Ok. This tsunami covered a huge area. Populous areas. Many people in these areas would have prayed everyday or every week. Most likely they have preyed for well-being. Although they wouldn't have specifically prayed for no tsunamis, it is assumed that if they are praying for well-being that this covers tsunamis.

They prayed and God didn't respond. You say that is because their prayers are not according to His will. So we can deduce that it was God's will to have a tsunami.

Do you care to clarify your position on this please?

 

[JW Frogen]

If you pray to manipulate God, "God give me this, God do this" it will not work, unless you get lucky, someone usually wins the lottery.

But if you pray and say "God give me courage and hope, if not understanding, thy will be done, for there is nothing but they will." Then it can help.

Tragedy can lead to despair or hope, prayer or meditation can prepare one's soul to turn the former into the latter.

As a Zen poet wrote: "Barns burnt down, now I can see the Moon."

 

[bunsen burner]

It you pray to manipulate God, "God give me this, God do this" it will not work, unless you get lucky, someone usually wins the lottery.

But if you pray and say "God give me courage and hope, if not understanding, thy will be done, for there is nothing but they will." Then it can help.

What if they simply prayed for well-being? He gave them a tsunami. Hardly a reasonable fellow this God. Or conversely, maybe praying is a bit shyt sandwich and has absolutely no influence on nature whatsoever.

Tragedy can lead to despair or hope, prayer or meditation can prepare one's soul to turn the former into the latter.

As a Zen poet wrote: "Barns burnt down, now I can see the Moon."

I see. So God cretaed a tsunami as some sort of gift?

 

[JW Frogen]

Burner, I addressed your first point in my first sentence.

As to your second point, plate tectonics created the tsunami, God can help one endure it, and find meaning in the continuation of life. In fact, there would have been no life at all without God.

One cannot manipulate God, nor can one understand God, one can only experience God, and if they do, they will see the Moon, even when their heart aches at the burning barn.

 

[skipper kelly]

I was involved in a discussion about this today with some extended family members ages ranging from 14 - 62 and we all had differing views. Interesting topic. I try and seek the truth in my life so I got great enjoyment from this. Didnt find the truth though.

The events in SEA and the question of these events in relation to God, has posed and driven me to serious thought on the subject. I can honestly and understandably see where the anger and disbelief is coming from, but I keep coming back to the one question.

If God exists, and for the sake of this thread I am assuming He does, and He intervened and didnt allow these events to happen, what type of world would we live in?

Where would or should the line be drawn for intervention?

 

[JW Frogen]

This assumes God as seperate from creation, God as controller. Sort of a God that plays with it's creation, rather than God as mystery of being itself.

The book of Job dealt with this question long ago, the short answer was Job realised God was there when he was happy, God was there when he suffered unbearable tragedy, God was always there. That there would be no Job without God.

Job learns that a human, a limited human, can never understand the totality of life or being, let alone God. But a human can experience God and know life is worth living, that it is a beautiful gift, even when it seems cruel or without meaning.

 

[raskolnikov]

At the beginning of last year my father went into shock when something went horribly wrong during a fairly routine operation. He had to be flown from Toowoomba to Brisbane by helicopter. Before they put him on the plane the doctors told mum he probably wouldn't survive the flight and if he did would have about a 20% chance of living. I was in Taiwan at the time and took the next possible flight home but was told my father wouldn't be alive when I got there. My parents are church goers and the people at the church prayed for my father. His recovery was amazing and the doctors were all calling him the miracle man.

Having said that, that was a situation where God did answer prayer. There are other situations where it appears He doesn't. However, just because He doesn't always answer prayer in the way we would like it doesn't mean that He doesn't listen to our prayers. Sometimes what we pray isn't in accordance with His purposes.

For example my brother was killed in a car accident when he was 19. I can imagine that if he had been in a critical condition in hospital before he died people would have been praying that he would survive. However, my brother was a drug addict and had a lot of emotional problems. Who's to say that God didn't take him to spare him any more pain on earth? In that case the prayers wouldn't have been in accordance with His will.

I'm not pretending to understand why God allowed this tsunami to happen but I don't think we always need to understand. As it says in the Bible, "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts".
I do think that sometimes we need to experience pain and suffering in order to appreciate good things. As an illustration, albeit maybe a shallow one, if our team won every week it would be boring to go to the footy. It is the losses that make victory sweeter. As an Essendon supporter I was devastated after the 1999 preliminary loss but that only made the joy of 2000 so much sweeter.

The human loss as a result of this tsunami is a tragedy but if you believe in the afterlife, as I do, there is some consolation in knowing that those who perished have moved on to a higher level of being.

 

[Best Coast]

I felt like god today, there was a spider in the bath tub, so I turned on the water to try and get him out. Alas he wasnt as prepared for water as I had thought, and he drowned by the time I got him out with a magazine.


as for praying, I dont really pray for other people - just myself. yes I have a bit to learn.

 

[JW Frogen]

I felt like god today, there was a spider in the bath tub, so I turned on the water to try and get him out. Alas he wasnt as prepared for water as I had thought, and he drowned by the time I got him out with a magazine.


as for praying, I dont really pray for other people - just myself. yes I have a bit to learn.

Seems like you were acting more like bad weather and a very bad search and rescue.

 

[- PC -]

At the beginning of last year my father went into shock when something went horribly wrong during a fairly routine operation. He had to be flown from Toowoomba to Brisbane by helicopter. Before they put him on the plane the doctors told mum he probably wouldn't survive the flight and if he did would have about a 20% chance of living. I was in Taiwan at the home and took the next possible flight home but was told my father wouldn't be alive when I got there. My parents are church goers and the people at the church prayed for my father. His recovery was amazing and the doctors were all calling him the miracle man. .

And this is the question of FAITH

If you hadnt prayed would he have still survived? Or did the support of his fellow friends and family encourage his mind and body to maintain life?

 

[Contra Mundum]

There are people who have let the problems of today
Lead them to conclude that for them life is not the way
But every problem has an answer and if yours you cannot find
You should talk it over to Him
He'll give you peace of mind
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God

Many of us feel we walk alone without a friend
Never communicating with the One who lives within
Forgetting all about the One who never ever lets you down
And you can talk to him anytime He's always around
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God

Well He's the only free psychiatrist that's known throughout the world
For solving problems of all men, women, little boys and girls
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God
When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God
When your load's too much to bear
Just go talk to God He cares
I know he does

When you feel your life's too hard
Just go have a talk with God
thank you
thank you very much

 

[Best Coast]

You go to the church, you kiss the cross
You will be saved at any cost
You have your own reality
Christianity
You spend your life just kissing ass
A trait that's grown as time has passed
You think the world will end today
You praise the Lord, it's all you say

Jesus saves, listen to you pray
You think you'll see the pearly gates
When death takes you away

For all respect you cannot lust
In an invisible man you place your trust
Indirect dependency
Eternal attempt at amnesty
He will decide who lives and dies
Depopulate Satanas rise
You will be an accessory
Irreverence and blasphemy


Jesus saves, no need to pray
The gates of pearl have turned to gold
It seems you've lost your way



Jesus saves, no words of praise
No promised land to take you to
There is no other way