by gaiagirl 42 Replies latest jw friends
JWs, and Christians in genreral, are taught that God answers prayers of sincere believers. On the other hand, there is a popular bumpersticker which reads "Nothing FAILS like prayer".
What has been your experience in this regard? Did God answer your most heartfelt prayers, or were they ignored?
George Carlin sums it up for me.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vSZWDGLIKyY
r rated for boobs and cussin and whatnot.
Prayer works just fine in getting in touch with ones own inner thoughts, fears, hopes, to realize what needs to be done in order to fix things. It calms you down, gives you focus, and let's you dump your worries onto something you believe is bigger than us, which - true or not - takes a load off you. So does it work? Yes, I think it can.
Does it work in a supernatural way, where a deity fixes or lightens your problems and burdens, big and small? Not in my experience.
Gareth Knight wrote "Prayer is the yearning of the soul for union with its divine source, an articulate expression of aspiration"
Since we have freewill, prayer is a method by which we "put out there" what it is we need and want. It works upon US first and foremost.
Sirona
It worked for me.
3 weeks after I asked Jesus to let me know for sure if the JW's really had the truth I was the subject of an intensive investigation involving apostasy within the congregation.
Something I noticed when I first started having responsibilities in the hall and even more so as MS was that during the song we were busy doing all kinds of things at the back of the hall or arranging mics on the platform. Prayer was a holdup for elders and MS, since they needed to stop doing what they were doing and act like they are sincerely praying. There were always complains about the brothers known for their long prayers lol.
I think worship doesnt really play a big part in a jw life. Its more about activities: FS, hours, meeting attendance, participation and placing litterateur. In fact, on a visit to bethel I felt strange to hear the term "morning worship"... it sounded so church-like!
Many jws and ex-jws (including myself) I talked to admit that they never really prayed and don't listen to the prayers spoken at the kh. Prayer was/is just a formality.
As a jw I had strong faith in jah, but felt like a hypocrite about this. A wt came out talking about "lip service". So I decided not pray everyday or before every meal, but only when I felt like it, thinking this may be more pleasing to jah. (this was not in line with the wt) Sometimes many weeks would go by without praying, which I thought wasn't good, yet better then pretending. I mainly prayed when I felt troubled about something, usually it was unfair situations in the congregation.
fts
Oh, and my prayers were never answered, no matter how much I pleaded...
I strongly agree with Honesty. Prayer worked for me. I sincerely prayed to God for clarity. I explained to God in my prayers that if he would tell me exactly what to do spiritually then I would do it even if it meant going back to the Kingdumb Hall (which I didn't want to do but was willing if he clearly told me to). I hadn't been going to the meetings for years. After that prayer I decided to go to the Memorial just to see if I felt any kind of "spark." My prayers were answered that Memorial night. The service felt so empty. I had been away for years just to return to the same robotic behavior. I thought "Why are only these special people that are taking emblems? Who do they think they are? They are no better than me. I started reading my bible and to my pleasant surprise, I didn't need the Society interpreting it for me. No Watchtower or Awake, just my own brain. I attended church with a friend and was stunned. I was saved not long after my first visit to a church. What are the chances that the first church I attend ever in my life would be the place with answers for me? I'd say God answered my prayers. Life has never been sweeter than when you see clearly.
Awakened 07 - I agree with you. After you've gone through that process and can see what need to be done it is then up to you to do it - so you actually do the answering to your prayer.
It worked for me. I was praying for a few months for clarity if JW's were the true religion & if there is a true religion. I started reading the Bible and also was amazed how I could interpret it with my own Brain.
I prayed "How would we ever know the true religion unless it came knocking on our door and that may never happen in a life time". A week later the postman knocked on my door with 'Crisis of Conscience' by Ray Franz. His book gave me all the answers I needed. I'd say God answered my Prayers, but you have to make the first step and he guides you in the right direction.
