Believers in Deity expect three [3] possible outcomes or answers to every prayer.
1 - Answer is Yes
2- Answer is No
3- Wait
Scenario:
You are short of money, so you pray to God for some help. As a Deity Believer, you expect one of the above outcomes.
1- Three weeks after you pray a relative whom you barely knew dies, you get a letter telling you that you have inherited $1000 from his estate. The answer is 'Yes' - your faith in God is confirmed. Your prayer is answered. You have the money you needed. [Unfortunately, in this instance someone had to die for God to answer your prayer, but your prayer is answered.] Thank God! He knows just what I needed! Praise be to God!
2- Nothing happens. No money comes in the mail. No raises or bonuses at work. As time passes you get by just fine financially, as you always have. You review the matter and determine that God answered - he aided you to work it out on your own, manage your resources well. No money - prayer answered. Thank God! He knows just what I needed! Praise be to God!
3- Years go by, you have assumed that God has taken choice #2 - No - in answer to your prayer. But then, out of the blue, you win the lottery. It's not the million dollars, but you can make some big dents in your debt, pay off your house perhaps, and have the freedom to finally take a real vacation. You waited on God - He came thru - prayer answered. Thank God! He knows just what I needed! Praise be to God!
You see - God cannot lose in the scenario painted by Christians [and perhaps others] who establish these criteria for prayer. On the other hand - the rational person sees it for what it really is; You pray often. Your uncle died and left you some money. You hit a jackpot based on random chance.
Life is a series of events, largely random, but also influenced by culture, time, and personal effort. I play golf. Over the course of time I have hit some shots that would have impressed Tiger Woods had he seen them. But most of the time, I just play mediocre golf. The randomness of those good shots is affected by many things - not the least of which is my level of practice, the right conditions, and just random chance that I connect 'this time' with precision as I strike the ball. Life is like that. Sometimes out of the blue we make a hole in one - it really doesn't matter if we 'call it' that way or not - we can't make a hole in one every time, it is a random event, a rare event. Still God has nothing to do with it - or I could pray and have a hole in one every time. But no! If I prayed for that, I would have one of the three scenarios above every time. When I finally hit that hole in one I could exclaim - Thank God! He knows just what I needed! Praise be to God! - but that would be silly.
I do believe that there is power in prayer however. The power of positive thinking. I don't underestimate the ability of our minds to aid in our healing, or the occurrence of positive events because our outlook is positive. I even believe that in some cases our bodies might heal themselves from serious illness, based in part on positive thinking [even in the form of prayer]. Other times it is just random perhaps.
Sometimes, a very cranky, old, mean spirited atheist, like myself, heals or gets money or meets the right person or leaves the house seven seconds early and misses being killed as a bridge falls. Thank God! He knows just what I needed! Praise be to God!- NOT.
