by SpannerintheWorks 29 Replies latest jw friends
Has anybody got any hard evidence that asking for something, through prayer, actually gives them what they were asking for?
Jesus promised to give anything to them that asked. Have you asked for something (in prayer), but it hasn't been given?
Spanner
I have prayed continuously for a child, and it hasn't happened. I don't think it's meant to be, that's my take on it.
The punch line is "God owes me a car/job/beer? Right? There is a bit more to this than just asking...most pastors wouldn't preach this drivel. Prayer will always get an answer, sometimes the answer is NO, or Wait. Those things we ask for are given to us as long as it's within God's will.
As to the effectiveness of prayer...I read an article in a medical mag that did a study on prayer. Those patients who prayed and were prayed for healed better and faster. They even tried it with plants, those plants that were prayed for grew better and were healthier.
Spanner,
It worked both ways for me. When I prayed that my son catch a baseball at a Major League baseball game, with in the next 10 minutes a foul ball was hit directly at him and he got it.
But when I asked God to remove the crazy doubts my ex-wife had about my being faithful to her and her desire for a divorce. (after all, Jehovah hates a divorcing, so this should have been in-line with his will) She claims the doubts were not removed and she went through with the divorce tearing the family apart.
I have not been on speaking terms with god since. I guess he is just a bigger baseball fan than he is a fan of the marriage instatution.
I know many unhappy, sick, poor people who pray constantly for relief, and NOTHING.
I know bums, tramps, evil people who have all in life. Did they pray? NO
So does praying work? NO
If you pray to thank God for something, Ok he will listen, but don't ask for anything, you will not get it. It's sad, but thats that.
Edited by - jh on 9 December 2002 14:24:44
Spanner,
I'm glad I can say that, yes, I've often received specific answers to my prayers, sometimes immediately (as within the hour) but sometimes over a period of time (like 6 months or more). But there have been some prayers that seemed never to receive an answer, and yet I can't say that with certainty since an answer might have come that I didn't notice and that was probably different from what I was expecting.
As for providing "hard evidence" for others, I hesitate to do that since my prayers are personal. I think the best hard evidence is available to anyone who simply puts this powerful aspect of Christianity to work during good times and bad. Like most people, I often tend to let days and even weeks go by before I remember that prayer is often the key to better times and a better life.
I have to honestly admit that I got some answers even when I was a JW. But the answers during those many years were few and far between, to the best of my recollection.
fjtoth
Prayer will always get an answer, sometimes the answer is NO, or Wait. Those things we ask for are given to us as long as it's within God's will.
I used to tell "Ugly" sisters in the Hall the same thing, they prayed for a man and no man shows up
i would tell them the same as this poster has --YOUR ANSWER IS NO-
of course i couldn't just tell her that most men are fleshly and and want a fine looking woman and since there are "42" sisters in this hall (and it was 42 single women from 24-45yrs of age in this hall) you ain't got a snowball chance in He!! of getting some single bro walking in here to give the talk on sunday
what i like about this post is that it is another clear example of Mental gymnastics that believers are required to do to support thier belief system
using his logic god wins if he answers the prayer and he wins if he doesn't answer the prayer
notice the pattern ----
1. Increase in Publishers- Jah is blessing us
2. Decrease in publisher- Jah is blessing us by cleaning out his org
these are just little mental techniques that belief systems use to keep from saying that the king has no clothes on
how sad
i believe you need faith to pray and have prayers answered...i have no faith,,,there for i do not try to pray...i don't believe it would ever work for me...but then,,maybe for some one else...who knows
If you pray for yourself to get well, or are aware of others who are praying for you, there is sometimes a marginal improvement, but this is apparently due to the placebo effect. However, there is no credible evidence that intercessory prayer, which is prayer by strangers, at a distance, without the knowledge of the recipients, works. If one believes that intercessory prayer works, it is easy enough to test it. Just have your entire congregation pray that all of the women in New York City who conceive this month will refuse to have an abortion. If the prayer works, then the birth rate in that city will show a huge spike upward nine months from now.
However, there is no credible evidence that intercessory prayer, which is prayer by strangers, at a distance, without the knowledge of the recipients, works.
i saw this show on tv that showed how this dude got better after all these strangers prayed for him unbeknown to him-
i all most wanted to laugh - i'm sitting here thinking Dr are actually running this test
i would think that any first year med student would know a that NO TWO BODIES HEAL at the same rate- i mean i know folks who get a cold and they are down for 24hours and others can be down and out all week-
