A little rant about prayer

by BourneIdentity 23 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Vidiot

  The older I got, the more prayer felt kinda useless to me...

  ...after all, what was the point of praying for "God's Will to take place"? It's (supposedly) gonna take place whether you pray for it or not, so why bother?

  Same goes for asking for something specific to happen (or not happen) for yourself...

  ...if you don't receive what you asked for, then that means the answer was "no", and the fact that you specifically asked GOD for it makes said "no" even more painful.

  It got to the point where praying actually put me in a mild funk.
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  Incognigo Montoya

  A few years ago, when I went back, one of the things that had changed (new light) was being very specific in your prayers. The example given at the assembly, no less, was that if you were in need of a car (for service and getting to meetings no doubt) and you came upon one that would suffice, to include details about the car in your prayer. So instead of praying, "Jehovah, I need a car in order to serve you" you should pray, " Jehovah, in my search for a car, to better help me in my service to you, I found a 2013 Honda Accord Wagon, green in color, with only 58,000 miles. It's listed at $6500, which is in my budget. If it's your will, Jehovah, this is the vehicle I need to better help me and my family in service to you..."

  I was shocked. A 2013 Accord Wagon, low miles for $6500!

  But seriously, they said to be that specific in your prayer. My immediate thought was, does the starving kid in africa need to be that specific in order to get fed? Not "Jehovah, I'm starving. Please help me find food." But "Jehovah, I'm starving. I would like a McDonald's happy meal, nuggets, fries, and a milk. Also a toy to play with, in between meetings of course, but not the sparlock wizard, I know you don't like him..."

  When I was growing up, it was, 'Jehovah can read your heart. Give a heartfelt prayer, but don't pray for material things. Asking him for his help. If you're in need of transportation, pray for his guidance, he knows what you need." I'll never forget an experience given at another assembly, when I was young, by a pioneer couple, who needed a car for their ministry. They were struggling financially, and prayed to Jehovah about their need for transportation. After praying they noticed an ad in the classifieds section of a local paper. It was for a Mercedes. The price was very cheap, and the brother thought it was a typo. But he called any way, as well as calling about a few other vehicles. Well, it turns out the price wasn't a typo and the way everything worked out, they acquired the Mercedes, with ease. It must have been Jehovahs will...

  Everyone applauded, of course.

  But what if they had prayed for a Honda Accord wagon instead...?
• 

  stan livedeath

  i stopped praying to jehovah when he didnt give me a bigger penis.
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  Nathan Natas

  For me the jig was up when I realized that Jehovah made my ruler smaller.
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  Maria Nieves

  @ShirleyW, at a recent Watchtower meeting, there was a story in the Watchtower that was discussed. The story involved a mother who was home with her children and the children were hungry and crying. The mother did not have any food to feed her children.

  The Witnesses were going door to door doing the preaching work. When they knocked on her door, she was given Jehovah Witness literature.

  The mother became irate and argued with the Witnesses asking them if the literature was going to feed her children.

  The following day, the Witnesses left a basket of food at her door. Supposedly, the mother was so touched and moved that she began to study and soon became a witness.

  I mention this story because it sounds like the story that you mentioned. Coincidence?
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  Ultimate Axiom

  Those who believe that their prayer has been answered when an outcome they have prayed for actually happens generally fall for the idea that “ALL prayers are answered, it’s just that sometimes the answer is no”. You cannot reason logically with such people. A parent watching their child starve to death while praying for food is simply unfortunate - their prayer WAS answered.

  Such people are simply unable to see that the expression, “there but for the grace of God goes I” simply means, “there but for the lack of grace goes him”. Why God should discriminate so much doesn’t enter their heads, they are just thankful to God that He has provided for them. The idea of questioning why they have been favoured while others have not doesn't arise, after all, that would be questioning God's way of doing things, and that would never do.
  
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  punkofnice

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPqCUMljes
  
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  ShirleyW

  Maria Nieves - mention this story because it sounds like the story that you mentioned. Coincidence?

  I heard the story in my Cong (and the sister that it "supposedly" happened to was in the cong) back in the early 70's, when did you hear the story you shared? Seems like they keep the same BS stories just rolling along after all these years!!
  
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  LV101

  Thanks for the link, Punk. I actually (finally) took the time to watch but had no doubt when others posted before. It's wonderful -- how we love magic over reality.
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  Nathan Natas

  Thanks, PunkOfNice, that was excellent!