Does God have a choice whether to answer a prayer or not?

Magical Realist

Magical Realist

Valued Senior Member
He IS the head hauncho afterall. And being omnicient he can actually see the results of granting a prayer in advance. So praying to God is basically like praying to your garbage can. The prospect of your prayer being answered as uncertain as if you had never prayed at all. Why pray then?


prayer-optimization.jpg
 
wynn said:
Because people want stuff.:shrug:
Click to expand...
It's not about stuff; we can get that on our own. It's really about experiencing something sacred, something holy. It's also about deliverance from suffering. I cannot imagine praying for stuff when there are human beings suffering all over the world.
 
Mazulu said:
It's not about stuff; we can get that on our own. It's really about experiencing something sacred, something holy. It's also about deliverance from suffering. I cannot imagine praying for stuff when there are human beings suffering all over the world.
Click to expand...


Since human beings are responsible for much of the suffering then it is on us to fix it! If you want to pray fine but pray while you are rowing the boat.
 
quinnsong said:
Since human beings are responsible for much of the suffering then it is on us to fix it! If you want to pray fine but pray while you are rowing the boat.
Click to expand...

This; yep.

I think that there is a misconception whether brought on by believers, or not...that prayer is something performed in absence of action, for a believer. That no action is necessary...believers are just 'kneeling around,' waiting for a cosmic solution to their woes and the woes of others. Not so.
 
wegs said:
This; yep.

I think that there is a misconception whether brought on by believers, or not...that prayer is something performed in absence of action, for a believer. That no action is necessary...believers are just 'kneeling around,' waiting for a cosmic solution to their woes and the woes of others. Not so.
Click to expand...

In my experience both are true, those that just pray and those that pray and do.
 
quinnsong said:
In my experience both is true, those that just pray and those that pray and do.
Click to expand...

Oh, I agree...my comment was to say that across the board, not all believers would believe as such. This reminds me of a story a while back about a young boy who had cancer, and his parents refused chemo treatment and he died. The parents believed in solely invoking the ''healing power of God'' through prayer. That if their child died, it would be 'God's will.' This thread brought that story back to life in my mind. Not my place to judge another's belief system/religion, but people shouldn't be permitted to neglect or injure others through the ''vehicle'' of their particular religion. Not to derail the topic, but that story illustrates why solely relying on prayer isn't practical. (And for those that rely on the Bible for their beliefs, nowhere in Scripture does it say to rely solely on prayer.)
 
wegs said:
Oh, I agree...my comment was to say that across the board, not all believers would believe as such. This reminds me of a story a while back about a young boy who had cancer, and his parents refused chemo treatment and he died. The parents believed in solely invoking the ''healing power of God'' through prayer. That if their child died, it would be 'God's will.' This thread brought that story back to life in my mind. Not my place to judge another's belief system/religion, but people shouldn't be permitted to neglect or injure others through the ''vehicle'' of their particular religion. Not to derail the topic, but that story illustrates why solely relying on prayer isn't practical. (And for those that rely on the Bible for their beliefs, nowhere in Scripture does it say to rely solely on prayer.)
Click to expand...

I was called to jury duty on a similar case in California and I was thankful that the prosecution dropped me.
 
Stuff means TV sets, video games, new cars, materialistic stuff that we don't need to survive. I'm not talking about jobs, healthcare or freedom. You sounded cynical in your assessment that people pray for unnecessary materialistic stuff; at least that is the way I read your post. There is nothing wrong with praying for a job, healthcare or freedom.
 
Magical Realist said:
He IS the head hauncho afterall. And being omnicient he can actually see the results of granting a prayer in advance. So praying to God is basically like praying to your garbage can. The prospect of your prayer being answered as uncertain as if you had never prayed at all. Why pray then?
Click to expand...

Yeah he does according to the Bible; people pray because he might say yes.
 
wegs said:
Oh, I agree...my comment was to say that across the board, not all believers would believe as such. This reminds me of a story a while back about a young boy who had cancer, and his parents refused chemo treatment and he died. The parents believed in solely invoking the ''healing power of God'' through prayer. That if their child died, it would be 'God's will.' This thread brought that story back to life in my mind. Not my place to judge another's belief system/religion, but people shouldn't be permitted to neglect or injure others through the ''vehicle'' of their particular religion. Not to derail the topic, but that story illustrates why solely relying on prayer isn't practical. (And for those that rely on the Bible for their beliefs, nowhere in Scripture does it say to rely solely on prayer.)
Click to expand...

But it's not like those parents got it wrong somehow in believing prayer will heal the sick. This comes straight out of the Bible. They were just doing what the Bible says to do.

James 5:13-15

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."
 
wynn said:
Tell that to the millions of unemployed, sick, oppressed and so on.
Click to expand...

Here is a prayer that might work. My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me? Oh wait, that did not work the first time!

Just another set of problems humans can fix if they do the hard work of making systemic changes in economic policy. How about praying for a blessing for the work that you are about to do in eliminating poverty, healing the sick and freeing the oppressed.
 
Magical Realist said:
But it's not like those parents got it wrong somehow in believing prayer will heal the sick. This comes straight out of the Bible. They were just doing what the Bible says to do.

James 5:13-15

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."
Click to expand...

True, but that doesn't assume we shouldn't utilize medicine and/or other means, if it's afforded to us. I do believe in prayer, but not as the sole means of what we should do in a crisis. Martin Luther King Jr was a devout Christian, and he did a heckuva lot more than 'just' pray about the changes he wished to see relating to civil rights. He took action AND prayed through it. So, to do nothing but pray over a situation, is a misinterpretation of the Bible readings. (my opinion)
 
quinnsong said:
Here is a prayer that might work. My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me? Oh wait, that did not work the first time!

Just another set of problems humans can fix if they do the hard work of making systemic changes in economic policy. How about praying for a blessing for the work that you are about to do in eliminating poverty, healing the sick and freeing the oppressed.
Click to expand...
The notion of uniform global social benefit arising from linear models of economic expansion is a myth of contemporary western culture.

No doubt you will say I am mistaken .... despite being unable to cite anything beyond rhetoric that has no practical precedent
 
wegs said:
True, but that doesn't assume we shouldn't utilize medicine and/or other means, if it's afforded to us. I do believe in prayer, but not as the sole means of what we should do in a crisis. Martin Luther King Jr was a devout Christian, and he did a heckuva lot more than 'just' pray about the changes he wished to see relating to civil rights. He took action AND prayed through it. So, to do nothing but pray over a situation, is a misinterpretation of the Bible readings. (my opinion)
Click to expand...
If only there were more like you wegs, the world would be a better place. That is very true, what you say.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top