Have you ever had a prayer answered? (page 5)

lovelylil

mdb,

I take some offense to your comments posted about prayer. Now, I agree not all prayers are answered by God and only HE knows the reason. And I agree you have to have full faith he will answer for it to work, because otherwise, what is the point? But what I did not like, and I am sorry to say it is your underlining of certain words.

Because I am in no way saying or even implying that my prayers were answered because I am more upright nor more righteous than anyone else on this forum. We are ALL sinners, my friend. Not one of us is better in any way. I believe it is just a matter of faith thats all.

My best advice to those who have yet to have prayers answered, is to try to build a closer relationship with God, if you do believe he exists, by praying daily. This will build your faith in him that he can and will answer your prayers. And be specific in your prayers. I always do this and then I know it was a prayer answered. And, also just remember sometimes the answer is no.

Wishing you all love and hope all your future prayers will be answered. Lilly

Robdar

Yes, I've had prayers answered. Several times. It usually happens when I pray for knowledge or guidance about a certain situation. The thing is, when you pray for guidance, you have to pay attention to the answer you are given. You can't ignore it even if you don't like the answer. I've had other prayers answered too but I prefer not to discuss those--too personal.

kid-A

If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. ~Anatole France

If you believe everything you read, you better not read. ~Japanese Proverb

All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. ~Paul Simon

-Nuff said.....

mdb

Because I am in no way saying or even implying that my prayers were answered because I am more upright nor more righteous than anyone else on this forum. We are ALL sinners, my friend. Not one of us is better in any way. I believe it is just a matter of faith thats all.

Lovelylil,

My post was in no way intended to offend, but if someone is offended because they want nothing to do with the truth, then be offended (I know that is not the case with you). What I posted is directly from the Scriptures. Take it for what it is.

If you are deep in divination, worshipping trees, or in your heart choose to live your life in a way that contradicts the faith you may or may not profess in God and pray expecting that your prayer will be answered, you deceive yourself. I am not saying that any or all unanswered prayer is because you're a wicked person who does not deserve your prayer(s) to be answered - sometimes God says, "No. I have a better way."

As you said, "we are ALL sinners" and it is a "matter of faith". What was it said of Abraham? Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. It is by faith and the prayer offered in faith will save and heal the sick. If it was because of our righteousness that our prayers would be answered, we would be better off not to pray at all - none of our petitions would be heard. Our righteousness is like filthy rags to our Holy God and the righteousness we do have, as children of God and followers of Jesus Christ, is not our own.

God seeks the sincere hearts of those who love and fear Him. Our faith will be proved by what we do and we are justified by our works (NOT saved by them... I had to add that).

I am certain we agree here.

lowden

Hey Nicksterlaou

I used to be regular pioneer along with my then wife. We brought up 3 amazing boys in the faith (more me after she left). The kids were interviewed on the circuit and district assembly platforms cos they were such shining examples, life was good, centre of the cong' and all that. I prayed ALOT, then i messed up. Am i convinced of the power of prayer? NO, not at all!!

I'll never forget the American sister being interviewed on the Panorama TV programme about the proliferation of JW paedophiles. Her daughter was regularly molested by a Min Srvant. The elders of course didn't believe her or her daughter. They told her to 'go away, read the bible and PRAY'. She did, prayed and thumbed through her bible so much that she nearly wore it out. But that man never saw justice! If god answered prayers he would have put that poor, poor woman and her precious daughter out of their deeply disturbing misery. They were treated like dogs by the WTS and god stood and watched. That is just one story of thousands that could FILL this board,as well we know.

Peace

Lowden

lowden

Another thing! It disturbs me when people say that god answers prayers 'as he sees fit'. What about the American JW father tht prayed that his pregnant JW daughter be safe and well whilst he went away for a some time. Well, whilst he was away.... she was murdered!! Stabbed to death! Did god 'not see fit' to answer that prayer? No more excuses.

Peace

Lowden

slacker911

Absolutely not. To me, when a person finds instances of God answering prayers they are finding treasure in a landfill and ignoring all the garbage around them.

It blows my mind when people say that God answered their prayer about recovering from an illness, getting a job, or stopping a person from getting abused, or got over a drug problem or whatever. To the person who got sick, did you not pray about your health before you got sick? If you really "believe" in God and that prayer was all that was needed, why did you get sick in the first place? Why did you go to the doctor at all? You clearly didnt need anything that they offered you. What about getting fired or laid off from your job? Why was God not looking out for you ahead of time? Or when you were hooked on drugs? Where was God when you started to go downhill?

Now, I can hear the stock reply already brewing. God let me go through this test to make me stronger, or see his love for me, or this or that. To me, that is total garbage. That would be like holding my sons hand to the burner on a stove, or sitting by watching and letting him hold it on the stove, so he would learn the lesson I wanted him to, or learned that I would tend to his wound, and make it all better in the end. Child Protective Services would take my kid away, and rightly so. Why does God get a hall pass???? Especially when he can prevent it in the first place?? And also, do you honestly expect me to believe that God let a quarter million people die in a tsunami 18 months ago and then got your dad a job? Or fixed a faulty medical device? Or healed Terrill Owens in time so he could play in the Super Bowl, which is a claim he made. Come on. To beleive that God is sitting around waiting for you to pray in the right way and answer your prayer while he lets everyone else suffer and die is self centered and arrogant.

Apostate Kate

Prayer is not some trick to harness the power of God. It is communing with the One who made all things. God has a perfect will for our lives. Prayer puts us in touch with that perfect will. Everything I ask for, when it is according to His will, He gives me. Everything.

For instance, it IS His will that the person in rehab stop backsliding into drugs. The only wild card here was his free will desires. No one can force someone to be ready to make a change. I can pray that God work on that persons heart, put obstacles in that persons life to block their habitual sin (drug abuse), but God will never FORCE someone to love Him and be willing to give up a habit for Him. He will send His angels and Spirit to minister to that person. But God knew when this person would be ready, and at that very moment, He provided a way.

I lived life without this kind of effective prayer for the first 30 years of my life. I know the difference. Why do some prayers not get answered? It is not His will for you at that time. He is all knowing all seeing. There is so much we don't understand but I have come to see much of the way His will works for us, even though it seems He is just not caring.

The greatest difference is if one does not believe in an afterlife, no adversity is going to make sense to you. Do you think the thousands of after death experiences are some little quirck of the brain like the athiests try to tell themselves? Children's hearts stop and they see Light and family that has passed on. Adults hearts stop and they see either the Light, or demons and are horribly terrified to die.

When one believes that this is not the end, everything falls into place.

nicolaou

Here's the thing. What parent would ignore cries of help from his children? Let's say the children were really selfish and only ever spoke to their father when they needed help. I could understand the father refusing requests for money or a new car but to ignore pleas for medical help? A lifeline? Not to reach down a hand and pull even an ungrateful child up from a cliff edge?

What loving parent puts conditions on how his children speak to him? Respect must be shown of course but most human parents will always seek out their children even when they misbehave, are in prison or living lives of unrepentant debauchery. If my child were like that I would want him to change of course but I wouldn't cut myself off from him as a punishment for not making that change.

A god of love? I wonder.

Narkissos

Nic,

My take, fwiw:

Objectively, "God" (or any god, or prayer, or religion) makes no sense.

But no subject can be reduced to objectivity.

Have you ever had a prayer answered?

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