No, Prayer has not worked for me or my husband. My husbands father died of Lung Cancer and was so very sick. Everyone in their family prayed and asked Jesus to place his healing hands on him. Within 6mths of being diagnosed he was dead. That is when my husband starting loosing his faith. After I was df'd, I never prayed, I didn't have that relationship with God. When I found a lump in my right breast, I did pray for God to help me and make the results come back negative. Next thing I know I'm diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and undergoing surgery & Chemo. I fought it for over a year. Did he listen to my prayers??? NO. I survived cancer and start getting my life back on track and then my kidney's start to fail and I'm facing dialysis. Again, where is he??? I'm not an evil person or have ever hurt anyone. I've tried to live a good honest life. So what's the deal??? My husband & I have learned to rely on ourselves. We are fighters and whatever happens in our life for good or bad is because of us & our actions!
Did Prayer work for you, or not?
by gaiagirl 42 Replies latest jw friends
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only me
Yes some but not all, but it may have been that circumstances just worked out that way.
I have also had pagan prayers and spells work.
Maybe it's true that our own energy can affect the outcome of a situation? Maybe coincidence?
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PrimateDave
I have been told that my grandmother prayed to god for guidance at a very difficult time in her life, and then Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on her door. She studied with them and became a Witness. She endured despite opposition from my grandfather. So, did a god answer her prayer?
I remember as a teenager praying desperately that Jehovah would help me with my masturbation habit, and that he would forgive me for repeatedly committing this sin. Now, I think masturbation is a common healthy practice and nothing to feel guilty about. Did a god answer my prayers?
As an adult I would often pray fervently and with feeling for direction in my life. I don't believe in a god anymore. Were my prayers answered?
Here is a quote from a book I have on ceremonial magick:
"You must understand, though, that unlike the magick in fairy tales and in movies, most real magick does not occur instantaneously. As an example, if you worked a ritual to bring you money, it may take a week or two for the money to arrive. When it does arrive, it would come only by natural means. But, if you properly perform your ritual, come it must."
Do those who pray practice a form of magick?
Dave -
PI1
Yes prayer works for my wife and I, but you must remember that God always answers pray, the problem is that sometimes the answer is yes sometimes no and sometimes not now.
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only me
Dave- The more I learn the more I believe this is true.
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jaguarbass
JWs, and Christians in genreral, are taught that God answers prayers of sincere believers. On the other hand, there is a popular bumpersticker which reads "Nothing FAILS like prayer".
What has been your experience in this regard? Did God answer your most heartfelt prayers, or were they ignored?
I have to say he ignored me and left me hanging. And I was trying to have a relationship and trying to be the kind of person I thought he wanted. I read my bible daily, tried to promote God and Jesus, gave money to spread the word. And I studied the word and prayed.
After 50 years on the planet, I realized it was like George Carlin says, "you have a 50/50 chance your prayer will be answered and thats if you keep it very simple.
But prayer got me through the ignorant years, or should I say the more ignorant years. Prayer helped me deal with the wreck of a life that the wactower society gave me.
Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is a double edged sword. You need knowledge and wisdom to go with the knowledge.
The wactower version of God is very devastating.
If I were to raise a child today- I wouldnt want to. I really wouldnt know what to tell them about God. I guess I would say there are two beliefs among peoploids. Evolution and creation. And you will have a life time to ponder it.
Today I think God and creationism is much more devastating to man and society than evolution.
But on a personal level, I suspect beleiving in an imaginary friend who may be there 50% of the time might prevent more suicides than believing in atheism. But I might be wrong about that.
If someones life is all messed up, is telling them they are a blob of cells and on their own in this cruel world going to give them the strength to hang on. Or do they have a better chance beliving in God and being told bible stories of how David over came and survived being pursued by Saul, because Jehovah was protecting him?
Maybe a third alternative would be to tell them there is no God, your on your own, but try to hang on till tomorrow, because things sometimes have a way of getting better. Life is hills and valleys maybe today you're in the valley and next week you will be at the top of the mountain.
Dont look at the wizard behind the curtain, stay ignorant and child like.
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Tired of the Hypocrisy
Prayer worked for me in the sense that I was able to clear my mind and put my situation into perspective. As far as having prayers answered? No. I pray for God's things to happen, and I have no way of determining if they did or not since everything is INVISIBLE....Oh, and God's answer may be no...so I guess I ask for invisbnle things and for things I shouldn't.
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bigmouth
No. It failed miserably on every occasion.
Results are no more remarkable than the lottery odds.
The lack of response by 'our Heavenly Father' mimics my own fathers ambivalence.
If I failed so miserably in my response to my own children I would be imprisoned for neglect.
However, I think prayer can clarify your thought in an identical way to meditation or writing a diary. But NOTHING approaching magic will ever happen. -
PinTail
"JWs, and Christians in general, are taught that God answers prayers of sincere believers. On the other hand, there is a popular bumper sticker which reads "Nothing FAILS like prayer". What has been your experience in this regard? Did God answer your most heartfelt prayers, or were they ignored?"
In answer to your question, in my regard a whole hearted yes is my reply. My daughter died in October of 2005 from a doctor prescribed Methadone over dose just two days into her regimen, she was disfellowshiped at the time and not one Jehovah’s Witness called or sent me a letter or card of condolence and I have known many of them and many of them have known me for many years. I wanted to die so bad from just sheer grief my eyes swelled up from having tears constantly, and for days my voice hurt to use it from so much crying. I went into her room and seen her poem books her shoes her personal items her big stuffed dog I got for her when she was six just years old and I collapsed to the floor and bowed my head upon the floor and cried in a pain that uttered no words discernable to anyone but to Jehovah and Jesus for someone somehow to help me and deliver me from this death of grief. After some I regained a measure of composer and found the various Associated Bible Students" on the Internet and asked them if it was true what the Witness’s had said that my dear daughter would not be raised just because she was disfellowshiped by the elders of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was viewed as dead in gods eyes, in response to my question the Bible Students assured me through reasonable loving and scriptural guidance that Jehovah will remember everyone who has ever died including Adam and Eve and my daughter too will all be remembered and live again. Three days after my prayer I received more than fifty hand written letters and cards not to mention emails from the Bible Students from many study groups and from many towns throughout the United States and Canada, I personally did not know not one of these individuals but I do know them now by means of emails and letters, my mail box was so full for a few days after my prayer that I could barely remove the letters without damaging them. These letters that Jehovah arranged for me to have to remind me of his love and his hope in regard to (Spring) my daughter for me in my time of need were all the Associated Bible Students, not one letter was from the Jehovah’s Witnesses. So, if you wonder why I am a Bible Student and not a Jehovah’s Witnesses now, here is the answer. This was Jehovah hearing my prayer, he arranged for and did just what I needed namely for me to have real kindness and love, the kind Jesus spoke of in the bible that we should look for and he used the Bible Students.
Shane Draney
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bigmouth
That was a heartbreaking story Shane. We've dealt with a daughters death but much younger than yours. I can only begin to imagine your grief and isolation from the dubs.
But, and I say this kindly, although you prayed for God's peace, I still conclude subjectively that fellow humans, whom you contacted, rallied together and showed the love you needed. I fail to see any miraculous hand of God here. It was you who made things happen.
With kind thoughts,
Pete