A question about prayer...

[NoleATL]

A 20'something guy in my office posted on FB that his brother unexpected died (no pic, no cause of death given) this weekend. I don't really believe in Jesus as a true Christian would. I believe he was a real person but I don't believe in the son of God, Virgin Mary stuff.

My question... If I pray to the Christian (or whatever really) God and ask for peace and healing for him and his family, would this God listen? Assuming, of course, said God really exists.

Edit: The guy in my office, and his family, are devout Christians so I know they would at least appreciate it and it is what they would want. But, still... would God listen and perhaps bring extra healing and peace because of my prayer?

 

[LuteHawk]

The Bible is extremely clear, that to pray to the true
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you must believe
in Him. Faith in God accompanies our prayers.

If you do not believe in God , why would you want to
pray to Him?

 

[NoleATL]

If you do not believe in God , why would you want to
pray to Him?

I should have been more clear... Because, the guy in my office is a devout Christian. Would that help God listen to my prayer for the benefit of this guy?

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

A 20'something guy in my office posted on FB that his brother unexpected died (no pic, no cause of death given) this weekend. I don't really believe in Jesus as a true Christian would. I believe he was a real person but I don't believe in the son of God, Virgin Mary stuff.

My question... If I pray to the Christian (or whatever really) God and ask for peace and healing for him and his family, would this God listen? Assuming, of course, said God really exists.

Yes God would listen.

The Bible is extremely clear, that to pray to the true
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you must believe
in Him. Faith in God accompanies our prayers.

If you do not believe in God , why would you want to
pray to Him?

There is a great deal about how you must have faith to be saved. But I don't know of any passages that indicate that God will simply ignore you for unbelief.

I do myself wonder why one would pray to a God they don't believe in, but I don't see why God would not listen to their prayer.

 

[artradley]

 

[BrianNole09]

Here's some science, for Radley:

The proof of the power of prayer is overwhelming, says researcher and writer Tom Knox, a one-time atheist who became a regular worshipper after doing in-depth study of the medical benefits of faith.

“What I discovered astonished me,” admits Knox. “Over the past 30 years a growing and largely unnoticed body of scientific work shows religious belief is medically, socially, and psychologically beneficial.”

http://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/635623

 

[BrianNole09]

A 20'something guy in my office posted on FB that his brother unexpected died (no pic, no cause of death given) this weekend. I don't really believe in Jesus as a true Christian would. I believe he was a real person but I don't believe in the son of God, Virgin Mary stuff.

My question... If I pray to the Christian (or whatever really) God and ask for peace and healing for him and his family, would this God listen? Assuming, of course, said God really exists.

Edit: The guy in my office, and his family, are devout Christians so I know they would at least appreciate it and it is what they would want. But, still... would God listen and perhaps bring extra healing and peace because of my prayer?

It can't hurt.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

I'm a practicing Catholic, believe in the power of prayer, and have seen many miracles take place throughout my life. I've also seen a lot of seemingly random, arbitrary, and meaningless events happen--like when one of my sister's best friends was killed in a car accident in high school on her way to work. I've also studied the Bible and a lot of so-called expert analysis on Biblical teachings. At this point in my life, and bear in mind I'm only 35, the only thing I can conclude with any degree of certainty is: There is a God, I'm not He, Jesus was crucified and was resurrected, and that the Bible makes it clear the rain falls on the just and the unjust. In other words, we live in a world of chaos, evil, and deal with the consequences of free will. Which ultimately means: shit happens.

Perhaps another way of looking at it is a quote from a Sean Connery character from the movie Finding Forester: "It's a lot like prayer. What do you risk?"

 

[Lone Clone]

A 20'something guy in my office posted on FB that his brother unexpected died (no pic, no cause of death given) this weekend. I don't really believe in Jesus as a true Christian would. I believe he was a real person but I don't believe in the son of God, Virgin Mary stuff.

My question... If I pray to the Christian (or whatever really) God and ask for peace and healing for him and his family, would this God listen? Assuming, of course, said God really exists.

Edit: The guy in my office, and his family, are devout Christians so I know they would at least appreciate it and it is what they would want. But, still... would God listen and perhaps bring extra healing and peace because of my prayer?

If you pray, and there is no God, who is hurt?

 

[naturalmwa]

Here's some science, for Radley:

The proof of the power of prayer is overwhelming, says researcher and writer Tom Knox, a one-time atheist who became a regular worshipper after doing in-depth study of the medical benefits of faith.

“What I discovered astonished me,” admits Knox. “Over the past 30 years a growing and largely unnoticed body of scientific work shows religious belief is medically, socially, and psychologically beneficial.”

http://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/635623

Fake science. This is not true. Prayer has no more benefits than positive thinking. And of course it shouldn't have, even if you are religious. Because if religion is true and you have a perfect all knowing God with a plan overseeing everything, then he knows he needs or wants some to die or suffer and he knows you want something else long before the events. Payer should be useless, because you aren't God, and ostensibly God is God. Anything you could pray about, he already knows. Anything you could want, he already has his own perfect plan. Prayer only serves to calm your mind by you letting go of the idea that you have control. It isn't a way to influence anything and if you actually believed in a perfect God, you would agree with that. Believing your prayer can influence God should be thought of as naive at best and a heresy at worst.

Believe whatever you want, but science isn't going to help you make a case mister.

 

[QChawks]

It can't hurt.

This.

I believe non-christians can still pray to the holy god as we are all his children, however those non-believers may not be saved. I also occasionally struggle with the belief you have to be baptized before God will save you.

 

[BrianNole09]

Fake science. This is not true. Prayer has no more benefits than positive thinking. And of course it shouldn't have, even if you are religious. Because if religion is true and you have a perfect all knowing God with a plan overseeing everything, then he knows he needs or wants some to die or suffer and he knows you want something else long before the events. Payer should be useless, because you aren't God, and ostensibly God is God. Anything you could pray about, he already knows. Anything you could want, he already has his own perfect plan. Prayer only serves to calm your mind by you letting go of the idea that you have control. It isn't a way to influence anything and if you actually believed in a perfect God, you would agree with that. Believing your prayer can influence God should be thought of as naive at best and a heresy at worst.

Believe whatever you want, but science isn't going to help you make a case mister.

Another science denier. You probably deny climate change science, too.

I'm going to start calling you Trump.

 

[INXS83]

The Bible is extremely clear, that to pray to the true
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you must believe
in Him. Faith in God accompanies our prayers.

If you do not believe in God , why would you want to
pray to Him?

I think your answer is a little harsh. It basically comes off as 'you have to belong to the club before you can pray and have it heard'.

You do realize that God craves to hear from the unbeliever, right? It's the starting point for opening ones heart to the possibility of knowing a loving God and redemptive savior. Without that starting point there is no hope for salvation other than predestination.

 

[INXS83]

This.

I believe non-christians can still pray to the holy god as we are all his children, however those non-believers may not be saved. I also occasionally struggle with the belief you have to be baptized before God will save you.

The only baptism you need to become a Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (a gift from God) after you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. Any ritual requiring physical 'baptism' is only symbolic and a public display of faith.

 

[LuteHawk]

Christianity has always maintained that only those
who believe in Jesus Christ may pray to God and
expect to be heard.

"When he asks (prays) he must believe and not doubt.....
That man (with doubts) should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord." James 1:6,7

 

[naturalmwa]

Another science denier. You probably deny climate change science, too.

I'm going to start calling you Trump.

Bearing false witness won't help you with your God.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

Fake science. This is not true. Prayer has no more benefits than positive thinking. And of course it shouldn't have, even if you are religious. Because if religion is true and you have a perfect all knowing God with a plan overseeing everything, then he knows he needs or wants some to die or suffer and he knows you want something else long before the events. Payer should be useless, because you aren't God, and ostensibly God is God. Anything you could pray about, he already knows. Anything you could want, he already has his own perfect plan. Prayer only serves to calm your mind by you letting go of the idea that you have control. It isn't a way to influence anything and if you actually believed in a perfect God, you would agree with that. Believing your prayer can influence God should be thought of as naive at best and a heresy at worst.

Believe whatever you want, but science isn't going to help you make a case mister.

That may be the Calvinist view of things, but it isn't the traditional interpretation of sacred Scripture that Catholics or many other religions take. Btw, if you don't already know, you should look into how the Catholic Church officially canonizes saints. It's actually pretty cool. I'm not advocating it's scientific, but it is remarkable.

In short, the whole "what do you risk" seems most apropos here. The belief that everything is predestined ahead of time is, in my humble opinion at least, a heretical view point that is not very old in comparison to the written history of humanity as we have it.

And yes, when you observe data and quantify it, that is called science. Whether you attribute that to actual divine intervention or influence, or just some psychological phenomenon, is irrelevant. The fact is there is a positive correlation between prayer and healing.

 

[BrianNole09]

The only baptism you need to become a Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (a gift from God) after you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior. Any ritual requiring physical 'baptism' is only symbolic and a public display of faith.

What percentage of people do you think will end up in Hell? Say you took 100 random people off the street? Just curious.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

God listens to all our prayers, whether we believe or not. Of course, I have no idea why one would pray if they did not believe. And if they are praying, then they obviously believe, whether or not they admit it.

 

[LuteHawk]

Brian, this is how Jesus answers your question about
who goes to hell:

"Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction (hell), and MANY enter through it.
But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads
to life (eternal life in heaven) and only a FEW find it."
Matthew 7:13,14

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

What percentage of people do you think will end up in Hell? Say you took 100 random people off the street? Just curious.

It depends if they voted for trump or not.

 

[unoHawkeye]

What percentage of people do you think will end up in Hell? Say you took 100 random people off the street? Just curious.

Very few, imo. I've always believed that if God is loving to the point that we can say that "God is love," then the only thing that would send you Hell is open rejection of that love (which is different than ignorance of it).

In other words, I don't think anybody needs to be a believer to be saved as long as they are living their lives in a way that God would approve of (the Golden Rule, Ten Commandments, etc.)

 

[Jan Itor]

Bearing false witness won't help you with your God.

You're the Devil. Look away Bobby.

 

[BrianNole09]

Brian, this is how Jesus answers your question about
who goes to hell:

"Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction (hell), and MANY enter through it.
But small is the gate, and narrow the road that leads
to life (eternal life in heaven) and only a FEW find it."
Matthew 7:13,14

That was well before Christianity was widespread, though.

 

[naturalmwa]

That may be the Calvinist view of things, but it isn't the traditional interpretation of sacred Scripture that Catholics or many other religions take. Btw, if you don't already know, you should look into how the Catholic Church officially canonizes saints. It's actually pretty cool. I'm not advocating it's scientific, but it is remarkable.

In short, the whole "what do you risk" seems most apropos here. The belief that everything is predestined ahead of time is, in my humble opinion at least, a heretical view point that is not very old in comparison to the written history of humanity as we have it.

And yes, when you observe data and quantify it, that is called science. Whether you attribute that to actual divine intervention or influence, or just some psychological phenomenon, is irrelevant. The fact is there is a positive correlation between prayer and healing.

If you believe in an all knowing, all powerful God, predestination flows as the logical requirement. Do you believe your God has those qualities? You don't have to make God so super, but it's my understanding that most believers like this notion of a supergod. Note the biblical God often doesn't fit this description, so you certainly could believe in a flawed or limited type of deity. Do you? If God is the supergod variety, then prayer is just whining hubris that fails to respect the supergod's perfect plan. No different than the child constantly complaining about its bed time and demanding the parent change. And in my household, constant complaining about the rules did carry a risk. Under the supergod construct, prayer is really a form of disobedience, at least if you are asking for anything.

I've encountered the Catholic saint ritual and found it underwhelming, not at all remarkable. I'd say the proof of that is provided by your fellow believers. For if the Catholics were really producing proof of miracles as they claim, other churches would recognize the divine hand at play and celebrate the event too. The standard of proof employed by Catholics is not very strong IMO. Nor is the corollary between prayer and health. Studies have sometimes found that prayer leads to more negative outcomes. You can't claim science proves the benefits of prayer and be believed. That's not the lay of the land.

 

[naturalmwa]

That was well before Christianity was widespread, though.

So God changed his mind? Or the Bible is wrong? Pick your poison please. You just admitted you personally get to change the religion when you feel like it should be changed. I think that's a good thing, but you must admit its not in keeping with the theology.

 

[artradley]

Fake science. This is not true. Prayer has no more benefits than positive thinking. And of course it shouldn't have, even if you are religious. Because if religion is true and you have a perfect all knowing God with a plan overseeing everything, then he knows he needs or wants some to die or suffer and he knows you want something else long before the events. Payer should be useless, because you aren't God, and ostensibly God is God. Anything you could pray about, he already knows. Anything you could want, he already has his own perfect plan. Prayer only serves to calm your mind by you letting go of the idea that you have control. It isn't a way to influence anything and if you actually believed in a perfect God, you would agree with that. Believing your prayer can influence God should be thought of as naive at best and a heresy at worst.

Believe whatever you want, but science isn't going to help you make a case mister.

Another science denier. You probably deny climate change science, too.

I'm going to start calling you Trump.

You are the science illiterate. Blind studies have shown prayer has zero effect. Can people feel better due to the psychosomatic effect? Absolutely. But the prayer had nothing to do with it. A higher power had nothing to do with it.

This is simple truth.

 

[strummingram]

I love these kinds of exchanges. It reveals how religious people are really just worshiping their religion. The religion, as an institution, needs that! So, it's working out well for the various religious clubs.

To the OP: By all means pray. Put the energy out there that you want someone who is feeling pain to feel better. There's a really profound Bible quote that goes something like "Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me." I interpret that as- Whatever you do to another, you do it to yourself. Whatever you give, you get. You're probably feeling compelled to pray because you have compassion for the person and you want them to feel better. That's also having a conscience. Make a wish, say a prayer, say the words out loud, send a card, do whatever will bring the thought into word and then into action. To me, Thought-Word-Action is the same as Father-Son-Holy Spirit.

 

[BrianNole09]

You are the science illiterate. Blind studies have shown prayer has zero effect. Can people feel better due to the psychosomatic effect? Absolutely. But the prayer had nothing to do with it. A higher power had nothing to do with it.

This is simple truth.

You can't prove the non existence of a higher power. No one can.

 

[naturalmwa]

You are the science illiterate. Blind studies have shown prayer has zero effect. Can people feel better due to the psychosomatic effect? Absolutely. But the prayer had nothing to do with it. A higher power had nothing to do with it.

This is simple truth.

Yep, and prayer can even backfire according to science. So one might better call prayer a curse. Praying for people is assault. Which one might expect if a wrathful God is being pestered by the children to change his perfect plan all the time.

Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer

Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.

And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested.

 

[unoHawkeye]

So God changed his mind? Or the Bible is wrong? Pick your poison please. You just admitted you personally get to change the religion when you feel like it should be changed. I think that's a good thing, but you must admit its not in keeping with the theology.

God didn't write the Bible. Humans wrote the Bible. Even if they were divinely "inspired," you can't write a book pertaining to a society you have no knowledge of. The people who wrote the book, being human, were limited in their knowledge and experiences. So yes, you could say the Bible is "wrong"

 

[artradley]

Fake science. This is not true. Prayer has no more benefits than positive thinking. And of course it shouldn't have, even if you are religious. Because if religion is true and you have a perfect all knowing God with a plan overseeing everything, then he knows he needs or wants some to die or suffer and he knows you want something else long before the events. Payer should be useless, because you aren't God, and ostensibly God is God. Anything you could pray about, he already knows. Anything you could want, he already has his own perfect plan. Prayer only serves to calm your mind by you letting go of the idea that you have control. It isn't a way to influence anything and if you actually believed in a perfect God, you would agree with that. Believing your prayer can influence God should be thought of as naive at best and a heresy at worst.

Believe whatever you want, but science isn't going to help you make a case mister.

That may be the Calvinist view of things, but it isn't the traditional interpretation of sacred Scripture that Catholics or many other religions take. Btw, if you don't already know, you should look into how the Catholic Church officially canonizes saints. It's actually pretty cool. I'm not advocating it's scientific, but it is remarkable.

In short, the whole "what do you risk" seems most apropos here. The belief that everything is predestined ahead of time is, in my humble opinion at least, a heretical view point that is not very old in comparison to the written history of humanity as we have it.

And yes, when you observe data and quantify it, that is called science. Whether you attribute that to actual divine intervention or influence, or just some psychological phenomenon, is irrelevant. The fact is there is a positive correlation between prayer and healing.

The true test is when somebody is prayed for, and they don't know about it. A blind test. That has been tried, with no positive results.

So whether or not it's psychological or Devine intervention is relevant, as it dictates when prayer might work and when it won't.

 

[naturalmwa]

You can't prove the non existence of a higher power. No one can.

No one claimed to. You can't prove the existence either. So stop trying to corrupt science to pretend you can.

 

[naturalmwa]

God didn't write the Bible. Humans wrote the Bible. Even if they were divinely "inspired," you can't write a book pertaining to a society you have no knowledge of. The people who wrote the book, being human, were limited in their knowledge and experiences. So yes, you could say the Bible is "wrong"

As I said, pick your poison. Now nothing in the Bible applies to today's society. Thanks.

 

[OILCHECKER]

If the guy and his family are devout Christians, what difference would it make if you prayed for him or not? Don't you think he, his family and other close friends who are believers have already or will be praying for him? I'm not certain God is waiting on you to pray to decide if he wants to help out this family. Or is he? Also, if you don't believe in God, why not just tell your friend that you prayed for him and his family without actually doing it. If you don't believe in God, telling them a small white lie won't hurt.

 

[unoHawkeye]

As I said, pick your poison. Now nothing in the Bible applies to today's society. Thanks.

Now you're just being a dbag. How did you take my comment and get "Now nothing in the Bible applies to today's society"?

No, the Bible should not be taken literally, word for word, due to its outdated text. Many of the messages it contains can be applied across time periods though. My point was simply that you need to take when it was written into consideration when analyzing the text. Nothing more.

 

[strummingram]

God didn't write the Bible. Humans wrote the Bible. Even if they were divinely "inspired," you can't write a book pertaining to a society you have no knowledge of. The people who wrote the book, being human, were limited in their knowledge and experiences. So yes, you could say the Bible is "wrong"

I feel that we, humans in these finite shells, are what comprises the body of God. I'm speaking somewhat figuratively because I'm kind of limited in the communication we have created for ourselves. In a way, "God" wrote the Bible. But, the issue I have with the religious perception of God is the whole "Supernatural, Super Parent" that floats in the clouds and keeps tabs on it all, while the "Devil" (the opposing polarity) traipses around the countryside tempting people. The images of religion are never boring.

 

[artradley]

You are the science illiterate. Blind studies have shown prayer has zero effect. Can people feel better due to the psychosomatic effect? Absolutely. But the prayer had nothing to do with it. A higher power had nothing to do with it.

This is simple truth.

You can't prove the non existence of a higher power. No one can.

So?

 

[unIowa]

I should have been more clear... Because, the guy in my office is a devout Christian. Would that help God listen to my prayer for the benefit of this guy?

Christian god doesn't listen to the gays, the people of the south will tell you so (you should know this ATL).

 

[unoHawkeye]

I feel that we, humans in these finite shells, are what comprises the body of God. I'm speaking somewhat figuratively because I'm kind of limited in the communication we have created for ourselves. In a way, "God" wrote the Bible. But, the issue I have with the religious perception of God is the whole "Supernatural, Super Parent" that floats in the clouds and keeps tabs on it all, while the "Devil" (the opposing polarity) traipses around the countryside tempting people. The images of religion are never boring.

I agree. I've never viewed God as a human figure, but more of a force... I guess I think of God like Catholics think of the Holy Spirit