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Does prayer work?

To pray to God is not making a wish list to Santa Claus.
To pray to God is asking for His aid on a daily basis
and living with a strong trust in Him.
Prayer is not just a one-way telegram to the Great I Am. Prayer does bring one closer to God, but it also brings people closer to each other to experience the Almighty’s Glory.

Prayer brings people closer together particularly during times of crisis. Yeah, word spreads at work, school, or in the slow pitch softball league, but nothing gets people together quite like through the church. The gestures, gifts, and time offered by fellow congregants are always sincere in nature and it just feels different than the sympathy offered at secular venues.
 
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It would be great if prayer actually worked and resulted in positive outcomes but I suspect when it does it’s largely coincidental. I really think it’s largely a way to try and ease pain, fear and suffering for some of us and a practical coping strategy for others.
 
Praying to god about my enemies hasn’t been nearly as productive as sacrificing my enemies to Him.

Step up your game if you want results.
 
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To pray is not a good luck charm to avoid bad things.
To pray is to put your trust in God and focus on Him.
To pray is not a way to avoid pain and tribulation.
To pray is to allow God into your daily living.
 
Define work...

Does it allow me to actually move mountains, heal sick people, change other people's minds, or circumstances?
No. It's not magic.

Can it work to make me a more loving, compassionate, giving, and selfless person? Science says yes.

Bad news, so does almost any form of meditation that focuses on love.

More bad news, if you pray to an angry God and believe in a God of wrath it can do the opposite.
 
If you pray for your team to win the game and, it does it seems to work. For the losing team, not so good.
 
When I was camping overnight in Sheldon during RAGBRAI as my tent was collapsing on me for around 45 minutes I prayed for about 40 minutes. As the wind started to recede, I was SOOOO THANKFUL... Most terrifying moment of my 59 years on planet earth. I think 3 UI grads were killed when a tree limb crashed onto their tent. Found out the next morning a tornado had come by.
 
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