Prayers are ALWAYS answered!

[Tony T]

I'm not a religious nut by any stretch but I can tell you with absolute certainty that my prayers have ALWAYS been answered, in one way or another. No matter what your beliefs, if you close your eyes and talk to your God in silence and ask for what you need, you will see miracles...ABSOLUTE MIRACLES!!! The ONLY thing that is required is FAITH...the faith that your requests will be fulfilled.

 

I must caution. It's extremely important that you are asking for what you need, not necessarily what you want. If you pray for a certain person and that person is wrong for you, you may very well get that person in your life...and the hell with it. Be careful that way! Pray for the solution that will be right for your life.

 

Another thing to remember. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

[Enema]

I must caution. It's extremely important that you are asking for what you need, not necessarily what you want. If you pray for a certain person and that person is wrong for you, you may very well get that person in your life...and the hell with it. Be careful that way!

 

This guy and millions like him pray for what they need and god says no: Clicky

 

Maybe he's too busy setting up christians on dates?

[Toki]

This guy and millions like him pray for what they need and god says no: Clicky

 

Maybe he's too busy setting up christians on dates?

 

Actually, sadly, many of them ARE christian... although I'm sure in America, they're looked down upon since they're Ethiopian Orthodox, and Coptics.

 

Edited November 19, 2009 by Toki

[Ross PK]

I'm not a religious nut by any stretch but I can tell you with absolute certainty that my prayers have ALWAYS been answered, in one way or another. No matter what your beliefs, if you close your eyes and talk to your God in silence and ask for what you need, you will see miracles...ABSOLUTE MIRACLES!!! The ONLY thing that is required is FAITH...the faith that your requests will be fulfilled.

 

I must caution. It's extremely important that you are asking for what you need, not necessarily what you want. If you pray for a certain person and that person is wrong for you, you may very well get that person in your life...and the hell with it. Be careful that way! Pray for the solution that will be right for your life.

 

Another thing to remember. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

 

So have you prayed to be a millionare and then woken up the next day being one? If you haven't tried this yet, why not?

[Lucky_One]

I have seen a whole lot of people praying that their uninsured houses weren't overrun by flood waters - and the waters rose anyway.

 

i have seen hundreds of people hold hands and pray for the life of a little boy - and he died anyway.

 

Where were those miracles?

[Ross PK]

I have seen a whole lot of people praying that their uninsured houses weren't overrun by flood waters - and the waters rose anyway.

 

i have seen hundreds of people hold hands and pray for the life of a little boy - and he died anyway.

 

Where were those miracles?

 

Exactly!

 

There was also that nut job who didn't let his sick daughter see a doctor because he thought it would be 'doing Gods work', and that if he prayed it would make her better.

 

She died.

[whichwayisup]

People have to have faith. And, accept that bad things just happen. As awful as it is when one goes through a rough patch, there's always good that comes out of it. Keeping faith makes people cope better.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Malenfant]

I'm not a religious nut by any stretch but I can tell you with absolute certainty that my prayers have ALWAYS been answered, in one way or another. No matter what your beliefs, if you close your eyes and talk to your God in silence and ask for what you need, you will see miracles...ABSOLUTE MIRACLES!!! The ONLY thing that is required is FAITH...the faith that your requests will be fulfilled.

 

I must caution. It's extremely important that you are asking for what you need, not necessarily what you want. If you pray for a certain person and that person is wrong for you, you may very well get that person in your life...and the hell with it. Be careful that way! Pray for the solution that will be right for your life.

 

Another thing to remember. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

 

 

tell that to the starving people who pray for the rain to come and grow their crops and dont get it.

i'm sure your words of promise would fill their empty tummies.

 

i'm intrigued as to what constitutes a miracle in your mind?

 

personally, i dont think a bit of rain coming down for some people who are desperate is much to ask of 'god' but for some reason, he sees fit to allow them to die for want of a bit of rain. nice.

 

the example of 'praying for a person to come into your life and getting it' is no evidence of intervention.

If it is someone you know, you (sub)conciously make yourself available to them. people pick up on this stuff.

 

anyway, i thought god made people to have their own minds? in that case wouldnt it go against his intentions to actively influence someone to go with you just because you had asked him to?

 

why would he take the time to influence a person to fancy you, rather than to influence a bad person to not kill someone?

Edited November 19, 2009 by Malenfant

[threebyfate]

It's difficult for me to believe anymore about divine intervention. But I do believe that people have the ability to fulfill their own wants and needs by taking the appropriate action(s).

 

The more people do nothing or take actions that are based on short-term thinking, the less they get.

[king pin]

tell that to the starving people who pray for the rain to come and grow their crops and dont get it.

i'm sure your words of promise would fill their empty tummies.

 

i'm intrigued as to what constitutes a miracle in your mind?

 

personally, i dont think a bit of rain coming down for some people who are desperate is much to ask of 'god' but for some reason, he sees fit to allow them to die for want of a bit of rain. nice.

 

the example of 'praying for a person to come into your life and getting it' is no evidence of intervention.

If it is someone you know, you (sub)conciously make yourself available to them. people pick up on this stuff.

 

anyway, i thought god made people to have their own minds? in that case wouldnt it go against his intentions to actively influence someone to go with you just because you had asked him to?

 

why would he take the time to influence a person to fancy you, rather than to influence a bad person to not kill someone?

 

 

my view is the same. Top post there M.

[stillafool]

I'm not a religious nut by any stretch but I can tell you with absolute certainty that my prayers have ALWAYS been answered, in one way or another. No matter what your beliefs, if you close your eyes and talk to your God in silence and ask for what you need, you will see miracles...ABSOLUTE MIRACLES!!! The ONLY thing that is required is FAITH...the faith that your requests will be fulfilled.

Another thing to remember. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

 

Mine too!

[quankanne]

I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer and miracles, and I realize that it's not about "getting" something, but moving hearts to a point where they respond to the need of others. Like feeding the poor on a continent half a world away ...

 

as for the "i prayed and she died anyway, God doesn't listen" ... pardon the sentiment, but it's complete and utter BS if I'm expecting Him to jump through a hoop to deliver what I specifically want.

 

when my mother was dying, my husband – bless his heart – would tell me, "Maybe she'll be healed, so that she can live longer and you won't lose her." But as much as I didn't want to lose the person I have loved most, I realized that you couldn't treat prayer like a cafeteria selection. Or, as I told my husband, "Do I pray for the depression to go away, but she still dies from kidney failure and its assorted problems? Or do I ask God to take away the diabetes so that she only has to face psychological issues?"

 

sometimes, death brings about healing because it means someone is no longer in pain.

[northstar1]

I thought Benny Hinn had stopped into the thread for a minute....

 

If beleiving this helps people live happier lives, great. If it allows you to think you are having an effect on an outcome then pray away.

 

But on the other hand, this reminds me of the claims of people who went to Psychics and come back and say that one of their predictions came true.

 

They usually fail to mention or forget about the other 10 things the Psychic said that didn't.

[627]

as for the "i prayed and she died anyway, God doesn't listen" ... pardon the sentiment, but it's complete and utter BS if I'm expecting Him to jump through a hoop to deliver what I specifically want.

 

and what are you saying? that miracles occur only in absolute necessity?

jesus's first miracle was turning waer into wine so that some dumb guests can continue gettign drunk at some wedding, is that more important that curing cancer?

jesus raised someone from the dead(according to the bible) when his followers were hungry he made fish and bread to feed them... he could have told them to just go home and eat, no one was gonna starve

 

Thomas, who had witnessed many of jesus's miracles still doubted his resurection and he still got the luxury of jesus appearing before him to see and believe

and it is written

 

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

how come we never get to see a real miracle?

how come when we pray for real things like food, safety, peace we never get it?

for thousands of years africans have been praying for food and to be rid of disease. has one loaf of bread fall from the sky? ever? for 2000 years not a cookie fell from the sky to feed anyone

[JamesM]

and what are you saying? that miracles occur only in absolute necessity?

jesus's first miracle was turning waer into wine so that some dumb guests can continue gettign drunk at some wedding, is that more important that curing cancer?

 

Perhaps now that you can decide what miracles that Jesus should or should not do. (Note proper names are ALWAYS capitalized...odd that somehow you think not capitalizing Jesus will minimize His existence. ) Why He did that miracle? God only knows. But one thing we do is compare our weddings and culture to the culture of that day. Perhaps we see how God has interest in even the smallest of events in our lives.

 

Looking at His many other miracles, we see how He did cure many diseases.

 

Does God need to cure cancer for you to believe in His existence, or will you then give credit to the men that He used? We no longer have rampant epidemics of polio and smallpox. Did God use men to make such a miracle happen?

 

Are all miracles only of the "shazam" type? No.

 

Perhaps miracles happen all of the time around you and I, and yet we give credit where credit isn't due.

 

Thomas, who had witnessed many of jesus's miracles still doubted his resurection

 

(Odd, Thomas, a man, gets his name capitalized.)

 

And you are right. Thomas did doubt that Jesus actually rose from the dead, but perhaps it can be noted that the other ten did not have such doubts. I would consider it a testimony to the reality that Jesus was more than just a man BECAUSE only one disciple had any doubts, and when he saw Jesus, his words were, "My Lord and my God."

 

how come we never get to see a real miracle?

 

Again, define a real miracle. You mention cancer. I can name one person right now who IRL has seen her cancer disappear much to the amazement of the doctors. He called it literally a miracle, and he has never seen anything like it before.

 

And as I said, miracles do happen. It is just that we do not realize who causes them to happen.

 

how come when we pray for real things like food, safety, peace we never get it?

 

First off, many do get it but do not recognize why or how they get it. Is it just coincidence or is it more than that?

 

Second, when we don't get it, does it mean there was no answer? Or as with any request or question, there are two obvious answers...a yes or a no.

 

And third, one could easily point out how these things do happen and we assume that the man or even that was used to cause it to happen was not directed by God.

 

Interesting to note, many more people today live in peace and prosperity than in many other times of the history of the world.

 

If even one person suffers, then is this a sign that God does not exist? And why should God eliminate suffering and death for a world that does not believe in His existence?

 

for thousands of years africans have been praying for food and to be rid of disease. has one loaf of bread fall from the sky? ever? for 2000 years not a cookie fell from the sky to feed anyone

 

Ah, the age old question of...how can there be a God if there is suffering in the world? Books have been written on that subject, and I will not be able to give an easy answer.

 

Why is there suffering in the world if there is a God? According to the Bible, suffering entered the world due to the actions of man. Man disobeyed God even though he knew the results. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Man continues to sin, living in rebellion against God, the Creator. This is why the world is filled with suffering today. Man must take responsibility for destroying the perfection of God's creation.

 

And yes, the Bible say that one day the world will be made whole when sin is eliminated.

[Malenfant]

JamesM, i fail to see how spouting the bible at us is in any way convincing of the existence of miracles.

 

And how convienient that you dont have a bible passage that relates to the question about why there is suffering in the world, maybe its an old question because no religious person has ever been able to answer it properly.

 

As you mention books have been written on the subject, why not send a few over the Ethyopia? i'm sure they will provide much comfort to the mother whos week old baby is dying because she cant get enough food to produce milk.

 

God, apparently is fair. but its not fair for bad things to happen to nice people. so it cant be explained and instead the 'god works in mysterious ways, and it is not our place to question why' card is played. Its the biggest cop-out ever.

 

things may seem like miracles to us because we dont understand them, that doesnt mean they are miracles.

 

And i dont capitalize 'god' because you only have to capitalize the name of a person, or being. an object or a theory doesnt have to be capitalized.

 

I imagine that the poster you're replying to feels the same as me. No need to be condesending about it just because he has a different belief to you.

[northstar1]

Why is there suffering in the world if there is a God? According to the Bible, suffering entered the world due to the actions of man. Man disobeyed God even though he knew the results. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Man continues to sin, living in rebellion against God, the Creator. This is why the world is filled with suffering today. Man must take responsibility for destroying the perfection of God's creation.

 

And yes, the Bible say that one day the world will be made whole when sin is eliminated.

 

 

But if God is omniscient, then he would have already known that man would fall into temptation and 'sin'. Why would a benevolent God set up man to fail and then bring down suffering upon him for doing so?

 

So, if what you say is true, then God is responsible for the suffering in the world then.

[627]

first off, sorry you were offended by me not capitalizing the name of Jesus, it was not intentionnal, in my language we do not capitalize names, so I am not used to doing that, I need to actively remind myself when writing when capital letters should exist, for native speakers it is a reflex. note also that I do not capitalize the begining of sentences, in the previous post and in all the posts I made in this forum. as for why Thomas got the capital letter, that was a coincidence. I do not consider capital letters as important, pressing the shift key is annoying and I do not think the meaning of the sentence is altered if capital letters do not exist, but since it offends you I will capitalize the proper namesof saints and Jesus and I will be careful.

 

and when he saw Jesus, his words were, "My Lord and my God."

I would praise Jesus too if he would appear to me, but that is never gonna happen

I am sure many atheists would do the same if he would appear to them as he appeared to Thomas, atheists are not stupid, we do not refuse eternal life and embrace hell we just doubt their existence

 

Again, define a real miracle. You mention cancer. I can name one person right now who IRL has seen her cancer disappear much to the amazement of the doctors. He called it literally a miracle, and he has never seen anything like it before.

 

And as I said, miracles do happen. It is just that we do not realize who causes them to happen.

I know someone who healed from cancer after he reached the level of takign morphine, he did not claim it was a miracle

my atheist friend survived a fatal car crash, his car was completly destroyed, it does not even look like a car, he simply walked out of it unharmed, not a scratch, he did not run around saying it was a miracle

it was luck, luck exists, things with rare odds of occuring occur. if there is 0.001% of someone healing from cancer, which is a rare odd, your friend's healing is justifiable because I can assure you tens of thousands died this year worldwide in his/her place of cancer

 

I would liketo see an amputee grow a new arm o leg, that's a miracle. that never happened

 

Interesting to note, many more people today live in peace and prosperity than in many other times of the history of the world.

 

If even one person suffers, then is this a sign that God does not exist? And why should God eliminate suffering and death for a world that does not believe in His existence?

the United States and Europe(I rememebred to capitalize ) where I assume you are are not a sample of the world

both combined are like a billion people, 1/6 of the world

india+china+africa+many other parts of asia are the majority of the world

have you ever met an african on the internet? your chances are slim

how many indians and chinese do you know on the net? the US is 300 million people right? india and china are 2 to 3 billion, I don't know a single one from internationnal games or internationnal forums. why? because the majority of the world are worried about food and shelter in this day and age

 

 

about the last part, I am not blaming God for all the suffering, yes I know we must rely on ourselves, I am saying he did not help, if the sky rained bread once, that's a sign of good will, but in 2000 years never. and that contradicts what the bible says and that I quoted

 

And i dont capitalize 'god' because you only have to capitalize the name of a person, or being. an object or a theory doesnt have to be capitalized.

 

I imagine that the poster you're replying to feels the same as me. No need to be condesending about it just because he has a different belief to you.

nope sorry, it was a mistake from my part. I do not like to insult feelings, I don't think your adversary will listen to your arguments if he is too busy hating you

[Malenfant]

nope sorry, it was a mistake from my part. I do not like to insult feelings, I don't think your adversary will listen to your arguments if he is too busy hating you

 

Hey, thats fine, i was just saying some people dont capitalise certain words for a reason.

 

TBH i've been on enough of these type of threads to know that these arguments dont lead anywhere, i just wanted to state my opinion.

 

I totally respect your wish to not offend anyone, and I dont say what i say in order to offend, i say it because it is how I feel. if people have any problems with that, thats fine, i wont apologise for having my own opinions.

[627]

Hey, thats fine, i was just saying some people dont capitalise certain words for a reason.

 

TBH i've been on enough of these type of threads to know that these arguments dont lead anywhere, i just wanted to state my opinion.

 

I totally respect your wish to not offend anyone, and I dont say what i say in order to offend, i say it because it is how I feel. if people have any problems with that, thats fine, i wont apologise for having my own opinions.

ok but I agree with your point of view on everythign else you say

 

the edit function does not work. anyway I wanted to add to james:

 

We no longer have rampant epidemics of polio and smallpox. Did God use men to make such a miracle happen?

about that last part, I am studying pharmacy, and you cannot imagine how difficult and hard and risky it is(if your GPA drops they will kick you out even if you spent 3 and 4 years of your life already in it) and I am experiencing how complicated and difficult and hellish medicine and chemistry is, can't imagine what it is like to be researching for answers in these small chemical compounds and bacteria

 

point is, hopefuly I will graduate, and if I were to invent a cure for something, and in the end someone says it was God's miracle done by the hands of a man, I will choke that person

there is nothing miraculous about discoverign a cure

 

one person is lucky enough in his life to discover a cure and he is praised, many people spend 40 and 50 years researching and do not discover anything, and they die and no one hears about them. there is nothign miraculous about discoveries, people sacrificed their lives for it

[Ross PK]

(Note proper names are ALWAYS capitalized...odd that somehow you think not capitalizing Jesus will minimize His existence. )

 

You don't really believe that was the reason he didn't capitalize it do you?

 

If even one person suffers, then is this a sign that God does not exist? And why should God eliminate suffering and death for a world that does not believe in His existence?

 

So if someone doesn't believe that God exists that means they deserve to suffer, that means God wouldn't want to help them out?

 

That sounds like a pretty evil God to me.

 

Why is there suffering in the world if there is a God? According to the Bible, suffering entered the world due to the actions of man. Man disobeyed God even though he knew the results. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Man continues to sin, living in rebellion against God, the Creator. This is why the world is filled with suffering today. Man must take responsibility for destroying the perfection of God's creation.

 

And yes, the Bible say that one day the world will be made whole when sin is eliminated.

 

If God is real, and his powers are real, then he can stop innocent people from suffering. Just because someone disobeyed God doesn't mean that they or innocent people should suffer.

 

If this is what God is like then we need God about as much as a woman who is sat there with a black eye and a busted lip needs her abusive husband.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Ross PK

[Malenfant]

ok but I agree with your point of view on everythign else you say

 

thanks

 

 

about that last part, I am studying pharmacy, and you cannot imagine how difficult and hard and risky it is(if your GPA drops they will kick you out even if you spent 3 and 4 years of your life already in it) and I am experiencing how complicated and difficult and hellish medicine and chemistry is, can't imagine what it is like to be researching for answers in these small chemical compounds and bacteria

 

point is, hopefuly I will graduate, and if I were to invent a cure for something, and in the end someone says it was God's miracle done by the hands of a man, I will choke that person

there is nothing miraculous about discoverign a cure

 

one person is lucky enough in his life to discover a cure and he is praised, many people spend 40 and 50 years researching and do not discover anything, and they die and no one hears about them. there is nothign miraculous about discoveries, people sacrificed their lives for it

 

very good point, but it wont stand up to the type of person who believes that god has his own agenda for us, i.e. we only do the things we do because he wanted us to. which is daft cos that totally goes against the 'god created us to have our own minds' argument

 

which is it then? either we're drones performing his will, or we have our own agendas. good example of conflicting statements to back up different arguments.

if its a convo about bad things happening to people, they use the 'god made man to have his own mind' argument, but as soon as people achieve something amazing like finding a cure, we're given 'god made you for that purpose' total contradiction in order to give god credit for our own achievements.

[JamesM]

JamesM, i fail to see how spouting the bible at us is in any way convincing of the existence of miracles.

 

Reread the thread. I was not the first to "spout" the Bible. Besides, the life of Jesus is in the Bible and the miracle of wine is in the Bible. How best to explain or respond than by using the Bible?

 

And how convienient that you dont have a bible passage that relates to the question about why there is suffering in the world, maybe its an old question because no religious person has ever been able to answer it properly.

 

Not true. As I stated, it would take more than a few sentences to adequately answer the question. But yes, I have to agree...critics have not always found the answers sufficient.

 

BTW, first you accuse me of spouting from the Bible, and then you accuse me of not spouting from the Bible?

 

If I used the Bible to explain suffering (which I kinda did if you reread), then it would not be sufficient, I am sure. However, by man came sin into the world. And because of sin there is suffering.

 

God, apparently is fair. but its not fair for bad things to happen to nice people. so it cant be explained and instead the 'god works in mysterious ways, and it is not our place to question why' card is played. Its the biggest cop-out ever.

 

Questioning WHY God does what He does is different than saying He doesn't exist because of what man caused. Watch some clips by Ravi Zacharias on youtube. He gives some answers to this question.

 

As for questioning God, many do feel that if God exists and being defined as much greater than man, then yes, our place would not be to question as one day all will be answered...whether we like it or not.

 

things may seem like miracles to us because we dont understand them, that doesnt mean they are miracles.

 

And just because we understand them does not make them miracles.

 

And i dont capitalize 'god' because you only have to capitalize the name of a person, or being. an object or a theory doesnt have to be capitalized.

 

With all due respect...based on the sentence above, I can only wonder if you truly know the rules. As a way to help you, I provided a link (which is not Christian oriented BTW ) to clear this up....

http://www.libraryonline.com/default.asp?pID=48

 

Note:

 

Names for the Bible – Capitalize all names for the Bible, for parts and versions of the Bible and all names of other sacred books.

 

Creeds and Confessions – Capitalize all names of creeds and confessions of faith and general Biblical terms.

 

Deity - Capitalize all names for Deity

 

Examples:

· Father · Almighty · God · Lord · Holy Spirit · Son of Man

· Messiah · Lord of Hosts · Redeemer · Savior · Holy Trinity

 

Devil - Capitalize all names for the Devil

 

I guess that about covers it.

 

I imagine that the poster you're replying to feels the same as me. No need to be condesending about it just because he has a different belief to you.

 

It is not meant as condescension but if anything, as anger. It just befuddles me that anyone would think not using proper grammar somehow makes God or Jesus disappear. If anything, then I would call the deliberate act of not capitalizing that which should be capitalized because one wants to degrade God or Jesus....condescending.

 

I mean this only as an opinion and not as the "gospel truth."

[627]

Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?

God will feed the hungry

 

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

God shall feed the hungry

there might be other examples too but I do not have an english bible, and googling sentences that I never actualy litteraly read before is kinda hard

 

 

I am not very familiar with the prophet stories that came before jesus but didn't God rain bread on his followers before?

 

and about humans having sinned, there are a few things that I question

 

1)what kind of divine standarts qualifies eating from a tree, havign sex with consent of both individuals involved, and earning alot of money as sins or actions that require forgiveness from him

2)for the sake of argument I will agree that evolution theory is wrong, that God made Adam and Eve and that eating from the forbidden tree qualifies as a sin since he specificly said they can eat from any tree they wish except that one

ok I agree to all of that

if that human which is Adam disobeyed God, then we must all suffer as a species?

in the 21rst century we call that racism

how wrathful and vengeful is our loving father if he is lettign the africans starve because of that

[Malenfant]

i just wrote out a post in reply to JamesM, which was a nice one and not being nasty or anything, and when i clicked 'submit' it asked me to log in although i was already logged in!

then it lost my whole post!

grrr... it will have to wait now.

How annoying