How effective is Prayer…..Really?

As many others have I have grown up believing that if you pray to God and do so with the right intentions and ‘pure of heart’ your prayers will be answered.
Our teachers then told us that the answer may not always be yes, but they are answered in accordance with Gods will. I know this sounds like a cop out to some but I understand. If you pray for a million dollars to spend on drugs, alcohol and women then obviously the answer will be a resounding no.

But is prayer really just like weather forecasting? The meteorologists will say for days or even weeks there is a “chance of rain” and when rain does come they can say ”See, I told you it would rain”.

Keeping with weather as an example, when churches during times of drought pray for rain, and rain finally comes it is “because we prayed for it”

Does prayer really work? Do we need to pray to the correct God to get an answer? For those with the God within us philosophy do we just make things happen for ourselves? (God helps those....blah blah blah)

I think prayer actually DOES work, only when there is absolutely nothing you can do otherwise.

I don't necessarily believe getting your prayers answered is God's work (it could be though), but emitting energies throughout the universe as we are all connected on some level, and the universe 'listens' in a way. There's still much I believe to be discovered with this though I think.

Prayer absolutely works!

As long as you're asking for what you are asking for for the right reasons and in the right way.

Who here wouldn't give their child a meal if asked? However who here would give their child (too young) the keys to the car or the bank account?

If your prayer isn't working it's because you're not working it out within yourself.

I don't know about all the miracles and what not. However meditation/prayer have obvious psychological benefits. A healthy mind support a healthy body. So one can say that meditation/prayer heals.

[edit on 5/30/2008 by eye open doors]

1)
Its called random chance. in other situations where prayer seems to be answered,
its realy something that can be explained in a rational way. Its not nessecarily because
a god has granted your wish by a poof of magic.


2)
What about those who pray for cars, money and fame and get it? do you believe god
granted their prayer?

What about those who pray for bad things and get it? god? or is it maybe satan? can
he also answer prayers?


3)
Even though people dont believe in god and prayer, good things and bad things will happen to them.
If they live a life praying, good things and bad things will also happen.
See? you dont need to pray, good things may still happen. But some cherry pick, you prayed for a million things, and some came true. Those you blame god for.

Never heard of a amputee that got his limb back.

If prayer worked, we`d all do it but it just hasnt ever seemed to be proved right. every time it seems that the same things happen to those who pray and those who doesn`t pray.


4)
In 1872, Francis Galton conducted a famous statistical experiment to determine whether or not prayer had a physical effect on the external environment. Galton hypothesized that if prayer was effective, members of the British Royal family would live longer, given that thousands prayed for their wellbeing every Sunday. He therefore compared longevity in the British Royal family with that of the general population, and found no difference.


5)
Many believe that prayer can aid in recovery, not due to divine influence but due to psychological and physical benefits. It has also been suggested that if a person knows that he or she is being prayed for it can be uplifting and increase morale, thus aiding recovery.


For your own or others best interest, go to a doctor when you damage your body. if you are dying i wouldnt bet on a prayer to help heal you. wish it would though.

So from the small survey group so far only 1/4 feel that prayer has any influence on our lives.

Thanks Incarnated for your thoughts. I may have got the message wrong but so you know I am not asking about a specific prayer request but a general question that has been on my mind for a while now.

As some may have read in previous threads of mine (What should I belive, 144000) I am at a point where I feel I need to explore more deeply where I stand.

I was raised in a VERY religious home, my father being a pastor for most of my life until he retired.

I too was raised to believe that God does answer prayers and that he answers in 3 ways: yes, no, wait

I can honestly say that I do believe in the power of prayer and I can not explain why or how. It is just something deep in me. I have a very strong faith in God, but I am not religious (I do not go to church and haven't picked up a Bible in many years - long story as to why).

However, in some of my most desperate times in life....some of the hardest times in my life....I have cried out to God and prayed for this or that...usually it will be to just get me thru the horrible situation I'm going through. Other times it will be to show me direction, open/close doors....and just help me.

And he always always answered that prayer - I believe.

At other times I have actually prayed for "things" such as "I need money to pay for this month's rent" or "I really need a job"....and somehow, someway the money would be provided, usually in an unusual way....or I would get a job just out of the blue.

I do not ever pray for things such as fame, fortune, and unnecessary things like the handbag I lust over.

And then there have been the times that I have seen miracles happen as a result of prayer. That's another topic.

And last but not least I have had many prayers that were NOT answered how I wanted. But as I moved forward and looked back....I can clearly see how the answer given was what was BEST for me.

So, yes, I believe in the power of prayer....and its only based on experience not on what I was raised to believe.

Vikingant: I wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of answers to your questions. And I will even say a prayer for you

reply to post by VIKINGANT


I believe 89% of christians are blind selfrightous fools. I know christianity is a religion based upon an idol of "( J E S U S ! ! ! ) ".

However that's not to say that thier misunderstandings and confusion are not based upon an outright lie.

There is a God. There was a man that came walking that the idol of "JESUS" is based upon.

The Whole God and Pray thing does work as long as you understand the psyical world is the illusion and so to "pray" for some "need" you percieve in the fleshly illusion is an empty pray.

Praying for your child to "see the light" and "stop being back slidden" and for them to "come back into the fold" of your brand of christianity is selfrightous foolishness. Thus it is an empty wasted pray.

However to pray for clarity for yourself so that you may better understand and work toward the truest nature of "The Will of God", or anything along that line, will get you an responce in next to no time.

If you have something in your life you need fixing, you may think you need "THIS" to fix it like "THAT", but this is you thinking you KNOW better then God.

There's much glory I must give unto my father the most high God as to answering my prayers in a timely and superb way.

Prayer Works! I have no doubt. I don't have to try to convince the blind it does. That's how I roll. I know for my own that it does in a big way. However it only works if you know the reality behind God and your association with God.


Religion is blind and foolish. If Religion wasn't so blind and foolish it would see the newest document. Check into the Urantia book for a very good discriptive on how Pray works!


[edit on 31-5-2008 by Incarnated]

There is a test that you can do to try the existence of god.

Pray and ask god to provide you with clear proof for he’s existence. If you have proof that god exists after praying post back at tell me, if not, there are only three reasons that are plausible – god does not exist – god does not want or – god can’t give you this evidence.

If god can’t give you the evidence, god is certainly not omnipotent for that is something god can’t do. Which means god does not want to give you this evidence, if god chooses not to then why prey?

Opinion:

Prayer of Thanks is more effective than Prayer of Please.

Prayer, combined with hard work, diligence, right living, and a positive attitude has a better chance of being answered than living life as a lazy, internet addicted, lout.

I know this from experience as I am a lazy, internet addicted, lout and my prayers are rarely actualized.



[edit on 31-5-2008 by whaaa]

I've always been somewhat reluctant to acknowledge prayer as being anything more than superstition due to some of my opinions about religion. Then one day I listened to an interview with a man named Greg Braden (author of The Divine Matrix). He explained prayer in a way which was not dependant upon religion. He has spent many years delving into spirituality and the scientific principles which might explain such things. For me at least, his words opened up many new possibilities to consider regarding prayer.


This clip only scratches the surface of what he has to say, but there are plenty more on youtube and google video if you find him interesting.







[edit on 31-5-2008 by SystemiK]

Praying might not work in the sense that god will come down and do it for you or make it happen from his throne. But usually collective prayer brings people together and can be a really good kicker when combined with action. A team prays for victory. A group of people pray for sick one to get better and then the collections goes toward their treatment. Not only that but prayer isn't far from meditation or the laws of attraction when one sets their mind to something it happens you know. When your thoughts time and actions are all set to a goal it simply can't hurt. I'm not saying there isn't any divine power to praying if there is or isn't it's hard to tell because of what I said earlier.
I like prayer.

I think the video above kind of coincides with my beliefs. But I still think that when it comes to "lesser" events stuff other than weather manipulations and direct magical or divine healing the mind is powerful enough to benefit from prayer.

[edit on 31-5-2008 by Zealott]

Meditation/prayer is most effective when within the parameters of natural law.

Originally posted by andre18
There is a test that you can do to try the existence of god.

Pray and ask god to provide you with clear proof for he’s existence. If you have proof that god exists after praying post back at tell me, if not, there are only three reasons that are plausible – god does not exist – god does not want or – god can’t give you this evidence.

If god can’t give you the evidence, god is certainly not omnipotent for that is something god can’t do. Which means god does not want to give you this evidence, if god chooses not to then why prey?

I don't have to pray for proof. You want proof of God, take a look outside your window, or up into the night sky, or at the complexity of a cell, or the mathematical formula and laws of physics that set the universe up precisely to habour life, if you can say to yourself, that all of that cam about by accident, it's like saying you could throw a couple of bolts, some scrap mettal, and some wires into bag, shake it around, and out would pop the space shuttle, well actually that doesn't even begin to compare. It's easy for us to loose sight of how amazing things truly are when that is all we have known. We simply take the utter miracle that we even exist for granted, and then ask for proof of a higher power or a plan or inteligence behind the sceme of things. The proofs of God are all around us, some just can't see the forest for the trees.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools

Originally posted by andre18
There is a test that you can do to try the existence of god.

Pray and ask god to provide you with clear proof for he’s existence. If you have proof that god exists after praying post back at tell me.

Which means god does not want to give you this evidence, if god chooses not to then why prey?

I assume you mean pray, not prey?

Other than that, the thought of a non-believer praying to God for proof of his/her existence (or inviting anonymous strangers on an internet forum to do so on his behalf) is even more absurd and childish than western believers praying for God to intervene in the minutia of their exitstence as a reward for blind faith.

What would you require as proof?

I think that if prayer works it operates in the same way as postive thinking, which harnesses your own inner resolve and subconscious powers, rather than calling on some outside power to intervene on the prayer's behalf.

Originally posted by andre18
There is a test that you can do to try the existence of god.

Pray and ask god to provide you with clear proof for he’s existence. If you have proof that god exists after praying post back at tell me, if not, there are only three reasons that are plausible – god does not exist – god does not want or – god can’t give you this evidence.

If god can’t give you the evidence, god is certainly not omnipotent for that is something god can’t do. Which means god does not want to give you this evidence, if god chooses not to then why prey?

Well, the problem with this is that God specifically tells people not to test him.
But on the other hand, you could ask God for something without testing him. I believe that he does answer prayers.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
Opinion:

Prayer of Thanks is more effective than Prayer of Please.

Let me agree with and repeat this opinion

You don't get what you ask for (what you want) when you pray, you get what you already have and what you already are.

"God please make me healthy!" All you're doing there is telling God you're ill, and he will give you more reasons to be ill.

If you pray "Thank you for my health God" And you do this with the full conscious and subconscious belief (=faith) that you are already healthy, God will give you more health.

Do I think God answers prayer?
Yes I do.
Do I think that God will answer like I want him to all the time?
Not a Chance.
Do I think it is incredibly arrogant of me to presume that God should show himself to me in form or miracle like a so many parlor tricks, as if the almighty is a circus monkey that ought to demonstrate his "magical" feats for my amusement?
Yes yes that would be mighty arrogant of me indeed.