do certain people have a more direct conection to God? I am seeing proof some do.

I have witnessed over the past 18 years my wifes prayers answered with incredible results. She is a Christian. She leads a womans bible study, attends Church, Prays multiple times daily. She honeslty loves and cares for others. I believe she prays and is convicted by the holy spirit. She takes her prayer time seriouly and even fasts before prayer. Her friends jokingly call he prayers the '30 minute prayers' because some have been answered in as little as 30 minutes. I am always the skeptic on most subjects, but having seen this for myself repeatedly I am convinced that some are more conected to God than others.

Have you had any simular experiences?

I will share some expmples if you are interested in them.

I think some people are inherently more in tune with their psychic and metaphysical capabilities, and therefore can tap into areas others cannot. That is really what I believe is happening to a lot of religious people, however, their religion of choice blinds them from really understanding and capitalizing on their potential.

reply to post by OrderOfTheDragon


I am not sure I understand. I can not explain it. She can not tell the future or look into others lives. She says she prays "in Jesus name" and often the prayers are answered. The reason may never be known, I suppose, but something is happening and I am sure others from all faiths have had this happen.

Originally posted by crsb123
I have witnessed over the past 18 years my wifes prayers answered with incredible results. She is a Christian. She leads a womans bible study, attends Church, Prays multiple times daily. She honeslty loves and cares for others. I believe she prays and is convicted by the holy spirit. She takes her prayer time seriouly and even fasts before prayer. Her friends jokingly call he prayers the '30 minute prayers' because some have been answered in as little as 30 minutes. I am always the skeptic on most subjects, but having seen this for myself repeatedly I am convinced that some are more conected to God than others.

Have you had any simular experiences?

I will share some expmples if you are interested in them.

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

The Spirit surrounds everyone like the atmosphere...
...but most refuse to breath.

Personally, I'm really connected to Darth Vader. We have long conversations about how ridiculous it is for people to have make-believe relationships with characters from books.

Originally posted by crsb123
reply to post by OrderOfTheDragon

 

I am not sure I understand. I can not explain it. She can not tell the future or look into others lives. She says she prays "in Jesus name" and often the prayers are answered. The reason may never be known, I suppose, but something is happening and I am sure others from all faiths have had this happen.

I understand now. If that's the case then I believe it is just self fulfilling prophecy. She prays for something, which is a very symbolic and dramatic event and thus will be recorded by the unconscious mind. Her unconscious will then dictate her actions to fulfill this want or need.

Now, in the case of things happening quickly, I cannot explain, however I am skeptical.

A well known verse to Christians is James 5:16: 'Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective'. Lest you think this proves that the pray-er is in and of themselves righteous, then consider Romans 3:10 'As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one'. How is this apparent contradiction resolved? We must put on the righteousness of Christ. Then our prayers will be effective.

Edited to clarify pray-er as a person, not the action.

[edit on 8-2-2010 by novacs4me]

Originally posted by OrderOfTheDragon

Originally posted by crsb123
reply to post by OrderOfTheDragon

 

I am not sure I understand. I can not explain it. She can not tell the future or look into others lives. She says she prays "in Jesus name" and often the prayers are answered. The reason may never be known, I suppose, but something is happening and I am sure others from all faiths have had this happen.

I understand now. If that's the case then I believe it is just self fulfilling prophecy. She prays for something, which is a very symbolic and dramatic event and thus will be recorded by the unconscious mind. Her unconscious will then dictate her actions to fulfill this want or need.

Now, in the case of things happening quickly, I cannot explain, however I am skeptical.

I may have not been very clear. She is not praying for herslf. She is praying for others who have a need. She often prays alone, with one person or with many. The answers to these prayers are events that occur without her knowledge often.

"Proof"-

I am friends with a woman who is shown by the Holy Spirit if someone is having a boy or a girl before they have an ultrasound.

Prayers are only be answered if a coincidence can happen- ask an amputee who prays for a limb- it doesnt happen as a coincidence is impossible.

But to answer the OP, yeah the Pope is closer and therefore more connected to God than anyone else

There really is no mystery to human willpower - it all boils down to PRACTICE and CONCENTRATION of the WILL which certain persons are better at than others.

Not sure about your 30-munute praying Christianess, but we often find that what a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim &tc. might call 'Prayer' is actually the EXACT same thing (i.e. general 'process of the mind') as e.g. a non Jew or non Christian etc. (for example, a Wiccan, who does not believe in a 'satan' figure) does when he/she manifests his/her Reality by his/her 'WILL' (or will-power aka WishCraft) by INTENSE MENTAL FOCUS e.g. such as we can see in groups of Wiccans raising what is known as the CONE OF POWER (or a solo practitioner DRAWING DOWN THE MOON) &tc.

Great concentration is needed for 'manifestation' and some persons are good at it simply because they PRACTICE IT day and night. This Christianess might be one of those who have a greater than normal power of manifestation/concentration simply because, well...she does it alot.

The basic INDIVIDUAL steps in BOTH Judeo-Christian and non-Judeo Christian traditions are very very similar in actual content (they are called by different names, as we would expect....)

Here are the BAREBONES of the Prayer / Manifestation Steps involved

l. The SUPPLICANT (i.e. the person doing the actual 'wishing' or 'praying') must FIRST get into a MEDITATIVE state, with a clear idea of what he/she wants (the more detail and the more exact the better: foggy requests beget foggy results...)

2. Then the supplicant STATES THE PROBLEM clearly and succinctly using present tense verbs and POSITIVE words (I want xxx to happen in xxx a way)

3. The supplicant then VISUALISES the DESIRED OUTCOME of their WISH as if it has already happened : this 'tricks' or 'programs the sub-conscious mind' into taking the 'necessary physical actions' (or allowing the flow of magnetic attraction laws) in order to start the process. Some people have better imaginations and powers of concentation than others, so results are not always the same -- even for the same person if he/she is not fully involved mind/spirit wise or is distracted &tc.

4. The supplicant then CONCENTRATES FULLY and COMPLETEY on ALL the details of his/her wish as if it were already ACTUALLLY happening 'as if it's happened in his/her realtiy already' (cf: 'whatever you pray for, consider it already done, and it shall be done for you...') in other words, he/she adopts an attitude of 'as if..'

5. The supplicant 'FULLY TRUSTS' that the UNIVERSE (or 'god' if you like your bible stories) CAN and WILL grant the wish as stated (i.e. he/she BELIEVES IN THEIR HEART OF HEARTS without the slightest doubt that it to be possible to get what they want / with both CONSCIOUS and SUB-CONSCIOUS minds) - this can often be done in a state of relaxed gratitude ('a kind of knowing trust', 'acting as if...') and not with frantic nervous tension (which tends to be un-focussed, i.e. the exact opposite of what the supplicant is trying to achieve).

6. The supplicant BELIEVES the wish is to be granted (without doubts) then he/she THANKS the Universe (or the god/goddess/deity &tc.) IN ADVANCE for the wish 'as if it were already given...'

7. If a very very peaceful state of mind follows, that is generally a good indicator that the 'the wish is on its way' i.e. it suggests that the supplicant DOES IN FACT BELIEVE that his wish / desire / prayer will be granted: this BELIEF MUST be ACCEPTED FULLY by BOTH the person's Conscious AND Un-concious parts of the mind - the latter is the hardest to trick into 'really really really believing.' There is generally alot going on in the subconscious recesses of terran humans that are rarely visible...or even admitted to !

Any psychiatrist will tell you that a person generally draws to himself/herself what s/he ACTUALLY SUBCONSCIOUSLY BELIEVES (whether it be about himself/herself or about the potentiality of the wish to be manifested &tc) no matter what his/her CONSCIOUS self says or does as it were 'outwardly...'

A person who prays /manifests WILL successfully over time will gain confidence and trust (what a Christian or a Jew might call FAITH) because s/he has seen it work and therefore begins over time to BELIEVE IT.

These people are often able (in time with practice over the years, and this DOES take PRACTICE !!) to allign his/her CONSCIOUS MIND with his/her SUBCONSCIOUS MIND in the process of 'relaxed concentration'--that is the most assured way to get a 'wish / will manifested' (or what a Jew or a Christian would call 'a prayer answered')

Unfortunately, alot of the time, St Teresa of Avilla's dictum often comes to into play afterwards, viz.

"MORE TEARS ARE SHED OVER 'ANSWERED PRAYERS' THAN UN-ANSWERED ONES"

Oh, plus ca change !

Originally posted by lifecitizen
Prayers are only be answered if a coincidence can happen- ask an amputee who prays for a limb- it doesnt happen as a coincidence is impossible.

But to answer the OP, yeah the Pope is closer and therefore more connected to God than anyone else

I can see the coincidence angle. Once or twice is a coincidence, but this has shown itself over time. I am aware of a man with no arms or legs and does incredible things for God. When asked he stated he was much less of a man with his limbs and has accomplished more without them then he could ever have dreamed. I realize there are many of us with unanswered prayers. Doesn't mean some are not answered.

As for the Pope. Your sarcasm is noted.

Originally posted by crsb123

Originally posted by lifecitizen
Prayers are only be answered if a coincidence can happen- ask an amputee who prays for a limb- it doesnt happen as a coincidence is impossible.

But to answer the OP, yeah the Pope is closer and therefore more connected to God than anyone else

I can see the coincidence angle. Once or twice is a coincidence, but this has shown itself over time. I am aware of a man with no arms or legs and does incredible things for God. When asked he stated he was much less of a man with his limbs and has accomplished more without them then he could ever have dreamed. I realize there are many of us with unanswered prayers. Doesn't mean some are not answered.

As for the Pope. Your sarcasm is noted.

I don't see your point in regards to your being aware of someone with no limbs? so he's happy without them and has probably never prayed for a new limb- therefore he is irrelevant to this conversation.

Amputees prayers are NEVER answered, not once has someone grown a limb- ever.

Doesn't god like amputees? and why?

reply to post by Sigismundus


I think you have described the process very well, but you have forgotten a very important step.
As a person who has seen his prayers answered, and answered quickly, (30 minutes is no record) I have to attest that there is also an intervention. The kind of prayers that are answered, and answered quickly, are the prayers that are desperate, and hopeless. They are not prayers where "God helps those that help themselves".
They are beyond coincidence, and beyond the power of my will. There is an actual intervening force.

Many people underestimate the power of prayer because they don't know how to pray in the proper Light and manner. Many view God as a genie --only there when we so desperately need Him. It’s like the Disney film Aladdin when the Genie (voiced by Robin Williams) springs forth from his lamp and sarcastically states, “*Poof*, Whaddia need? *Poof* Whaddia need?”

So when they pray they fumble through and nothing is resolved and answered. It’s at this point some lose faith and adopt an Atheistic viewpoint --all because they didn’t know how to make the Power of Pray work.

The problems we're seeing in life today are because we have disconnected ourselves from God, so He is trying to get our attentions. How bad we let things get is up to us. We actually were meant to be connected to God, but because this is a fallen world where sin is everywhere and that sin is what disconnects us from God.

And Satan loves these times because it’s so easy to get people to sin now a days through all of the distractions this world offers. When we’re distracted from God we’re more prone to sin. When we sin we’re not living the life God intended us to live, but He’s also bound by the Laws He Himself governs…freewill.

Honestly, we can have ANYTHING we want as humans, but most peoples idea of “everything” differs greatly from The Most High because this is a physical world, filled with materialistic views, wants and what we think we “need.”

There are 2 types of people in this world: Resource Users and Resource Replenishes. If you “use up” everything you get your hands on, how can God trust you with anything that you think is going to make yourself happy when ALL of us have a selfish belief in what will make us happy? We graduate from User to Replenisher when we finally realize that the meaning of life isn’t to help ourselves, but to help others.

Start Replenishing what others Use up and you’ll see not only your world change to a better one, but this world in general will get better, and it will be quick.

If you can’t try and answer anyone else’s prayer, you can’t hope to answer any of yours.

God bless.

Originally posted by Dogdish
reply to post by Sigismundus

 

I think you have described the process very well, but you have forgotten a very important step.
As a person who has seen his prayers answered, and answered quickly, (30 minutes is no record) I have to attest that there is also an intervention. The kind of prayers that are answered, and answered quickly, are the prayers that are desperate, and hopeless. They are not prayers where "God helps those that help themselves".
They are beyond coincidence, and beyond the power of my will. There is an actual intervening force.

I can see that you know this personally not theoretically like Sigismundus.

I am in my fifth decade of life...
...and have been married 32 years on Friday...
...we both know the Spirit and the power of prayer...
...and are witness daily to 'intervention'...
...it's an awesome way to live.



[edit on 8/2/10 by troubleshooter]

reply to post by crsb123


Can she please pray for world peace then, or for an amputee to be healed?

I'm sceptical, nay, going to say 'bollocks', but that is because I'm a godless sob who views religion as a cancer.

And I hope you haven't forked out for health insurance?

I mean, why bother if you can pray and your wifes prayers are answered?

Originally posted by aorAki
reply to post by crsb123

 

Can she please pray for world peace then, or for an amputee to be healed?

I'm sceptical, nay, going to say 'bollocks', but that is because I'm a godless sob who views religion as a cancer.

The Spirit is not 'religious' either...
...the Spirit interacts with people not organizations.

Nope.

We are all made up of the same stuff...the same stuff that makes up the Sun, the moon, and all the matter that has ever existed in the Universe.

We are all connected to each other. There is really no space between us.

We are all connected equally to "God" because we are all "God".