Please pray for...... a rant.

I use facebook, and I have noticed something that some of the people I know on there do that personally bothers me.
At least every day there is a person on there asking for everyone to pray for them. They ask for people to pray for their car to be fixed, to get a job, a child to get over a cold, or to help them find their cell phone. I can name hundreds more.... Then of course the people starting commenting," I'm praying for you", as so on.

I am seeing these as petty reasons to ask for a prayer. I have heard it many times over that the power of prayer can move a mountain, but find your cell phone or fix your car?

If prayer is so powerful why does it only "work" sometimes? Those who asked for the prayer would comment in that they found their phone, or got the job, or their car was fixed (by a mechanic) and it really makes me want to ask "Was it the prayer that helped or it just worked itself out considering you found your phone by looking, your car got fixed because you took it to a shop, or you got the job because you were qualified?

I am agnostic, but use to attend church with my husband, mainly because I was supporting his choice in faith but keeping my own opinion. While there I could not help but notice what the people would pray for. Example, More money, and for more people to see the light, and maybe for a sick member or two. Never once did they pray for the hungry to be fed, the weak to be strong, the world to find peace...the important things. We eventually left the church after an Easter Sunday bidding war that occurred. The pastor was acting like an auctioneer and the people where going against each other as to who could donate the most money. It was sick really, and that's when my husband finally saw what I had been pointing out all along... but that is beside the point.

I read somewhere about people who ask others to pray for selfish, petty things, and it has a term but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. Is it really OK to ask people to pray for such petty things, when that powerful prayer that can move mountains could be used for much greater things? I don't want to offend any of my religious friends but at the same time, it bothers me that they want prayers for such stupid things.

reply to post by lilowl53


I talk to plants in my yard, and the bees, as they land on and fly off of the flowers I am looking at.
People say things as an expression of their thoughts, even if they realize (for example) the bee does not understand the words, or maybe the plants just feel a vibration, but somehow your feeling comes across.
Geckos will get in my house or in my car or in the bottom of a barrel in my yard and I had a lizard fall into a glass of water and was swimming around trying to get out and maybe he was talking to me to ask me to help him get out.

reply to post by lilowl53


Jesus said "Anything you ask of me and in my name i will do it for the glory of God" (paraphrased). Ofcourse some people take this to the extreme and abuse him like he is a djinn (genie).

Personally, i don't pray for selfish reasons and when i do pray for myself i ask that Jesus help me keep my mind and my thoughts on him and keep me within his will, but i do pray for other people, specifically the lost and broken people, people broken hearted or fallen on hard times, the needy and homeless etc. I'd rather save my prayers for things that really matter in life and to help others as opposed to myself. Christians are supposed to suffer, if you call yourself a christian and youre not suffering then theres something very very wrong there.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


I appreciate that you pray for the real things, and you said exactly what I was trying to get across. The lord is not a wish granting genie.

simply turn off facebook. You have a choice. I understand, people ask for retarded things sometimes. But even then, they are living their life just as you are living yours. They have free will, as we do. We, every single one of us, have our own ways to live and ways to do things, no matter wether it irks someone else or not. If we are not directly affecting someone else, other than their self intitled opinons of something, then why does it matter? Live and let live, or whatever right you take from them should be taken from you in the same importance of the person that wishes to believe what they will.


I see no harm. Arguing and fighting against it.... that's a diffrent story. Turn the tables and pick something similar that you might have a thing for or something that you do as a ritual. We all have them, no matter how small or how unoticed they are to everyone else. If you're for taking someones right in whatever they hold between them and their god, then yours should be taken away likewise, even something that relates to your nonbelief.

I simply dont understand this intitlement thing where one person is allowed all but another, perhaps religious person everything but what the other wishes them to have. We all have a right to believe just as we have a right not to believe. You never know.. They very well may be getting their prayers answered. Who knows.. Maybe so few people pray anymore that any prayers, no matter of crazy they are, still happen.

My grandmother used to say... "Son, be careful what you ask God for.. He will give you EXACTLY what you ask for, and sometimes you'll realise just how wrong you were for asking the way you did. Ask with love in mind and your heart, ask with a need and not just a want, and it will be given to you."

reply to post by theRhenn

I tell people on FaceBook that if they want to talk religion, go to ATS, and I give them instructions on how to find the right spot and who to talk to.

reply to post by jmdewey60


lol

If that's how you feel, hey, you're intitled to it. Just as they are in their own right. Remember, these are YOUR facebook friends.

Originally posted by lilowl53
If prayer is so powerful why does it only "work" sometimes?

Because we ask for things we don't need or things we would just be better off doing on our own. My children ask to skip school at least once a week but I don't give them their request because I know what's best for them. It doesn't hurt to ask but that doesn't mean you are guaranteed to get your wish. Prayer works but not the way we want it to I think.

On the subject of Facebook I'm sicking of seeing it reduced to a collection of inspirational quotes. I have you on my friend list so I can see what you're doing not so I can get a daily inspirational quote. Sure the occasional cool quote is fun to share but that shouldn't be the meaning of your existence on Facebook.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000

Christians are supposed to suffer, if you call yourself a christian and youre not suffering then theres something very very wrong there.

Do you seriously believe that lonewolf? The idea of living life thinking like that makes me physically sick....... It's a form of mental illness, there is no other way to describe it.

reply to post by dbates


I noticed that too. One thing I keep in mind though, facebook is full of people that know nothing about a computer but facebook. It's their lil personal slice of something in their minds and for many, like my mother, it's their insperation. You wont find many tech savy people doing that. Instead of insperational posts, they post tech stuff that would probably have their friends pulling their hair out. It's a melting pot of everyones facinations, which are often someone elses aggrivations.

Like alot of people, I hate videos of country or rap music always flying across my facebook, yet I also put up videos of various rock or metal tunes. I'm sure that has my mother pulling her hair out. So I dont look at her videos and Im certain she doesnt look at mine. But I put mine there so I can go back and play them the whole day if I want, easy access. Hers.. I just hide them But I do enjoy other funny pics and music other friends display.

(Shrugs) I often wonder why we're so combative on what other people do when we have the keys to be able to witness it or not and the ability to do so if we so choose or push the power button if we do not.

Originally posted by Atzil321
reply to post by lonewolf19792000

 

Christians are supposed to suffer, if you call yourself a christian and youre not suffering then theres something very very wrong there.

Do you seriously believe that lonewolf? The idea of living life thinking like that makes me physically sick....... It's a form of mental illness, there is no other way to describe it.

Exactly! Why are we to suffer when someone already took that spot for us?? He did more than die for our sin's sake.

reply to post by dbates


I get that little kids pray for silly things like that, but these are adults asking for everyone to pray FOR THEM for silly things. The worst part is that people actually say they are, or are going to oblige and pray for the said silly request. It just perpetuates the notion that it's OK to pray for silly things.

Facebook does annoy me, it is all quotes, and pictures shared to death, and in my case people asking for prayers for their dog Misty to stop pooping on the floor. It's bizarre.

reply to post by theRhenn


Yes, I have had to block what I see of others to keep myself from being irritated to death but still keep them as friends. Facebook has changed the way I view a lot of my friends and family based solely on what they post.

reply to post by lilowl53


Your personal opinion is that some peoples prayer requests are petty......I suspect to those people requesting the prayers...their requests are very sincere.

I personally believe that it all matters to God....that he loves people that much.

And...really in today's economy.....I can understand why someone would ask for prayer to find a cell phone etc. It all does matter.

So....you and I can (agree to disagree) on this one!

Originally posted by lilowl53
reply to post by theRhenn

 

Yes, I have had to block what I see of others to keep myself from being irritated to death but still keep them as friends. Facebook has changed the way I view a lot of my friends and family based solely on what they post.

Agreed! FB reall blows right now. I like some of the additions, but most of them totaly pi$$ed me off!

It would be more enjoyable if you could classify what each post is and hide or make them available by what they are. But spam would get ya either way.

I myself pray for the well being of others, I rarely pray for myself because it makes me feel selfish. Instead I thank the Lord for the things I do have. I think its wrong for people to post things like that on Facebook. It would annoy me as well.

Originally posted by theRhenn
reply to post by jmdewey60

 

lol

If that's how you feel, hey, you're intitled to it. Just as they are in their own right. Remember, these are YOUR facebook friends.

No, they aren't.
There is a cross-over between your friends, and friends of your friends, when you comment on someone's post.
What happens is that someone wants to be a friend so they can have a discussion and these are people I don't even know.

reply to post by caladonea



Maybe petty or silly is the wrong word, I view their "prayer requests" as selfish and materialistic. Of course it's important to them THEY want it, and want the help of god and others to get it.

reply to post by Kermitker


When I was a kid, that is how my dad taught me to pray. To always thank god for what I have, and to have faith that God knows my wishes and dreams and if he saw it fit would grant them if they were to be what was good for me. My dad always taught me to never ask for anything other than forgiveness of my sins.

reply to post by theRhenn

My grandmother used to say... "Son, be careful what you ask God for.. He will give you EXACTLY what you ask for, and sometimes you'll realise just how wrong you were for asking the way you did. Ask with love in mind and your heart, ask with a need and not just a want, and it will be given to you."

I can agree with your granma and i had this happen to me too. I asked for something once and he gave me what i asked for and ended up regretting it because i didn't think it through ahead of time.

Part of the reason i don't ask anything for myself now. The other part is he's already taken care of me, i don't need anything else except for Jesus. He took care of me the moment i hit my knees and surrendered my heart and my will to him, but theres people out there who have not surrendered and it is they who need our prayers.