If Faith is better than Works, then is it OK to Pray (Faith) instead of help others (Works)?

If Faith is more powerful than Good Works, then shouldn't the Power of Prayer be more powerful than the Power of Action? If it is, then is it ok for a rich person to never give any money to charity or to the poor but to only pray that God will deliver for them?

I see how the Power of Faith can change things:







But if Faith (Belief) is stronger than Action (Works) then shouldn't we just focus on the Power of God to do everything for us instead of going out and doing good-works to help others? Where does Action fit in if Faith can do the powerful things as I've shown in the pictures above?

I assume you are talking about Christianity, where do you find the suggestion faith is stronger than actions
Jesus actions were accompanied by prayer
Actions are a sign of faith as well as prayer
I don't think you can separate them as you have done here

As James said, show me your faith I will show you my works

a reply to: arpgme

Faith without works is dead.

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I have seen miracles from God through someone who decided to step out in their faith.

But that person had to choose to step out.

Haven't you heard love has to look like something?

How can you be a good Samaritan and walk passed someone or drive pass someone while they die?

Why don't you ask god? Oh yea, he's not real. Why do you ask people on the internet what gods think? Do you really think raggedyman has the answers?


a reply to: arpgme

i believe your answer is James 2 : 14 - 26
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, y“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.


i think the most important verse here is 26

hope that helps. cheers



oh well someone beat me to it...great minds i guess....

a reply to: Woodcarver

why put in your two cents ...trolling is the lowest form of stupidity. hey i m an athiest but dont see me questioning their belief. respect is earned before it is given.

originally posted by: shinethelight
a reply to: arpgme

Faith without works is dead.

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I have seen miracles from God through someone who decided to step out in their faith.

But that person had to choose to step out.

Haven't you heard love has to look like something?

How can you be a good Samaritan and walk passed someone or drive pass someone while they die?

You couldn't infer that faith is better than works from that passage.

It is saying that Faith must be validated by actions, or otherwise it is empty words.

I would infer that faith and works are equally required.

Pray AND help others.

a reply to: shinethelight

How can you be a good Samaritan and walk passed someone or drive pass someone while they die?

What if they say, "God, please help that person in the best way possible, please give them what they truly need instead of what I believe they need. Please give them they daily bread and needs, Amen."

And what if they don't want to help because they want God to help and believe that God's help is even better. This is what I'm asking about, between taking your own action to help people or using the power of Faith.

If Faith can really Heal people, bring Health, and all of these other things, then isn't God Help through Faith more useful and human action? And can human beings just pray for God to take care of the world instead of trying to help people themselves?

a reply to: arpgme

Jesus went to the cross, after prayer

Faith is accompanied by works and prayer, both go together
James quote was because many gathered to pray but offered nothing of substance.

Christians are called to both prayers and actions, no what ifs, feed the hungry, clothe the poor, shelter the homeless, love the unloved
No what ifs, prayers as important, actions are as well.

It's not this or that, it's both

a reply to: arpgme I think your example may have thrown a few off. I see your viewpoint, I won't stand in the square and say,"this it what I have done." I believe we are all under grace, faith is your choice.

a reply to: arpgme
Biblically speaking, faith is the precursor of action. Neither is better or worse than the other. The two walk hand in hand. Just as James says they do.

originally posted by: CaDreamer
a reply to: Woodcarver

why put in your two cents ...trolling is the lowest form of stupidity. hey i m an athiest but dont see me questioning their belief. respect is earned before it is given.

I think my comments are pertinant to the conversation. What is wrong with my questions? Why don't you try to answer them instead of trying to call me out? Let the mods mod if they want to. Am i not allowed to question peoples beliefs now?

If Faith is better than Works, then is it OK to Pray (Faith) instead of help others (Works)?

Instant reply here to just the title, and haven't read further than that:

A. Faith is not better, and

1. No - praying is not sufficient.

Works is the more important thing. Meditation and mindful stillness are important,

but works are not secondary to those. Without WORKS, all else is self-serving.
In My Opinion

Actions through faith enforce faith through actions. There are no separations in faith and action because they create each other, they are inseperable from one another just as inhalation and exhalation are inseparable from breathing.

To truly have faith in a deity, God, is to see the familial relation of all created things and to live according to that understanding. God is not a separate entity from all things, all things are not separate entities from God. All things are God, God is all things. Therefore to understand the inseperable nature of all that has, does, and ever will exist is to live your life in faith of its oneness with all things and your resulting actions will mirror that faith.

Live now. Be here right now in this moment and decipher with your intellectual reasoning how all things function the same, not in appearance, but in operations. All things that exist operate under perfectly harmonious order. We call this order Universal Law. Some call it the Law of One.

If you are incapable of seeing the world as it really is, as it truly exists, then you will be incapable of true faith and therefore your actions will mirror such.

As man you were endowed with reasoning capabilities above all beings, if you learn to harness your intellect appropriately you will discern God and truly come to "stand in His presence." When your intellect is raised above earthly concerns you will begin to taste the truth of your being and then will you truly know the meaning of faith.

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

Therefore to understand the inseperable nature of all that has, does, and ever will exist is to live your life in faith of its oneness with all things and your resulting actions will mirror that faith.

I'm talking about people who use Faith (Belief) to change physical reality without action, like un-clumping blood cells or other forms of healing.

If Faith has that power to heal and miraculously provide, then where does action come in?

a reply to: arpgme
The better formula is that faith is the starting point and works follow on as a consequence.
That is why James says that he shows his faith by his works.

I agree that prayer/meditation can change how the human body works and awareness level/feels and hands on laying can be very efficient at manipulating energy levels.

But who is more efficient?

1 A soul who have only prayed for others without any real experience or teaching on how to flow the energy.
2 A soul who have been pushing a few drops thru and have had the body flushed thru by another person knowing how to increase the flows.

Strange that many Christian souls are afraid of chi when used in Reiki but keep taking about the light/spiritual but choose not to maximize it, not maximizing their potential.

This is not about religion. This is about how energy is distributed on all levels of creation. It is regardless of faith/view.

originally posted by: arpgme
a reply to: EviLCHiMP

Therefore to understand the inseperable nature of all that has, does, and ever will exist is to live your life in faith of its oneness with all things and your resulting actions will mirror that faith.

I'm talking about people who use Faith (Belief) to change physical reality without action, like un-clumping blood cells or other forms of healing.

If Faith has that power to heal and miraculously provide, then where does action come in?

Action comes in when you take the time to learn who the energy works to focus the energy on the spot that need energy using your body to push energy thru. And taking the time to help others out (I suck at that one).

There is praying and then there is PRAYING. Maxing the placebo effect.

The placebo effect/nocebo effect.

See my response in your other thread.

When you are working in harmony with God, much good work will be done, but the most important part of that equation is faith.

You cannot simply do good and hope you are doing the good He wants; you have to have faith and do the good you are led to.

Faith leads to works. The two co-exist, but the one brings the other.