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Matthew 7:7, Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:24, John 14:12-14, Matthew 18:19 and James 5:15-16 all mention that if you have faith, whatever you ask for in prayer Jesus will give to you.
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." ~Matthew 21:22
Many people pray for world peace, for hunger to end, for wounds to heal, and well for a lot of things. Does Jesus/God answer these prayers?
Could it be estimated that millions of people are praying for world hunger to end? and yet, world hunger persists.
Does Jesus answer prayers? It doesn't seem so.
"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
~Matthew 17:20
Ever tried telling a mountain to move? Ever tried to pray for something impossible? If it didn't happen, according to Matthew it's because you didn't have as much faith as a mustard seed.
Is that fair to you, as a devout Christian? If not you, then isn't there at least one person on the earth who has more faith than a mustard seed? Can they pray for impossible things to happen with results? Not likely. Jesus doesn't answer prayers, even for mustard seeds.
Does that mean the passages listed above from Matthew, Mark, John and James are untrue? How can they be true, when they clearly are proven false by any person of faith praying for world hunger to end, in vain.
Last edited by LogicIsYourFriend; 10-24-2008 at 01:28 AM..
Reason: typo
Many people pray for world peace, for hunger to end, for wounds to heal, and well for a lot of things. Does Jesus/God answer these prayers?
Could it be estimated that millions of people are praying for world hunger to end? and yet, world hunger persists.
Does Jesus answer prayers? It doesn't seem so.
So because it looks to you that Jesus isn't answering the prayers of those asking for an end to world hunger, that He doesn't answer any prayers at all? That's a bit of a generalization don't you think?
Jesus does answer prayer, each and every day...the answer isn't always yes and isn't always what we want it to be. My family has witnessed an answer to prayer for a situation with my mom's health. She has a tumor in her groin that her doctor said was more than likely a return of the lymphoma she was diagnosed with three years ago. She went in for a needle biopsy last week and the tumor has shrunk by half. This is a specific answer to prayer as this is exactly what we were asking God for...that the tumor would either be gone or be smaller by the time my mom went in for the needle biopsy. The doctor stated that it was "very unusual" for a tumor to shrink in this way (if indeed it is cancerous, which the doctor was quite sure of).
Now at the same time, we are also asking God for a miracle regarding my dad's health and it looks to us, at least at this moment in time, that the Lord is not going to answer that prayer (in the way we would like). My dad is literally starving to death as he has no appetite whatsoever and is dropping weight fast (this is a result of a host of medical problems my dad has experienced over the past several years). We are of course very sad to see my father go through what he is going through right now but we know that God is ultimately in control of the situation and that no matter what happens, He will see us through.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
1 John 5:14 "And we can be confident that He will listen to us when ever we ask Him for anything in line with His will".
Emphasis here is in God's will, not ours. We should never demand anything from God, but discuss with Him what He wants. If we align our prayers to His will, we can be certain that He will listen and give us a definite answer. Start praying with confidence.
I pray to God thru Jesus. But that's neither here nor there.
I have never prayed and my prayers not been answered, whether it's by the actual answer to my petition or simply the peace of mind and strength to handle whatever I'm facing.
Once, I had a very difficult crisis to face and I remember being in the shower and just falling to my knees out of sheer despair. Crying like anything, praying in such a state-it probably wasnt the most respectful way to approach God. But I'll never forget how calm I felt when I finished praying. And how immediate the sense of urgency seemed to leave me. How balanced everything seemed and how much less stressful. Pivotal moment for me.
I spoke to a man once who was put in a concentration camp for his refusal to go to war during WW2. He said that he remembers one time when he was being harassed by his guards to sign a form renouncing his faith: they sprayed he and his friend down w/ water and made them sit on their knees all night in near-freezing weather to 'break' them, I guess. He said he and his friend were forbidden to speak but they both prayed silently to God for the strength to help them through what they faced. The next morning, when they were finally allowed to rise and go back to their cells, they were both so stiff and swollen that they could barely move. They were both suffering from mild hypothermia but when they were able to speak to each other, the first thing he remembers is how they laughed when they realized that though the physical effects of their ordeal could be felt now, neither of them could remember being cold the night before. They both felt as if they had awoken from a pleasant sleep when they were told to get up the next morning. 'The power of prayer' he said. I'll always remember that experience.
Last edited by alicenevada; 10-24-2008 at 08:57 AM..
Many of you have powerful ideas about prayer. Deb, that is unfortunate about your parents. However, the fact that your mom gets better but your dad doesn't isn't very convincing. Doctors almost always tell patients the worst possible scenario, so that it isn't the doctor's fault if things actually do get that bad.
Alice, prayer can be like meditation. Meditation requires no god. It is just a way to calm the mind. I'm sure a Buddhist could have gotten through the cold wet night just as well as the POWs.
NC, your one verse from the bible doesn't override the many verses where Jesus promises that "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." ~Matthew 21:22
Are you saying you don't believe the verses Matthew 21:22, Matthew 17:20, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 18:19, John 14:12-14, and James 5:15-16? In none of these verses is there a disclaimer that God will probably not answer your prayer more than half the time.
Coincidences are not proof, especially when a lot of prayers go unanswered. Here are a couple articles of actual studies showing that prayer had no effect. A Prayer For HealthFaith-Based Medicine
If you say "God only answers when he wants to" you are disregarding all of the verses listed above that say you will get whatever you ask for. Of course you won't get whatever you ask for, even if Jesus promised it. Because Jesus doesn't answer prayers.
Alice, prayer can be like meditation. Meditation requires no god. It is just a way to calm the mind. I'm sure a Buddhist could have gotten through the cold wet night just as well as the POWs.
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They are exactly the opposite. Meditation involves emptying the mind. People who haven't been conditioned or taught how to do this sometimes reach a breaking point when they are in a stressful situation, like I was in my experience. My mind was in turmoil, for me to relax or empty it was beyond my power. In those situations, prayer is a desperate plea. Until you feel that complete and utter calm that comes upon you so suddenly in the middle of such complete mental anguish , you will never comprehend it. I assure you, it doesnt come from anything internal.
I'm not trying to argue with you but just that you consider the possibility that there might be something out there with which you aren't familiar.
They are exactly the opposite. Meditation involves emptying the mind. People who haven't been conditioned or taught how to do this sometimes reach a breaking point when they are in a stressful situation, like I was in my experience. My mind was in turmoil, for me to relax or empty it was beyond my power. In those situations, prayer is a desperate plea. Until you feel that complete and utter calm that comes upon you so suddenly in the middle of such complete mental anguish , you will never comprehend it. I assure you, it doesnt come from anything internal.
I'm not trying to argue with you but just that you consider the possibility that there might be something out there with which you aren't familiar.
Removing all your troubles from your mind and placing them on God is emptying your mind. How can you "assure" me that it doesn't come from anything internal? give me proof.
Yes, I am unfamiliar with a lot of things in the world, since I acknowledge that I don't know everything. However, I can read the bible, and I can see that Jesus promises to answer every prayer to believers, numerous times. Most things about faith are untestable, but prayer is testable. And it doesn't work more often than by coincidences, statistically.
Removing all your troubles from your mind and placing them on God is emptying your mind. How can you "assure" me that it doesn't come from anything internal? give me proof.
Yes, I am unfamiliar with a lot of things in the world, since I acknowledge that I don't know everything. However, I can read the bible, and I can see that Jesus promises to answer every prayer to believers, numerous times. Most things about faith are untestable, but prayer is testable. And it doesn't work more often than by coincidences, statistically.
LOL. Like a doctor would give your proof that your health is 'fine' even when you think it's not? Some things are obviously not going to be handed to you in a textbook, Logic. Has anyone ever proven to you that the sun is 11,000 degrees? Is it likely that anyone can?
If you are using prayer as a means of 'testing' God, there is no wonder you see no results. He knows the difference between someone who is speaking to him out of sincerity and someone who is simply seeking confirmation of his existence. Prov 28:9-'He that is turning away from hearing the law-even his prayer is something detestable.'. No, not all prayers are going to be heard.
LOL. Like a doctor would give your proof that your health is 'fine' even when you think it's not? Some things are obviously not going to be handed to you in a textbook, Logic. Has anyone ever proven to you that the sun is 11,000 degrees? Is it likely that anyone can?
If you are using prayer as a means of 'testing' God, there is no wonder you see no results. He knows the difference between someone who is speaking to him out of sincerity and someone who is simply seeking confirmation of his existence. Prov 28:9-'He that is turning away from hearing the law-even his prayer is something detestable.'. No, not all prayers are going to be heard.
I don't get your point about the doctor. I have heard many stories of people being told they have only a short time to live, and yet they recover. Not all were believers.
And I am not going around basing my life on the specific temperature of the sun. But I can test that the sun is hot and light by walking outside.
Concerning prayer, what about the true believers? They are speaking sincerely. They are not 'turning away from hearing the law.' Their prayers go unanswered. I was once a devout Christian myself. None of my prayers were answered.
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