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Many people believe. as I do that everything happens for a reason. So, for the people that believe that, then whey do they pray for a different outcome when problems arise, for yourself or others. My point is, prayer doesn't actually work. What's going to happen is going to happen.
Prayer to change the outcome of things external to your head doesn't work.
Prayer for guidance as to how I might respond to what's going to happen seems to do so, but it can be argued that this is just a function of the brain focusing in on a task with the details running in the background.
Still, I still believe in God as That Which Connects Us, and so I use prayer to tap into that source.
Prayer to change the outcome of things external to your head doesn't work.
Prayer for guidance as to how I might respond to what's going to happen seems to do so, but it can be argued that this is just a function of the brain focusing in on a task with the details running in the background.
Still, I still believe in God as That Which Connects Us, and so I use prayer to tap into that source.
Prayer to change the outcome of things external to your head doesn't work.
Prayer for guidance as to how I might respond to what's going to happen seems to do so, but it can be argued that this is just a function of the brain focusing in on a task with the details running in the background.
Still, I still believe in God as That Which Connects Us, and so I use prayer to tap into that source.
Meditation, in fact. I can relate to that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tired of the Nonsense
If God has had everything planned out from the beginning, then God planned for the serpent to corrupt Adam and Eve. The fall of humankind was planned from before their creation, as was the need for Jesus to suffer and die as an act of redemption. In other words, God is a manipulative psychotic sob. I prefer to take a more sympathetic view of God as a non existent figment of the imagination of childlike minds.
I agree but that doesn't solve the paradox of 'why pray if it's all planned?'
Many people believe. as I do that everything happens for a reason. So, for the people that believe that, then whey do they pray for a different outcome when problems arise, for yourself or others.
My point is, prayer doesn't actually work. What's going to happen is going to happen.
Jesus taught that time and unexpected events befall mankind as when the tower of Siloam fell killing 18 people.
They were just at the wrong place, wrong time - Luke 13:4-5; Ecclesiastes 9:11 B.
Prayer is often about spiritual matters such as accomplishing the spiritual work of Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8.
Prayer works because that good news message of Daniel 2:44 has been proclaimed world wide.
Remember Job 2:4-5 because Satan challenges all of us. Touch our ' flesh ' ( loose physical health ) and we would Not serve God under adverse conditions. Both Job and Jesus under adverse conditions proved Satan a liar and so can we.
The choice is ours as to what can happen. We can prove faithful - Matthew 24:13.
I agree but that doesn't solve the paradox of 'why pray if it's all planned?'
We have a "contemplative" Christian practice called Centering Prayer. The idea is that the language of God is silence, and so it's a time spent in silence, letting go of thoughts, and having a "sacred word" that brings you back when your mind inevitably wanders. It is similar to non-Christian meditation practices and, I suspect, serves the same purpose under a different name.
I used to subscribe to that "everything happens for a reason" stuff, predestination, etc. many decades ago in my dumb youth. I'm so glad I moved beyond that. God gives us and the universe lots of freedom. Overthinking though doesn't help one d@mn bit.
Well, then they get to say that god works in mysterious ways. It's part of the smoke and mirrors aspect of religion.
They do, but that is avoiding the paradox, not solving it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thoreau424
I used to subscribe to that "everything happens for a reason" stuff, predestination, etc. many decades ago in my dumb youth. I'm so glad I moved beyond that. God gives us and the universe lots of freedom. Overthinking though doesn't help one d@mn bit.
We have a "contemplative" Christian practice called Centering Prayer. The idea is that the language of God is silence, and so it's a time spent in silence, letting go of thoughts, and having a "sacred word" that brings you back when your mind inevitably wanders. It is similar to non-Christian meditation practices and, I suspect, serves the same purpose under a different name.
Why, that sounds exactlu like Vipassana Meditation in Buddhism.
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but that doesn't solve the paradox of 'why pray if it's all planned?'
Why, that sounds exactlu like Vipassana Meditation in Buddhism.
