All friends, etc. at R&S How do you think Prayer works if so how? Have you ever effectively used prayer ur?

Question

("Friends, etc" not wanting to make any assumptions ^.^)

Have you ever effectively used prayer yourself trying to create a specific result?


I hope you'll share your experience or disbelief on the subject as a concept, if nothing else.


I've done this and, for now, I will chalk it up to coincidence, or that we really do command the universe as in the book "The Secret", i.e. the law of attraction:

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Attraction

(Read beginning at Principles if you've not heard of it.)

Wiki links this page with:
New Thought Movement
Affirmative prayer
Positive thinking
William Walker Atkinson
Wallace Wattles
Elizabeth Towne
Napoleon Hill
Charles F. Haanel
Norman Vincent Peale
The Secret
Manifestation
Emerald Tablet
Prosperity theology
Esther Hicks
As a Man Thinketh

Ty all.

Answer 1

Insofar as the placebo effect and selection bias work, the Law of Attraction and prayer work.

Answer 2

Well, I don't like the idea of God being some magical genie that will grant us our greatest desires to get rich, have the hottest spouse on the planet, and own your own island, but He does and has answered prayer. Especially if we pray according to His will. Many times God already intends to do something, but He's just waiting for someone to pray. He wants us to labor with Him and He wants to include us in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth and much of this is done through prayer, the other half through obedience.



Miracles for me personally would be the salvation of people I have prayed for; My parents, siblings, and Grandparents. Another thing would be the way circumstances and events line up favorably after times of specific prayer. I take this to mean that I was praying according to the will of God. Once, while we were having a time a worship I felt burdened to pray for Iraq and I had no idea why. At the time there were rumors of war, but nothing had started yet. The burden was intense so I prayed as best I could. Later that night my brother and I were getting into his truck and a breaking news report came in that we had just gone to war with Iraq. These are just a few of my experiences with prayer. I hope you find this helpful.

Answer 3

Yes, I do TM. There's a noticeable difference when I miss a meditation. Have also studied Sanskrit & enjoy the sound of it. I like the way these things make me feel, especially more in touch with my spirituality. Neither interferes with religion, which is a separate thing. I'm trying to be open-minded again about religion in recent years. With any of these, I feel a sense of a deep gentleness & at times, waves of love. I would say waves of transcendence, too, but unless someone has experienced it, it's difficult to describe what it is. I think either Reiki or religion could give some healing. I'm open to giving both a try. However, I'm not asking for anybody religious to rush in with instruction. Already have that available both within & with online services. I'm not sure about Reiki, but it sounds like a good thing to me. Evangelism in Y!A's Religion & Spirituality Category is a big turn-off. Would be good if people just gave a token acknowledgement to atheists there & get on with an exchange of religious ideas instead of wrangling on & on with the atheists, which drives me away. It distracts from spirituality. I start siding with the atheists, which isn't me at all. Live & let live is how I feel & forget all the insults.

Answer 4

Well first of all, I am an Atheist turning to religion. Although I may not have the answers, I am keeping an open mind and open heart. I have recently gone through a bad breakup and didnt really have anywhere to turn. Couldnt eat, sleep, etc. At the peak, when things were so bad and I was getting sick, I remember saying a prayer and while the room around me was cold, I suddenly felt warmth. I cant describe it, and I guess people have to have their own experiences and want to believe. Im still on my path, confused as ever, but I think im making the right choice.



You need to be reasonable and pray for the right things....dont ask for a well paying job, instead ask for the strength you need to seek it and accomplish it.

Answer 5

"Your focus determines your reality." --Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn



The problem with equating this process with prayer is that so many who pray do so in a set-off, compartmentalized way. They petition God or Jesus, etc. and ask for specific things and then close their prayer and become the person they were before praying. They do not change themselves but wish for something to be handed down from on high.



For true change to occur, one must accept all ramifications of that change. I have done rituals to create specific results before, but they were Wiccan/Ritual Magick and not Christian prayer. Certainly my focus and thoughts were key in whether I perceived the rituals had worked or not. Sometimes the results were not exactly what I expected, but, through experience I learned to accept consequences of my actions. I also realized that it is impossible to adhere to "Do What Thou Wilt" if "And it Harm None" is appended, for we do not know the full ramifications of our actions on every living thing and cannot make that claim unless we are somehow omniscient. I rather accept the Crowleyan simplicity of "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law." Coupled with ethical sensibility and practice, this seems more realistic.



I do not practice ritual magick now, having decided it was causing some problems in my ability to open my mind as I was practicing it. I have a problem with ritual, I suppose. Rather now, I prefer a Zen or Tao flow that is not fully visualizable but allows one not only to pray properly but to make that prayer indistinguishable from the flow of the Universe. Harmony, not manipulation. But your point about how a person affects his own situation and fate is well taken. I think that is part of harmonic living if properly done without ego-control.

Answer 6

Prayer does sometimes work- BUT it is NOT supernatural. It is merely a placebo, which evidence has proved to be quite effective.



If people truly believe prayer will heal them, then it is all down to the power of the mind (just like placebos). And so it can work.

Also, prayer can also be an almost self fulfilling prophesy.



This link takes you to an article which proves the "power" of prayer is actually quite meaning less (a group of people were having heart surgery, half were prayed for. There was no difference between the survival rates of the two groups however). http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060403133554.htm

Answer 7

Prayer is merely a form of communication with God. It is a time to thank God for His blessings in our lives, to honor Him as our creator, and to let Him know of the struggles we are facing.



Too many people today seem to view prayer as a way to manipulate God into bending toward their will. God is God, and ultimately He will do what He knows needs to be done. God is not some giant cosmic "Santa Claus," that you go to because you want to lose weight, get a boyfriend, or drive a sports car...



Sure God can, and does bless many people with these things... But many people who do not even acknowledge God receive these things, too. In the Bible it is said that the rain (blessings) fall upon the wicked and the righteous...



Pray to God to develop your relationship with Him, not to "Get Something" from Him, and your life will be truly blessed!



God bless!

Answer 8

You must realize only those in Jehovah's favor following his paths get positive answers to prayers.

My family wouldn't be here if not for his intervention during an accident in 06. Hit by an 18 wheeler, we lived through it when many would have been killed.

Yes prayer works for us, all the time. No. His answers are not always yes. You must realize he has to Analise what is involved in each answer, and who it will effect. Yes, to us can be No to someone else.

Answer 9

personally no i do not think it works for 3 months i asked god for help everyday and it only got worse i learned but i want life to ease up on the ropes a little and give me time to breathe i can't take all the stress and i figured that god would say look i'll give you one small break. once i figured out where i needed to be though it did get easier. maybe that was gods way of waking me up

Answer 10

Prayer works in a very simply way. If you pray for something that has a high probability of happening on it's own, there is a high probability that God will grant your prayer request.



If you pray for something that has a low probability of happening on it's own, there is a low probability that God will grant your prayer request.



If you pray for something that is guarranteed to happen, there's a good gaurrantee that God will repond.



And if you pray for something that is physically impossible, there's an almost definite chance that God won't respond.



It's almost as if God doesn't exist.

Answer 11

If you had a child suffering from illness, what would you do? Pray to God or take the child to a hospital?



I would take my child to a hospital, because God gave doctors the ability through their efforts and knowledge. I would pray also.

Answer 12

Prayer is 100% completely ineffective.



It can help someone focus on a problem, and possibly come up with a solution because they were thinking about it hard enough.



Or it can help someone feel better about a problem.



Past that, it has no effect on anything, whatsoever.

Answer 13

Prayer never worked for me. Tried it.



Law of Attraction is kind of silly, but I'm going to start thinking really hard about winning the lottery, just in case. :-D

Answer 14

Praying to god is about as useful as praying to a plastic milk jug or a Spalding soccer ball (Tom Hanks movie).



http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/



No documented or verified evidence of any prayer ever being answered.