Do you think prayer works?

Question

I am not trying to start an argument. I personally look at prayer as something that gives a person peace over things. I am not sure if it works or if it doesn't. It seems like a hit or miss kind of thing.

1. Do you think prayer works?

2. Do you think praying for some things is inappropriate (such as praying for your favorite team to win over another team)?

3. What do you consider the appropriate things to pray for?

4. Do you think some people use prayer to try to make their lives look better?

5. If you say to someone who is ill, "I am thinking of you." is that the same thing as praying for them?

Please understand that I am not trying to start something and that I really am wondering the answers to these questions.

Answer 1

Not in the sense that prayers are granted by some omnipotent being. However prayer can be viewed as a form of meditation, and that can bring peace of mind and a clarity of thought that might lead the person to see solutions to problems they didn't see before. Praying if you are ill or for someone who is can lift someones spirits and create a positive mindset, which any doctor will tell you is important to a patients recovery.

Answer 2

1. Yes, I believe prayer works. If prayers had not worked for me, then I would cease to pray or to believe in God. 2. Some things are very inappropriate to pray for. 3. I think a good prayer is started out by praising God. Followed by asking forgiveness of sins. Then pray for other people. Pray for yourself last. And only pray for needs. The Lord's Prayer is a great model. 4. I guess some people might mis-use prayer in this way. Everyone is different. 5. I don't think saying I am thinking of you is the same as praying for them, because it is not. However, there is nothing wrong with that. Of course an atheist is not going to pray.

Answer 3

1. I know prayer works

2. I do believe that praying for somethings are inappropriate such as the example you made. If anyone believe that god is going to magically intervene in a football game, they will sadly be mistaken. If the team do win its simply luck.

3. Praying to simply hold a conversation with god, praying for forgiveness, praising him in thanksgiving, praying for help, praying for health, praying for prosperity.

4. how do you pray to make your life look better? I am not understanding

5. Thinking of someone and praying for someone is two different things. I am thinking about my friend right now who is supposed to call me any second, but it isn't praying for him. Praying for him is talking to god about him. Asking God to help him or such

Answer 4

1. Only as a placebo, this has been demonstrated many times in double blind experiments.

2. It will have no effect.

3. Nothing. Real medicine is better than placebos, and dwelling on a placebo can actually cause some one to delay needed medical attention until it is too late. When it's not as a placebo, prayer is just a way for someone to not do anything and pat themselves on the back pretending they had.

4. Try, yes.

5. No. Thinking of someone, having sympathy for them lacks the pretense of trying to invoke supernatural intervention.



"It seems like a hit or miss kind of thing."

At the same rate and on the same things as not doing anything at all. That's why prayer "heals" people of ailments that their medicine can or that the body can recover from on its own. But it has no effect on things like amputated limbs.

Answer 5

1. No, that's absurd. At best it may have a placebo effect of making the person feel good.



2. I think it is stupid in general. What's the point of God having a plan for everyone if everyone just prays for what they want. What, every idiot who prays can **** with his plan? It's ridiculous.



3. Nothing.



4. Yes.



5. No. If you say you're thinking about someone then it means you're keeping them in your thoughts and you're looking out for their well being in a way. Prayer is getting a deity to do the work for you. It's dehumanizing.

Answer 6

1. Do you think prayer works? yes



2. Do you think praying for some things is inappropriate (such as praying for your favorite team to win over another team)?

i wouldn't pray over such things ...



3. What do you consider the appropriate things to pray for?

anything really ...



4. Do you think some people use prayer to try to make their lives look better?

i don't care how my life 'looks' ...

i do care how i feel tho.



5. If you say to someone who is ill, "I am thinking of you." is that the same thing as praying for them?

no, of course not.

Answer 7

1. Yes.



2. Obviously praying for certain things would be inappropriate------I don't think it is inappropriate though to pray for a favorite team to win over another team.



3. Health (did a Novena when I was sick and was finally cured during that Novena), to find true love (did a Novena to either find a good man or husband and, right in the middle of it, I met my husband whom I have been married to for many years now), for the graces one needs each day and particularly in difficult times, for one's loved ones, for the conversion of sinners and world peace..............



.4. Since prayer is used by every type of person, I would have to say that some probably would use prayer to make their lives look better.



5. Definitely not--------to be totally honest, when I am going through any kind of trial, someone saying "I am thinking of you" does not mean much to me=====I appreciate that they are trying to show me some kind of caring, but thinking of someone does not amount to much (if anything). Now, telling me that they are praying for me or I am in their prayers, is like gold to me-----it really means a lot and is like the greatest present you can give to me at the time. Even when everything seems to be going fine, someone who tells me that they are praying for me or that I am in their prayers really means a lot to me.

Answer 8

If you would like an answer from the bible, I will be happy to give you one. Prayer is a gift that God gave His people. He does not communicate with anyone else. His people are the ones keeping His commandments and living as He asked them to live.



There is one exception. He will listen to and answer a prayer for help to find Him.



Appropriate? Jesus gave us a model prayer or outline to follow. So, following this model, we need to pray to God because He is the only hearer of prayer. Neither Jesus, nor any other being, has that privilege. We need to pray for the sanctification of God's name, Jehovah, because Satan and his agents have dishonored it by lying about God from the beginning. That is why the bible says that God has a legal case against him. It is called, slander.



Next, we need to be conscious that God's kingdom is a theocratic government that will soon take over the rule of the earth, replacing all earthly governments.



We need then, to ask for our spiritual food. We cannot survive without it.



As we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we must remind ourselves, that we will receive the same forgiveness that we give to others who have offended us.



When you have then made your requests known, it is a good idea to ask for protection from the wicked forces that surround you.



1. Yes, it works.

2. A better word is useless. God does not answer prayers of personal gratification, unless they are in line with His will, such as a prayer to help you find the right place for you to be in His work.

3. You may pray for anything that is in harmony with God's will. Prayer is a conversation with God. You may tell Him whatever you like, just talk to him about your concerns or ask for help.

4.Yes, but they are wasting their time. God does not hear every prayer, as the song goes. There are several places in the bible where He states clearly - "Do not pray to me, I will not listen."

5. No, but it is a nice thing to say.



Now go back and read the first paragraph. If you want to be one of God's people, ask Him for help.

Did Jesus not say, "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find."?

Answer 9

1. As a placebo. Prayer has same effects as meditation, it may leave the person more peaceful and reflective. However, if the asked intentions in the prayer is carried out is a different story. I doubt that prayer would work, because it defeats the purpose of trying to change "god's plan".



2. It wouldn't matter.



3. Meditation helps alot for me, so I wouldn't know.



4. Ever read "The Devil and Tom Walker"?



5. Yes, because saying "I'm thinking for you" means that you will be in his/her thoughts. The person is thinking about you, which means he/she cares about you.

Answer 10

1. Slim chance it would work. I think that when we set our mind to it then we can attract what we want? There's a force maybe?

2. Yes.

3. Probably for something positive and something that's not against the moral.

4. Yes. Like they shouldn't be too delusional in it.

5. Not really, maybe say get well soon or I will keep you in prayers would be better when they hear it and give them some mental support.

Answer 11

Phillip is right. Prayer works but God does not take orders from you.A bloke asking

for a snake will not get it he will get a stick instead.God will give

you credit stored for you in afterlife.Its INFINATELY more valuable

than cash clothes, food warmth etc that people keep asking for.

Jesus gave up a prayer to pray the Our Father .You must pray

at least that one.Many graces and rewards have been received

simply by praying the rosary.Read about St Stanislaus and see.

Answer 12

“Ah, Jehovah, please, let your ear become attentive to the prayer of your servant.”—NEH. 1:11.



We can pray for wisdom. reading the bible and learning from past examples of The prayers of faithful ones. and what they prayed about, helps us to draw closer to God and even see our prayers being answered. Notice some of the prayers of faithful servant of God " In the bible":





Daniel prays to Jehovah in confession of his own sins and those of Israel. (Dan. 9:1-5; Jer. 29:10)



Daniel 9:4 I prayed to Jehovah my God and made confession and said:



“O Jehovah the true God, the great and awe-inspiring One, who keeps his covenant and shows loyal love+ to those who love him and keep his commandments,+ 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled;+ and we have deviated from your commandments and your judgments.





The apostle John explains: “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that, no matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)



Our requests must be in harmony with God’s will. Some pray for things that are clearly not God’s will—to win the lottery, for example, or to win a bet. Others pray with improper motives. The disciple James warns against such abuse of prayer, saying: “You do ask, and yet you do not receive, because you are asking for a wrong purpose, that you may expend it upon your cravings for sensual pleasure.”—James 4:3.

Answer 13

1. Yes

2. Yes.

3. The most apporpriate thing is to pray to be a better person and the improvement of others lives.

4. Yes but it is not up to me to decide it is however up to me to determine if I am

5. not always

Answer 14

It works I suppose in that if you believe it might, you might feel better because you prayed, so it works that way for some. As for stuff like praying to win the lottery, then definitely not. That's chance.

Answer 15

Prayer is how we communicate with God. A sure way to find out if prayer works is to have faith in Jehovah he is the hearer of our prayers. We also have to believe he is able to answer our prayers and last we want to be specific. If we are specific it leaves no doubt that God did answer our prayers.

Answer 16

Prayer is like making a phone call.



You get what you want dependant upon several things:



What is your relationship with the person you are calling?

Is what you're asking for within that person's ability to give you?

Is what you're asking for within what that person wants for you to have?



Become a child of God. (accept His Son as your Lord - find out what Lordship really means)

God is all powerful.

Read the bible to find out what He wants for you.

Answer 17

Humans have been praying and designing ceremonies to please God/s way back from at least the ancient Egyptian days. Today we are told that they prayed to the wrong God and that now we finally have figured out the right God to pray to.

Answer 18

prayer induces positive vibrations and belive it

or not it does a lot of good.and I say you

praying for anything that is a product of sheer

disire is not good it gives pain if undone.

Answer 19

1. yes

2. it can be

3 asking him to teach us, give us strength through life in challenges and otherwise, asking for leadership, etc.

4 yes

5 it can be



short answers to broad questions above.

Answer 20

Prayer is just a variation on talking to ones self. Nothing abnormal or wrong with this . . . but be assured, it is a monologue!

Answer 21

Yes

Yes

Anything that's not trivial, our own fault, or extraordinarily selfish

Yes

Not quite

Answer 22

1.) No

2.) No coz it doesn't work anyway so who cares

3.) nothing it's time wasting

4.) yes

5.) no it's completely different

Answer 23

it might have a soothing psychological effect but other than that, no, as has been demonstrated in various experiments. this is not surprising since there is nothing listening at the other end

Answer 24

God isn't real so, no.