What does "praying" actually do?

ninerbuff

Growing up catholic (Atheist now) have always had the terms heard : I'll pray for you, we'll pray for you, pray for a good recovery, etc.

Now if god doesn't interfere and destiny is already set, how does praying change anything? No amount of prayer is going to change god's "mind" about and event that's supposed to happen. Also for instance if a child is kidnapped but found, praise is made to god because they "prayed" for a good outcome, but when the outcome is bad then why do people say that they may not have prayed hard enough?

Apologetics will say that prayers are always "heard" but not always the answers you want. Lol, you could get that by just waiting out any scenario.

So let's hear from the religious and please make logical sense from this.

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LiquidSugarr

I actually don't believe that God's plan is set in stone. A lot of bad things that happen to people are like God's tests to see if they lose their faith in him or keep truckin' on. My grandpa was a pastor, but before he committed his life to God and the church he was in the Navy, a truck driver, and had various other jobs until he decided to dedicate his life to God. I know you're probably thinking where is she going with this and why do I care about your grandpa, but there is a point to all of that information that you don't care about haha. In 1995 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They told him he had about six months to live, after a year later he was still living and the cancer was gone. I know he prayed, our family prayed, and the members of the church prayed. A few years later the cancer came back to a different part of his body. The same scenario happened again, and he survived. In 2007, nine years after he was told he was for sure going to die within those six months, the cancer came back again. This time they didn't put a time stamp on his life. We prayed and prayed, but ten months later the cancer spread to his blood and he had tumors up and down his spine, drinking morphine like it was water. June 2008 he passed away. It seemed like our praying didn't work and I became very discouraged, but then again I do believe that everyone has a number and when God calls your number it's time for you to go home. I still believe that the power of prayer is a powerful thing, in some way it very well could change God's mind on calling someone home or bring a kidnapped child back to their family. If you ever watch The 700 Club, they have some outrageous prayer stories; some I have to confess I don't believe because they just seem too extreme and unrealistic. Hopefully I proved some kind of point...

castadiva

I don't have time right now to go into the religious aspect, but I'm sure I can leave that to others here, in any case. In my experience, if nothing else, prayer focuses the mind on what is truly desired, and ideally, why. Prayer is also often an expression of thanks and gratitude, rather than solely demands - a verbal or mindful recitation and appreciation of the reasons I have to be grateful for the good things in my life. A moment's prayer can also, for me personally, provide a moment's respite from the daily rush, or a moment of calm in a stressful situation. Whatever the religious implications, to my mind, all of those things are positive additions to my life.

atsteele

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

LiquidSugarr

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

Agreed.

ninerbuff

I actually don't believe that God's plan is set in stone. A lot of bad things that happen to people are like God's tests to see if they lose their faith in him or keep truckin' on. My grandpa was a pastor, but before he committed his life to God and the church he was in the Navy, a truck driver, and had various other jobs until he decided to dedicate his life to God. I know you're probably thinking where is she going with this and why do I care about your grandpa, but there is a point to all of that information that you don't care about haha. In 1995 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They told him he had about six months to live, after a year later he was still living and the cancer was gone. I know he prayed, our family prayed, and the members of the church prayed. A few years later the cancer came back to a different part of his body. The same scenario happened again, and he survived. In 2007, nine years after he was told he was for sure going to die within those six months, the cancer came back again. This time they didn't put a time stamp on his life. We prayed and prayed, but ten months later the cancer spread to his blood and he had tumors up and down his spine, drinking morphine like it was water. June 2008 he passed away. It seemed like our praying didn't work and I became very discouraged, but then again I do believe that everyone has a number and when God calls your number it's time for you to go home. I still believe that the power of prayer is a powerful thing, in some way it very well could change God's mind on calling someone home or bring a kidnapped child back to their family. If you ever watch The 700 Club, they have some outrageous prayer stories; some I have to confess I don't believe because they just seem too extreme and unrealistic. Hopefully I proved some kind of point...

But who's to say that none of those events wouldn't have happened without prayer? If more would have prayed do you think that the outcome would have been different?

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

Honestly, have you ever really "heard" god talk to you through prayer or is it just your own intuition that let's you to believe it? I was honestly a believer as a child, and NEVER felt or heard god no matter how much I tried. Priests and nuns said I was doing it wrong. That god will make himself appear if you were really willing for it to happen. Needless to say, it never happened.
As for strength and courage, I personally believe that has more to do with the person.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

TheRoadDog

I don't believe in God, but I have great respect for those that do and live by those beliefs.

castadiva

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

Honestly, have you ever really "heard" god talk to you through prayer or is it just your own intuition that let's you to believe it? I was honestly a believer as a child, and NEVER felt or heard god no matter how much I tried. Priests and nuns said I was doing it wrong. That god will make himself appear if you were really willing for it to happen. Needless to say, it never happened.
As for strength and courage, I personally believe that has more to do with the person.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Just to say that I went through a very sceptical period in my teens, and do not believe in the sort of 'speaking in tongues' etc that occurs in many evangelical churches. I'm also very sceptical of a number of other claims made by those whose religious views are significantly more 'fundamentalist' than mine. I think we have to help ourselves, and pray for guidance and assistance in so doing, rather than relying on prayer alone. However, I do believe that God has spoken to me directly, with words, on two occasions. Neither time was I trying to be spoken to, it just happened. On both occasions, I was in deep distress, and emotional turmoil, and the peace and calmness that surrounded me was not the sort of thing that I believe could be created by a distressed mind. What I heard was simple, but equally, not something I would have come up with, or believed implicitly, had it come from within myself, without the accompanying sense of immense love and care. As for 'feeling' God, more often than not I sense His presence in the small things of my day-to-day life, rather than specifically in church or during prayer. To me, the beauty of a sunny day, or the astonishing, fragile strength and perfection of a new-born child are all manifestations of God's presence. Maybe you also feel these things, but call them by a different name - there have been many different names throughout history, and each is valid.

LiquidSugarr

I actually don't believe that God's plan is set in stone. A lot of bad things that happen to people are like God's tests to see if they lose their faith in him or keep truckin' on. My grandpa was a pastor, but before he committed his life to God and the church he was in the Navy, a truck driver, and had various other jobs until he decided to dedicate his life to God. I know you're probably thinking where is she going with this and why do I care about your grandpa, but there is a point to all of that information that you don't care about haha. In 1995 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They told him he had about six months to live, after a year later he was still living and the cancer was gone. I know he prayed, our family prayed, and the members of the church prayed. A few years later the cancer came back to a different part of his body. The same scenario happened again, and he survived. In 2007, nine years after he was told he was for sure going to die within those six months, the cancer came back again. This time they didn't put a time stamp on his life. We prayed and prayed, but ten months later the cancer spread to his blood and he had tumors up and down his spine, drinking morphine like it was water. June 2008 he passed away. It seemed like our praying didn't work and I became very discouraged, but then again I do believe that everyone has a number and when God calls your number it's time for you to go home. I still believe that the power of prayer is a powerful thing, in some way it very well could change God's mind on calling someone home or bring a kidnapped child back to their family. If you ever watch The 700 Club, they have some outrageous prayer stories; some I have to confess I don't believe because they just seem too extreme and unrealistic. Hopefully I proved some kind of point...

But who's to say that none of those events wouldn't have happened without prayer? If more would have prayed do you think that the outcome would have been different?

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Honestly I think the last time he got cancer God was just ready to have him come home. And I really don't think he would have been a cancer survivor if it wasn't for prayer, mainly because of how bad the cancer was.

mikajoanow

I am an atheist but prayer and meditation have benefits to the person who is doing the praying or meditating.

TheRoadDog

Delays dinner everytime I go to my friends house.

cessnaholly

Scientists are starting to do studies about the power of prayer. The Intention Experiment is an interesting book about prayer studies. Basically it says that prayer can affect health outcomes not just for people but for plants too - but that there needs to be a ton more research done. And apparently prayer can also change your brainwave frequencies somehow - like the monks who meditate a lot. Prayer also helps you be calmer because you are calming your inner noise. Doesn't matter to whom you pray. Just MHO.

Regmama

I pray for God's Will to be done, even if i dopn't like it. Why pray? Well, prayer is a conversation with the Lord, ancd when you love someone you want to get to know them and the only way to do that well enough is through some form of communication. God is not a vending machine, that is a shallow way to look at Him and at the moment you don't get what you want then you have a tmper tantrum like a kid and ignore Him (the general "you") as happens for many. To know God is to pray, read Divinely inspired scripture, to study the lives of those who are in heaven, and to be still in your mind and just listen.

Personally, there are times where I take God for granted, but I still thank Him for the good and bad and the simple (like indoor plumbing...I always give Him a big thank you for that). I also thank Him for just being God and for loving me, and everyone else, into existence.

LuckyLeprechaun

no amount of prayer has ever regrown a limb for an amputee.....discuss.

Regmama

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

Honestly, have you ever really "heard" god talk to you through prayer or is it just your own intuition that let's you to believe it? I was honestly a believer as a child, and NEVER felt or heard god no matter how much I tried. Priests and nuns said I was doing it wrong. That god will make himself appear if you were really willing for it to happen. Needless to say, it never happened.
As for strength and courage, I personally believe that has more to do with the person.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Have you heard of a "God"incidence? It's where something is way too deep to be just a coincidence. Those are ways in which God talks to us. I have also had God touch my soul to take action (as others say, heard His voice). This didn't happen until my twenties and I had been a Catholic my whole life, but again, I had to be open to listening. I'm sure God attempted to speak to me before that, I wasn't listening, I'm sure. One has to be willing to accept His grace in their lives.

I'm sorry that the sisters and priests told you that you were doing it wrong. Truly I am. They too are human and some aren't good People persons. We would love for you to return. Please check out this site to help guide you toward a local parish: http://www.catholicscomehome.org/ Just don't forget, the cross, though it seems heavy (especially the self created ones) is easier to carry with help from God, the saints, and those around you. I wish you well.

mikajoanow

Delays dinner everytime I go to my friends house.

Ya, but you get to watch and see who is pretending and who is really praying lol

Regmama

no amount of prayer has ever regrown a limb for an amputee.....discuss.

As Jesus said, "Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’” There are plenty of documented experiences the science could not explain, you can look it up yourself. If that doesn't satisfy your need of proof, then I don't know what will.

atsteele

I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us and that is formed by prayer. Prayer is simply communication with our God who wants us to love Him as He loves us. I also think that prayer also gives us strength, hope and courage in difficult times.

Honestly, have you ever really "heard" god talk to you through prayer or is it just your own intuition that let's you to believe it? I was honestly a believer as a child, and NEVER felt or heard god no matter how much I tried. Priests and nuns said I was doing it wrong. That god will make himself appear if you were really willing for it to happen. Needless to say, it never happened.
As for strength and courage, I personally believe that has more to do with the person.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Well, that's where faith comes in. You can chose to believe that the universe is here simply due to some coincidence or you can chose to believe that God created it. If you chose to believe that God created it, then you might wonder why He created it. And according to everything that I believe, He created it because He IS love and He loves us and all creation. I think that prayer is a way of saying "Thank you" to God for creating us and this beautiful world in which we live.

As far as hearing God' voice, I think that sometimes it's just seems too coincidental that someone comes to me or some thought comes to me that answers my prayer question or struggle. You may say it's coincidence but I've had this happen to me too many times to call it coincidence.

Trust me, I have doubts. I really do. I struggle with doubt re my faith a lot. Honestly, I think that when this happens, it's God calling me back to Him. And by "calling me back" I mean to keep trying to search and learn about Him so that my faith is strengthened and not weakened by my lack of effort and/or loss of contact with God.

CasperO

If you talk to G-d, you're spiritual. If G-d talks back, you are either a prophet or a schizophrenic.

Discuss,,,

Regmama

If you talk to G-d, you're spiritual. If G-d talks back, you are either a prophet or a schizophrenic.

Discuss,,,

So, when it comes to God it can only be two extremes? Nothing in life has only two extreme options. So until you rephrase the question to reflect reality and not just extremes I will assume you are not serious.