Does prayer work?

[Lady Brave]

One of the best quotes I ever heard regarding prayer was this: When you pray, are you always seeking God's hand, instead of seeking His face?

For those who say prayer doesn't work when you are seeking miracles in your life, you're wrong. I can give numerous examples in my life where prayers were miraculously and supernaturally answered. The one that sticks out most for me happened when I was 12 years old.

My mom was recently divorced and didn't have the money to buy heating oil for the winter. She measured the oil in the tank and it was almost empty. So she called the oil company to come and fill it. She decided she would set up a payment plan over the winter to pay for it and put down a payment of $50 which was all she had. The oil company guy comes out, goes to the tank to fill it and comes back to our door in a few minutes and hands my mom a bill for $50. She is confused and tells him she wants the tank filled completely and the man looks at her and says, "Ma'am your tank was almost full. I only needed to put $50 worth in it."

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

One of the best quotes I ever heard regarding prayer was this: When you pray, are you always seeking God's hand, instead of seeking His face?

For those who say prayer doesn't work when you are seeking miracles in your life, you're wrong. I can give numerous examples in my life where prayers were miraculously and supernaturally answered. The one that sticks out most for me happened when I was 12 years old.

My mom was recently divorced and didn't have the money to buy heating oil for the winter. She measured the oil in the tank and it was almost empty. So she called the oil company to come and fill it. She decided she would set up a payment plan over the winter to pay for it and put down a payment of $50 which was all she had. The oil company guy comes out, goes to the tank to fill it and comes back to our door in a few minutes and hands my mom a bill for $50. She is confused and tells him she wants the tank filled completely and the man looks at her and says, "Ma'am your tank was almost full. I only needed to put $50 worth in it."

I don't mean to poo on your good experience of prayer, but she obviously didn't know that it was almost full, so how is this a work of prayer?

I have had quite a few major disappointments when it comes to prayer, and here are the biggest three on my mind right now:
1- I was abused by my father from when I was 2 til when I knocked his teeth out when I was 17. He would beat on me for YEARS. I prayed and prayed that it would stop, and it never did. It was not until I got violent that it stopped, then he just took it out on my sister and mother.
2- Jan. 30th, 2004 my daughter died after birth. I knew of the complications, and I prayed for several months before this incident, and I was convinced that everything would be fine. Well, it wasn't fine, not only did I lose my daughter, I almost lost my wife and she can't have children now and will forever take medication from the complications of birth.
3- I prayed before I quit my last job that He would take care of me and help me find something. I trusted in Him. I beleived that he would help me find employment and I had faith. It's been several months now, and I felt he was showing me a path to Denver...even travelled up there, spent several hundred dollars that I didn't have, and nothing has come out of it. I just had to borrow money (cc's) to make ends meet for another month. Where is He? I gotta say, my faith in prayer is not shaken, it's just about gone. What's the point of prayer if He won't be there to help?

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

Yes, Prayer works. Trust me I know
PM me for details bro.

peace
mike

[Lady Brave]

Originally Posted by jsarno

I don't mean to poo on your good experience of prayer, but she obviously didn't know that it was almost full, so how is this a work of prayer?

I have had quite a few major disappointments when it comes to prayer, and here are the biggest three on my mind right now:
1- I was abused by my father from when I was 2 til when I knocked his teeth out when I was 17. He would beat on me for YEARS. I prayed and prayed that it would stop, and it never did. It was not until I got violent that it stopped, then he just took it out on my sister and mother.
2- Jan. 30th, 2004 my daughter died after birth. I knew of the complications, and I prayed for several months before this incident, and I was convinced that everything would be fine. Well, it wasn't fine, not only did I lose my daughter, I almost lost my wife and she can't have children now and will forever take medication from the complications of birth.
3- I prayed before I quit my last job that He would take care of me and help me find something. I trusted in Him. I beleived that he would help me find employment and I had faith. It's been several months now, and I felt he was showing me a path to Denver...even travelled up there, spent several hundred dollars that I didn't have, and nothing has come out of it. I just had to borrow money (cc's) to make ends meet for another month. Where is He? I gotta say, my faith in prayer is not shaken, it's just about gone. What's the point of prayer if He won't be there to help?

She measured it before the guy came out. There was only two inches of oil in the bottom of the tank. No one knew about our situation, so no one else would have had it filled for us. I know my dad didn't do it for her, considering he told my mom he would enjoy watching her fall flat on her face after he left.

We all have hardships in our life. We're all tested. I don't know why God answers some prayers and not others. I do know that God is there and He never moves away from us. We move away from Him. Maybe it's because there are other things in our life that we haven't completely surrendered to Him. I don't have all the answers, but I do know that I have grown more as a christian and learned more about myself when I have gone through difficulties in my life.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Sammy Baugh Fan

Yes, Prayer works. Trust me I know
PM me for details bro.

peace
mike

I am going to PM you in a minute.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

We all have hardships in our life. We're all tested. I don't know why God answers some prayers and not others. I do know that God is there and He never moves away from us. We move away from Him. Maybe it's because there are other things in our life that we haven't completely surrendered to Him. I don't have all the answers, but I do know that I have grown more as a christian and learned more about myself when I have gone through difficulties in my life.

Please don't misunderstand me, I am not losing faith in God, I know He's there...my problem 100% lies within the prayer issue I have posed.

It even says in the bible (forget where) that if you pray and you believe God will move mountains for you. I have an ant hill for him right now, and He's not willing to move it.

[Redskin Rich]

See... I feel this is a bogus thread... the first person who gets on here and says, "Hell No".... there is nothing to pray to... would be completely slammed by everyone else on here.

[dall-assblows]

i dont know if they do or not, but lets say some for that TE for the BILLS who is now in emergency surgery for a serious spinal injury.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by dall-assblows

i dont know if they do or not, but lets say some for that TE for the BILLS who is now in emergency surgery for a serious spinal injury.

Absolutely

Everett Spine Injury, Other Bills Out - Buffalo Bills

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Absolutely

Everett Spine Injury, Other Bills Out - Buffalo Bills

I saw it says he's in surgery...does anyone know if he is able to move yet?
That is just horrible, and I will pray for him.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by Redskin Rich

See... I feel this is a bogus thread... the first person who gets on here and says, "Hell No".... there is nothing to pray to... would be completely slammed by everyone else on here.

I think you are wrong. Obviously one person has already voiced that he doesn't feel prayer is valuable, but we are still having a good talk about it. No one is getting offending or anything like that.

[Lady Brave]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Please don't misunderstand me, I am not losing faith in God, I know He's there...my problem 100% lies within the prayer issue I have posed.

It even says in the bible (forget where) that if you pray and you believe God will move mountains for you. I have an ant hill for him right now, and He's not willing to move it.

Well I'll say this. When I am going through a hard time and it feels like God is a million miles away, I find that if I stop focusing on the problems and start focusing on the blessings in my life, things start to change. We all have something to be thankful for. I remind myself all the time that there are so many people out there that would trade their problems for mine in a heartbeat.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Redskin Rich

See... I feel this is a bogus thread... the first person who gets on here and says, "Hell No".... there is nothing to pray to... would be completely slammed by everyone else on here.

Or the comment could be welcomed. Why not give everyone the chance to be civil and enjoy a conversation different from the "norm"?

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

Well I'll say this. When I am going through a hard time and it feels like God is a million miles away, I find that if I stop focusing on the problems and start focusing on the blessings in my life, things start to change. We all have something to be thankful for. I remind myself all the time that there are so many people out there that would trade their problems for mine in a heartbeat.

You definitely make a good point, and I know I should think positively, but I just feel like God has failed me here.

[724Skinsfan]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

We all have something to be thankful for. I remind myself all the time that there are so many people out there that would trade their problems for mine in a heartbeat.

You got that right. It could always be worse and it probably is somewhere else.

For what it's worth, I believe in God but I can't remember the last time I prayed for any assistance from Him. Don't want to get used to Him always answering my prayers then I wouldn't work as hard to solve my problems since He's going to be there to lend a hand.

I look at it from a parent's perspective. You can't always step in a solve your child's problems because then they'll rely on you to always step in. Self-reliance is the greatest gift you can bestow upon them.