Okay, I don't want to be that gal who ruins the conversation but I think this thread belongs to the "Off Topic" section. Please stop posting on the wrong section of the forum, it's not going to help the forum if you keep on doing this. This section is under "Online Shopping" and is in the Scam section. It's kind of ironic how you started a thread about Jesus Christ in the "Scam = To Good To Be True" section though.
You're not the first one to think this is the wrong forum for this topic. As Christianity is the ultimate 'don't pay full' (One Son-of-God paying for the sinful nature of ALL Children-of-God), I think it IS appropriate. As many-many childish Christians have bad faith in 'prayer' (mostly expecting that "Whatsoever things you pray for; believe that you receive them, and you shall have them," misunderstanding 'Godly prayer' as some sort of "work-order"), I feel the need to warn them against that 'scam' (because people who believe 'being Christian means getting whatever you pray for' are in for a disappointment). When they asked Him, "Master, teach us how to pray," did Jesus reply, "Well, there are two ways to pray ..."? Jesus was speaking of personal prayer vs. prayer in groups. In your example, it WOULD be wrong for a soldier in the middle of a firefight to turn to his fellow solders & say, "Alright now, listen; and I will speak to God for a blessing over our ... now bullet-riddled bodies." I regularly tell people I will pray for them (or ask them to pray for me), which has far more meaning than 'if I up-and-started praying for them right then & there'; it shows that--rather than showing-off my Godly speechifyingness --I will consider them while I'm SPENDING PERSONAL TIME in prayer
All I know is praying does help. It wouldn't hurt to have a conversation and strong relationship with Him, whether it's in your "secret place" or it's a prayer meeting or something like that. If you believe in Him, like truly from-the-bottom-of your-heart trust that He can change your life for the better, then that's when He'll bestow miracles upon you. Jesus responds to faith...not needs and wants.
This is the 'fence' between the Thinkers & the Non-Thinkers (there are 'other names for the two groups,' but those are mostly used by the two groups). When Jesus TOLD US how to pray, He told us that Our Father 'knows what we're getting even before we ask for it.' Meaning that he's NOT 'listening' (at least not in terms of 'paying attention to your complicated demands). But people are going to continue believing (whether they read me or not) that 'Jesus is answering calls on the hyperspace hotline,' making sure Christians deserve to be called "sheeple." And yes, Christians (whether they know it or not) accept 'that name' (even though atheists mean it as a cut-down); because 'the Lord is Our Shepherd,' which is preferable to being a wild creature with no protector!
I enjoy being a "wild creature with no protector".. because a) we're not protected anyway and b) I much prefer my life on my terms than believe my "protector" gave me free will that I'm expected not to use. Especially a protector.. my "father", who would allow me to burn for eternity for any reason whatsoever lol. I'd be put to death for doing that to my own children lol. Praying "works" because hope and faith is positivity and positivity is essential in everything. It's why the sicker heal faster, it's why depression finally lifts, it's why lives turn around. I won't knock someone for giving credit to a god instead of themselves, where it's rightly deserved.. whatever keeps your head up, I'm all for it.
Coming from a strong christian, I have to say prayer does indeed work. However, most people seem to think that once you pray, its over, and you will have to sit there and wait for it to come. The truth is Prayer is way for us to connect with God and Jesus so that their power may fill us. They give us the power to accomplish whichever task that we need, and they provide the path to it. You will get there eventually, but you must still put work towards it. Prayer does work, prayer has helped millions overcome addiction, vices, and afflictions.
That reveals something about atheists---it's not necessarily that they don't believe in 'the Divine Power' (which is what Buddhists believe-in ... "Buddha" just being 'anyone who is Awakened/Enlightened to the Divine Voice'), it's often that they don't believe that 'the Divine Power' is "some robey, beardy dude on a cloudy cloud-beanbag/throne." It reminds me why Jesus REALLY had to "die" (or 'ascend to Heaven,' for people who NEED Him to be the "Son of God")---not "tuh` sayve uhhs fruhm `arrr siuhns' ("to save us from our sins," really 'hicking it up' there ), but rather because He WAS human and was therefore subject to the same corruption that power wields---i.e. had he stayed, He would've HAD to rule the world.
Now I NEEED a cloudy cloud beanbag! Sounds divine I'm just one Atheist.. we're all different, just like the believers. It just comes down to whether we believe or not. That's as blankety as we get. No, if there were a "god".. I don't believe for one second it's the god of the bible. It's written by men, for men (women hater much?) and to keep everyone in line. If there were a "god", it wouldn't be a god. No loving creator would treat people as this one apparently does. And he may not even be a loving god! lol.. Hence all the horrible things that happen to us on the daily. In fact, if we do have a creator, I'm more likely to think we're an accident they don't even know about. And no, I'm not agnostic.. I don't think it's possible there is a god. At all. But it is possible we were created some how and I don't believe for a second it was some divine being, or intelligent in any way, unless intelligently accidental, like a science experiment lol. We create lil' buggers every day without knowing it... kind of like that.
That's why the KJV (and most other Vs) of Genesis says that God said "Let there be" all the things he "created." Makes me think that--whatever Force or Deity 'created' us--the God in the Bible was pretty-much "just there & said 'Hey, that's okay!' " Of course, you know that 'it being in the Bible' is not equal-to "proof that it happened." Especially Genesis (for most of which there hadn't even EXISTED any possible witnesses). Genesis is pretty-much an adaptation of Egyptian myth into the Hebrew mythos.
Amen. Prayer takes faith and dedication. The Lord has loved you before you even became conceived. I too agree- believe in the Lord wholeheartedly and he will move mountains in your life. It may not be what you want or what you envisioned but he's your father in heaven and knows even more so what is a necessity in your life. Think about how many times Man has failed you. Did you trust him? What chance are you losing out on through believing in such a beautiful spirit? The oneness and fulness the Lord provides is a blessing of a lifetime and is bigger than everything of this world.
Totally. Trust in the Lord and He will never leave nor forsake you. Don't get me wrong, I am actually not very religious like doing certain rituals, following specific doctrine, going to church every Sunday and hearing the priest/pastor preach about sins and all that stuff, but I am highly spiritual and I have a good relationship with Him.
This makes me sick---this 'motivational speaker'-babble. Oh, it's good to think about 'a reality bigger than anything you know' when you look at your little problems & obstacles etc.; but ... did Jesus tell His disciples, 'Speak unto the supernatural father-figure about the mountain; and he'll tell it "be thou cast into the sea"'? No! In short, prayer should be less 'gimme-gimme-gimme' & more "Show me if this is what I need & -what I must do to get it!"
