What is accomplished by prayer?

[MaryL]

Reminds me of the stories of rabbis holding god on trial for the holocaust. They came to the conclusion god didn't exist. Then they moved on to the to hold a prayer and they moved on.

 

[Darkwind]

I have a very simple question: When one prays for things, either for one's self, or others - employment, money, healing from illness, or injury, things of this nature, what, exactly does such prayer accomplish? why is it that every single Christian who responds wants to respond with justifications for every other kind of prayer except this particular type. Is the question really that difficult to answer?

You assume that prayer is for the things you list because you want to think that the people you are talking about are stupid.

No one who truly believes prays for those things.

True prayer is for understanding.

 

[deanrd]

What is accomplished by prayer?

Rain?

Gov. Rick Perry Asks Texans to Pray for Rain

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Soooo. It's Yoga For Christians. Got it.

Yoga? Is English a second language for you? Interesting.

Go enjoy some fruit and have a good night.

Yeah. Yoga. Go check it out, and see how it applies to the superficial explanation of prayer that you offered.

Well, if you don't know the difference between meditation and yoga, I can't help you. The lack of evolution is getting in your way.

Enjoy the colors.

He didn't imply that they were equivalent, just that they were similar in one way or another. If you don't know the difference in that, then I suggest you take a discrete math course or a computer programming course, in order to brush up on your logic.

LMAO

I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl.

He, and you don't seem to understand the difference between meditation methodology and the concept of mind/body strengthening.

Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. The quieting and discipline of the mind.

I suggest examining the colors of Picasso to see if you just see colors or some deeper meaning.

"I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl."

So what?

"Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness."

Okay, but that's your opinion of what yoga does for you. In my experience, yoga is used as and with meditation for many people. For instance, many will assume a certain yoga pose, hold it, meditate. Your little dance is a sidestep. "haha, you don't know what yoga is!". Yeah boy, you really got him there.

anyhoo, who cares, sorry I even commented on it. Off topic distraction from the start.

 

[Czernobog]

Do not make fun of prayer.....

do not....


I mean it

FLAG ON THE PLAY

​

 

[Ringel05]

5 Scientifically Supported Benefits of Prayer

11 Benefits of Mud Baths - Baths Roman Spa

Cool. What does that have to do with the discussion? I mean other than a pathetic attempt at a 'gotcha'?

 

[MaryL]

I used to pray when I wanted something, now I pray after I lost something. Age and retrospection. I am a agnostic, so...take it for what that's worth.

 

[Ringel05]

This is a serious question for theists. What does prayer accomplish. Now, keep in mind I am not talking about the ritualistic prayer one finds during most church services: "Our Father, who art in heaven, blah, blah, blah,". Although, I would submit that I have never understood that practice as it seems to fly in the face of Jesus' own commands about prayer - "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Mat. 5:6 But that's a discussion for another time. No, I'm referring to "the prayers of healing", and "intercession".

I seem to hear two different schools of thought on this, and neither makes sense to me:

School one: Prayer is exactly what it seems to be; attempts to plead with God to intercede on behalf of the person being prayed for. "Please guide the hands of the surgeons, be with the nurses during the surgery..." etc. First, do the people who engage in this type of prayer really think that God is listening, specifically to them? Like God doesn't have anything more important to do, today, other than listen in for Kay's personal requests?

Second, are people so arrogant as to believe that they are important enough to interfere with "God's Will"? As if God had no intention of making sure the surgery was going to go well, until after Kay bothered him about it? Really??

I mean, I have many, many more problems with this school of thought, but we'll start there.

Now, the second school of thought, that I just began hearing recently is that prayer isn't about accomplishing anything at all. Rather it's just about "touching in" with God. It's about letting him know we know that everything is in his hands, and whatever happens, we're cool with it.

Couple of things. First, do we really think that we are important enough that God gives so much as a single fuck about what we're "cool with"?!?! Are we really so arrogant that we think God is just waiting for our call (prayer) affirming that we know what he knows we already know? Really?!?!

Second, really? We're cool with it? So, when God put that buck in the middle of the road, causing us to flip over in the care, and our wife is now on life support, barely hanging on by a thread, we're cool with that?!?! Really? Cuz I gotta tell you, I'm not cool with it. I'm fucking pissed!!!

Since neither of these schools of thought really make sense to me, could someone please explain the point of prayer?

5 Scientifically Supported Benefits of Prayer

Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08854720903113424?src=recsys&journalCode=whcc20

the positive psychological aspect of prayer - Google Search

I agree that prayer is a form of stress management, but so is Yoga.

I'll take Yoga, and it gets one off his/her fat ass too!

More power to ya. In other words; whatever floats your boat.

 

[tycho1572]

I have a very simple question: When one prays for things, either for one's self, or others - employment, money, healing from illness, or injury, things of this nature, what, exactly does such prayer accomplish? why is it that every single Christian who responds wants to respond with justifications for every other kind of prayer except this particular type. Is the question really that difficult to answer?

Like you were told earlier by WillHaftawaite, it's something you'll never understand.

DOUBLE FLAG ON THE PLAY

​

Ahh... it's looking like you're missing the love most here have. I think another song is in order....

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

5 Scientifically Supported Benefits of Prayer

11 Benefits of Mud Baths - Baths Roman Spa

Cool. What does that have to do with the discussion? I mean other than a pathetic attempt at a 'gotcha'?

"Cool. What does that have to do with the discussion? "

I can't speak for him, but I think the point is that lots of things make us "feel better", and this is not a reason to acquiesce to any magical claims about any of it.

Not that you were insisting this was so.

 

[Darkwind]

Yoga? Is English a second language for you? Interesting.

Go enjoy some fruit and have a good night.

Yeah. Yoga. Go check it out, and see how it applies to the superficial explanation of prayer that you offered.

Well, if you don't know the difference between meditation and yoga, I can't help you. The lack of evolution is getting in your way.

Enjoy the colors.

He didn't imply that they were equivalent, just that they were similar in one way or another. If you don't know the difference in that, then I suggest you take a discrete math course or a computer programming course, in order to brush up on your logic.

LMAO

I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl.

He, and you don't seem to understand the difference between meditation methodology and the concept of mind/body strengthening.

Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. The quieting and discipline of the mind.

I suggest examining the colors of Picasso to see if you just see colors or some deeper meaning.

"I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl."

So what?

"Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness."

Okay, but that's your opinion of what yoga does for you. In my experience, yoga is used as and with meditation for many people. For instance, many will assume a certain yoga pose, hold it, meditate. Your little dance is a sidestep. "haha, you don't know what yoga is!". Yeah boy, you really got him there.

anyhoo, who cares, sorry I even commented on it. Off topic distraction from the start.

So, you disregard what yoga is to favor your own prejudice for what you think it is. I'm sure that Cindy Crawford will support your claims. However, people who do practice meditation know different.

I'm not knocking yoga since I practice it when I can and it is very useful for maintaining good health and flexibility.

Either way, prayer is not yoga and is rarely meditation, even though it originally began as just that. One cannot get closer to God when the mind is wrapped up in the self.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Yeah. Yoga. Go check it out, and see how it applies to the superficial explanation of prayer that you offered.

Well, if you don't know the difference between meditation and yoga, I can't help you. The lack of evolution is getting in your way.

Enjoy the colors.

He didn't imply that they were equivalent, just that they were similar in one way or another. If you don't know the difference in that, then I suggest you take a discrete math course or a computer programming course, in order to brush up on your logic.

LMAO

I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl.

He, and you don't seem to understand the difference between meditation methodology and the concept of mind/body strengthening.

Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. The quieting and discipline of the mind.

I suggest examining the colors of Picasso to see if you just see colors or some deeper meaning.

"I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl."

So what?

"Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness."

Okay, but that's your opinion of what yoga does for you. In my experience, yoga is used as and with meditation for many people. For instance, many will assume a certain yoga pose, hold it, meditate. Your little dance is a sidestep. "haha, you don't know what yoga is!". Yeah boy, you really got him there.

anyhoo, who cares, sorry I even commented on it. Off topic distraction from the start.

So, you disregard what yoga is to favor your own prejudice for what you think it is. I'm sure that Cindy Crawford will support your claims. However, people who do practice meditation know different.

I'm not knocking yoga since I practice it when I can and it is very useful for maintaining good health and flexibility.

Either way, prayer is not yoga and is rarely meditation, even though it originally began as just that. One cannot get closer to God when the mind is wrapped up in the self.

I don't disregard what yoga is, but he does have a point when saying "yoga for Christians". You know what the point is. And, instead of facing this point, you harp like a little baby on semantics. And we both know why.

 

[MaryL]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

 

[Darkwind]

Well, if you don't know the difference between meditation and yoga, I can't help you. The lack of evolution is getting in your way.

Enjoy the colors.

He didn't imply that they were equivalent, just that they were similar in one way or another. If you don't know the difference in that, then I suggest you take a discrete math course or a computer programming course, in order to brush up on your logic.

LMAO

I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl.

He, and you don't seem to understand the difference between meditation methodology and the concept of mind/body strengthening.

Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. The quieting and discipline of the mind.

I suggest examining the colors of Picasso to see if you just see colors or some deeper meaning.

"I have a degree in Web Development which entails discrete math AND logic along with OOP concepts in Java and C# plus scripting in Emacs (javascript), PHP, and Pearl."

So what?

"Yoga is an exercise for strengthening the body with some aspects of mind/body harmony.....Meditation is the practice of mindfulness."

Okay, but that's your opinion of what yoga does for you. In my experience, yoga is used as and with meditation for many people. For instance, many will assume a certain yoga pose, hold it, meditate. Your little dance is a sidestep. "haha, you don't know what yoga is!". Yeah boy, you really got him there.

anyhoo, who cares, sorry I even commented on it. Off topic distraction from the start.

So, you disregard what yoga is to favor your own prejudice for what you think it is. I'm sure that Cindy Crawford will support your claims. However, people who do practice meditation know different.

I'm not knocking yoga since I practice it when I can and it is very useful for maintaining good health and flexibility.

Either way, prayer is not yoga and is rarely meditation, even though it originally began as just that. One cannot get closer to God when the mind is wrapped up in the self.

I don't disregard what yoga is, but he does have a point when saying "yoga for Christians". You know what the point is. And, instead of facing this point, you harp like a little baby on semantics. And we both know why.

Yes. I am trying to steer the conversation back to what it was or what it should be and remove him from his wrong tangent. He used yoga as a means to demean what prayer is, and I corrected him. It is up to him to accept the lesson of how he was wrong or not. Just as you are wrong for My motivations, which is no surprise really. But you have to do this, and we both know why.

 

[Darkwind]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

Prayer, like any endeavor of crisis or practice, is nothing more than an attempt to understand the world around us. It harms no one, but seems to threaten many.

 

[MaryL]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

Prayer, like any endeavor of crisis or practice, is nothing more than an attempt to understand the world around us. It harms no one, but seems to threaten many.

How is that?

 

[Czernobog]

I have a very simple question: When one prays for things, either for one's self, or others - employment, money, healing from illness, or injury, things of this nature, what, exactly does such prayer accomplish? why is it that every single Christian who responds wants to respond with justifications for every other kind of prayer except this particular type. Is the question really that difficult to answer?

Like you were told earlier by WillHaftawaite, it's something you'll never understand.

DOUBLE FLAG ON THE PLAY

​

Ahh... it's looking like you're missing the love most here have. I think another song is in order....

So, since you're incapable of offering a rational answer to the question, you just decided to resort to trolling.

How droll...

 

[Darkwind]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

Prayer, like any endeavor of crisis or practice, is nothing more than an attempt to understand the world around us. It harms no one, but seems to threaten many.

How is that?

How is what? How is it a threat to others or how does it help us understand the world?

 

[Czernobog]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

Prayer, like any endeavor of crisis or practice, is nothing more than an attempt to understand the world around us. It harms no one, but seems to threaten many.

How is that?

How is what? How is it a threat to others or how does it help us understand the world?

Oh! I'd certainly love an answer to the latter.

 

[Darkwind]

Prayer may not do anything, but it can't hurt. Like lighting a candle in the darkness.

Prayer, like any endeavor of crisis or practice, is nothing more than an attempt to understand the world around us. It harms no one, but seems to threaten many.

How is that?

How is what? How is it a threat to others or how does it help us understand the world?

Oh! I'd certainly love an answer to the latter.

You can have one beginning tonight. Just sit down and meditate or pray, whichever is your preference.