Prayer doesn't work

[Dr Lou Natic]

Originally posted by Jenyar
All of you fail to take into account those instances where God did act after prayer

Actually, I did take that into account so I did a study and it turns out that the percentage of instances where things turned out for the better were actually exactly the same amongst pray-ers and non-pray-ers.
Ok so I didn't do a study, but i just know that if I did that is how it would turn out.

 

[Jenyar]

Originally posted by Dr Lou Natic
Actually, I did take that into account so I did a study and it turns out that the percentage of instances where things turned out for the better were actually exactly the same amongst pray-ers and non-pray-ers.
Ok so I didn't do a study, but i just know that if I did that is how it would turn out.

I think you also confuse praying with wishing. If you take the Lord's Prayer as a case study, you'll see none of it is to the greater benefit of the person who prays other than 1)submitting himself to God's will 2)asking that God provides what he needs to live and to 3)forgive him as he forgives others.

What you are saying is that there is no difference in the lives of people under God's care than those who aren't. But prayer is a spiritual action - it pertains to faith and to your relationship with God. It isn't a lever onto God's will. If you pray as if you have already received what you asked for (Mark 11:24), you are submitting your faith to God's judgement. But it doesn't take you out of your circumstances, it only adds to it, or builds a relationship with God that might eventually lead you out of it.

From an outside perspective the only difference is in the life and attitude of the believer. Just as the only difference between Jesus' life and any other man's was his relationship with God.