Just A Rambling Thought

wolfen
wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
in Spirituality, Prayer, and Meditation #1
I was just sitting here reading a few posts about prayer, and a funny thought came to me.
Who do you think benefits more from a prayer? Is it the person giving the prayer or the one receiving it? I equate prayer with a gift and would personally rather "give than receive", unless of course, the prayer given by someone is for one of my loved ones. And why do you think the prayers of some are NEVER answered? Chime in if you have an opinion.

Luv,

Wolfen

Comments

  • Buckwirth
    Buckwirth Member Posts: 1,258 Member
    #2
    Prayer is
    ultimately for the one praying.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Pray and Faith

    It is by Faith that we pray asking if it be Gods will that something happens in our life or the life of someone else that we are praying for. The question then is why when we pray some of our prayers get answered and some don’t. I believe all prayers get answered just that sometimes God knowing the future of us all also knows what is best and sometimes answers No or sometimes he waits to give the answer. Why is there sickness, why is there death in out world the answer, Sin is in out world. Why did God send His Son into the world, just to be killed of man or to be a substitute for the sins of man. His Son took our place so that by Faith in pray we may have forgiveness. We benefit by the prayer and God gets the glory.

    My Take
    Hondo
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #4
    IMHO
    Unanswered prayers...isn't there a country song? Seriously I think God wants us to do things on our own. I think life is a place for us to learn and the best way to learn something is to do it yourself but sometimes with a little help when needed. The lessons we learn in this life are part of what we become in the next.
  • laurettas
    laurettas Member Posts: 372
    #5
    Both
    In my time as a praying person, I would have to say both. Prayer, if done as intended, puts one in touch with our loving Father. The more that we spend time with Him, the more we will seek to be like Him and the more we will be transformed into His image, which is nothing but good for us.

    As the recipient of many prayers, I have been grateful for those praying because there are times when I just can't pray for myself and appreciate those intercessions being made for me. They give me much peace.

    God answers all prayers but not always in the way we think they should be answered. Not being God, I can't say why in particular situations, but I just trust that He sees the big picture and knows what is better in the long run than I do.

    We have friends whose six year old granddaughter just died of cancer after almost two years of battling it. Prayers were being offered for her from all over this country and beyond. She still died. Were the prayers not answered? No, they were answered but in ways we don't understand. This young girl affected so many people in her short life, brought healing to families and many other things. And, of course, she is now in heaven with no more pain and suffering, being loved completely by her heavenly Father. So, for her, she is healed, totally, in mind, body and spirit. She was made ready for heaven which ultimately is what we all need. Our goal is heaven. We need to focus on that reality and pray for the healing that will make us ready for heaven.
  • dasspears
    dasspears Member Posts: 227
    #6
    My two cents.....
    To me, prayer - meditation - moment of silence - whatever one chooses to do is for both people in your example. It's an opportunity to give thanks - to tune into our intuition - to reflect upon issues going on in our lives and to make conscious contact with our self or our higher power. Is it ever answered? I believe that depends upon your defnition of an answer.
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #7
    Prayer is for both the one
    Prayer is for both the one lifting the prayer as well as for the individual being lifted in prayer. If one believes in God then one also believes he hears our prayers and in some form will answer them. For instance when my sister was dying and I prayed the Lord would please take her that night I was not praying for myself and the prayer certainly did not make me feel good, I was praying for my sister's suffering to end and I believe God heard my prayer and she left us that night. It was inevitable and she was ready. That is just one instance that came to mind, not every prayer is answered in a way we see directly and spontaneously. There have been times when I have prayed for something (perhaps selfishly or not in my best interest) and it has not come to pass and later I would see why and ahhh okay I get it. For instance I prayed for our home to sell quickly while I was in treatment so that we could buy the big new house we sooo desired. Our home did not sell we did not get the big house and I figured oh well guess we don't need it, turns out we did not need it and had we got it we would now be upside down in it and times might be a bit more rough for us. I know I can hear some now saying okay so GOd is a dictator and chooses everything for you, nope that's not it at all, we could still have had that home and just rented ours out as we had interested parties but we choose not to as we took the home not selling as a personal sign that perhaps it was not a smart move. I do not think our prayers go unanswered they just may not be answered in the way we had hoped. I have rambled enough. My best to you all.

    RE
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #8
    Prayer
    It makes the person praying feel good that they may be helping someone.
    Prayers are usually directed toward someone and I do believe in positive thinking/energy and it's ability to heal.

    You ask "why do you think the prayers of some are NEVER answered?"
    SOMEONE has to remain in the 99%, we can't ALL be billionaires!
    :-)
    Seriously, there are so many questions within your question. I think the Best Answer might be "Who Knows?"
  • wolfen
    wolfen Member Posts: 1,324 Member
    #9
    RE said:

    Prayer is for both the one
    Prayer is for both the one lifting the prayer as well as for the individual being lifted in prayer. If one believes in God then one also believes he hears our prayers and in some form will answer them. For instance when my sister was dying and I prayed the Lord would please take her that night I was not praying for myself and the prayer certainly did not make me feel good, I was praying for my sister's suffering to end and I believe God heard my prayer and she left us that night. It was inevitable and she was ready. That is just one instance that came to mind, not every prayer is answered in a way we see directly and spontaneously. There have been times when I have prayed for something (perhaps selfishly or not in my best interest) and it has not come to pass and later I would see why and ahhh okay I get it. For instance I prayed for our home to sell quickly while I was in treatment so that we could buy the big new house we sooo desired. Our home did not sell we did not get the big house and I figured oh well guess we don't need it, turns out we did not need it and had we got it we would now be upside down in it and times might be a bit more rough for us. I know I can hear some now saying okay so GOd is a dictator and chooses everything for you, nope that's not it at all, we could still have had that home and just rented ours out as we had interested parties but we choose not to as we took the home not selling as a personal sign that perhaps it was not a smart move. I do not think our prayers go unanswered they just may not be answered in the way we had hoped. I have rambled enough. My best to you all.

    RE

    Thanks Everyone
    Thanks everyone for your responses. I know many of you believe that your prayers have been answered and for that I am glad. I just have a really hard time believing that a kind and merciful entity would "have a plan" as some say, that includes so much suffering. But on the other hand, if you believe in the bible, that's exactly what happened to his son so I guess we deserve no less. As my friend Buzzard says of life in general,"it is what it is".
    And Phil, you're right, we'll never know the answer, so we'll just muddle through and form our own opinions.

    Be well everyone,

    Luv,

    Wolfen
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #10
    wolfen said:

    Thanks Everyone
    Thanks everyone for your responses. I know many of you believe that your prayers have been answered and for that I am glad. I just have a really hard time believing that a kind and merciful entity would "have a plan" as some say, that includes so much suffering. But on the other hand, if you believe in the bible, that's exactly what happened to his son so I guess we deserve no less. As my friend Buzzard says of life in general,"it is what it is".
    And Phil, you're right, we'll never know the answer, so we'll just muddle through and form our own opinions.

    Be well everyone,

    Luv,

    Wolfen

    For the monotheistic

    For the monotheistic religious types -

    God helps those who help themseves.

    A sufi saying goes as such -

    if a man leaves his sheep unattended on the hillside at night and the wolves eat his sheep he cannot say that it is Gods will. However if a man stays up all night watching his sheep that he has put in an enclosure he made himself and the wolves attack his sheep and eat one, then since he has done his best to take care of his sheep he can say, it was Gods will.

    I think this translates well in life, you do your best and the outcome may or may not be what you want but at least you did your best.

    Since I don't know what I want I don't know what to pray for other than guidance to make choices that will honour my essential nature at the deepest level. I don't know, really how to pray for others.
  • Buckwirth
    Buckwirth Member Posts: 1,258 Member
    #11
    mariam_11_09 said:

    For the monotheistic

    For the monotheistic religious types -

    God helps those who help themseves.

    A sufi saying goes as such -

    if a man leaves his sheep unattended on the hillside at night and the wolves eat his sheep he cannot say that it is Gods will. However if a man stays up all night watching his sheep that he has put in an enclosure he made himself and the wolves attack his sheep and eat one, then since he has done his best to take care of his sheep he can say, it was Gods will.

    I think this translates well in life, you do your best and the outcome may or may not be what you want but at least you did your best.

    Since I don't know what I want I don't know what to pray for other than guidance to make choices that will honour my essential nature at the deepest level. I don't know, really how to pray for others.

    Beautiful!
    Though he should have built a double walled enclosure... *smile*

    The Sufi tales offer quite a bit of wisdom, much like Aesop's Fables did for the Greeks.

    Thanks for sharing Mariam!
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #12
    RE said:

    Prayer is for both the one
    Prayer is for both the one lifting the prayer as well as for the individual being lifted in prayer. If one believes in God then one also believes he hears our prayers and in some form will answer them. For instance when my sister was dying and I prayed the Lord would please take her that night I was not praying for myself and the prayer certainly did not make me feel good, I was praying for my sister's suffering to end and I believe God heard my prayer and she left us that night. It was inevitable and she was ready. That is just one instance that came to mind, not every prayer is answered in a way we see directly and spontaneously. There have been times when I have prayed for something (perhaps selfishly or not in my best interest) and it has not come to pass and later I would see why and ahhh okay I get it. For instance I prayed for our home to sell quickly while I was in treatment so that we could buy the big new house we sooo desired. Our home did not sell we did not get the big house and I figured oh well guess we don't need it, turns out we did not need it and had we got it we would now be upside down in it and times might be a bit more rough for us. I know I can hear some now saying okay so GOd is a dictator and chooses everything for you, nope that's not it at all, we could still have had that home and just rented ours out as we had interested parties but we choose not to as we took the home not selling as a personal sign that perhaps it was not a smart move. I do not think our prayers go unanswered they just may not be answered in the way we had hoped. I have rambled enough. My best to you all.

    RE

    Hi RE
    So right sometimes we pray for things we don’t need. I am glad that God knows just what to give his children and when to give it to them.

    Hondo

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