Is Jesus.....

@suzianne said
No, no, no, no, no.

What seems beyond everyone here is that yes, most prayers ARE answered.

It's just that, sometimes, the answer is No.

Most prayers are answered?

I would like to see those statistics Suzy.

The Bible does give guidelines for payer in terms of not asking according to your lust or things that would cause you to sin etc.

My guess is many, many people ask for things they simply should not. In fact, I bet a great majority only pray to get things, again, only focusing on your own wants is probably not good as well.

There are also things that on the surface seem just fine, but would end up harming us that we get turned down for.

Therefore, I think saying most prayers are answered is a wild guess especially for people who don't know scripture, and there seems to be a lot of them like yourself.

@whodey said
Not even Jesus had all his prayers answered.

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Luke 22:42

And no, Jesus did not want to go to the cross.

And that is the human race. We are all on that cross together with Jesus between us. Some mock him and curse at him and say, "If you be the S ...[text shortened]... There are only two kinds.

And no, not all prayers go unanswered. Many of mine have come about.

This is a good post whodey.
You surprised me with it.

@whodey said
Most prayers are answered?

I would like to see those statistics Suzy.

The Bible does give guidelines for payer in terms of not asking according to your lust or things that would cause you to sin etc.

My guess is many, many people ask for things they simply should not. In fact, I bet a great majority only pray to get things, again, only focusing on your own wants is p ...[text shortened]... s especially for people who don't know scripture, and there seems to be a lot of them like yourself.

Let me guess.

You make up this fantasy of God as a hard-ass who treats all the people YOU hate as unrighteous sinners, and this makes your habit of treating those same people as sub-human all a-ok in your book.

It just isn't that easy.

'Answering a prayer' is NOT the same as 'giving them what they ask for'.

As I said, much of the time, the answer is 'No'. I would guess that the far majority of those are prayers for self. 'No' IS an answer.

90% of my prayers are for other people. A great many of these ARE answered. Some 'Yes', some 'No'. We do not see the entirety of God's plan for people. The very best teacher for some is adversity.

My advice, if you want your prayers answered 'Yes', is not to pray against God's will.

@divegeester said
You recently declared yourself to be a Christian right?

Yeah......and?

You stick to your issue of the bible lying about hell, I've got my own problems.

@chaney3 said
This is a good post whodey.
You surprised me with it.

And then he writes another like the one just above your post.

Typical whodey scatter-shot.

@chaney3 said
Yeah......and?

You stick to your issue of the bible lying about hell, I've got my own problems.

Most arguments over the Bible aren't about what the Bible says.

They're about what people think the Bible says.

Oh, and btw, I bet you'd see an easing of what you call "my own problems", if only you had a little faith. Just a little goes a long way, but it must be the 'unshakable' kind of faith. Think of the faith of the mustard seed.

@thinkofone said
Maybe it was a lack of belief on Jesus' part.

You really take the cake.

@chaney3 said
Yeah......and?

You stick to your issue of the bible lying about hell, I've got my own problems.

After reading your OP I'm just wondering on what basis your Christianity is founded?

@whodey said
You really take the cake.

How do you figure that?

You might want to take the time to read the context of the various discussions on this topic before answering.

Good thread C3.

Taking all the responses to your posts into consideration, why do you think it is that you and so many others don't get their prayer requests fulfilled?

What advice that you've been given do you think particularly sound?

@suzianne said
Let me guess.

You make up this fantasy of God as a hard-ass who treats all the people YOU hate as unrighteous sinners, and this makes your habit of treating those same people as sub-human all a-ok in your book.

It just isn't that easy.

'Answering a prayer' is NOT the same as 'giving them what they ask for'.

As I said, much of the time, the answer is 'No'. I woul ...[text shortened]... adversity.

My advice, if you want your prayers answered 'Yes', is not to pray against God's will.

90% of my prayers are for other people. A great many of these ARE answered. Some 'Yes', some 'No'. We do not see the entirety of God's plan for people. The very best teacher for some is adversity.

My advice, if you want your prayers answered 'Yes', is not to pray against God's will.

These are just empty platitudes.

For the child with terminal cancer, what of the prayers others make upon the child's behalf to make the child well?

If the answer is to not pray against God's will, then what is the point of submitting a prayer request in the first place? Why not simply accept God's will?

@suzianne said
Most arguments over the Bible aren't about what the Bible says.

They're about what people think the Bible says.

Oh, and btw, I bet you'd see an easing of what you call "my own problems", if only you had a little faith. Just a little goes a long way, but it must be the 'unshakable' kind of faith. Think of the faith of the mustard seed.

I agree and I think is no different than with God too. They argue from perspective of if I were God, as if God is real He would only do things the way that they believe things should be done.

@kellyjay said
I agree and I think is no different than with God too. They argue from perspective of if I were God, as if God is real He would only do things the way that they believe things should be done.

I partially agree. I think that the teachings of Jesus are both simplistic and profound and were not meant to be twisted to mean something so allegorical that only intellectuals could grasp it.

Having said that, we are still at the crossroads of who the one Jesus Christ really was. It is interesting that he did not even tell his disciples. Instead, he gathered them all round and asked each of them who they thought he was. Some said a prophet, but then Peter spoke up and said that he was the Son of God. Jesus then turned to him and said that only the Father revealed this to him. Then he inexplicably told them not to tell anyone else for a while.

And this is the design. The Father will reveal Jesus to those whose hearts are ready and willing. The rest will either distort the gospel into an unrecognizable pretzel or reject it entirely.

@whodey said
I partially agree. I think that the teachings of Jesus are both simplistic and profound and were not meant to be twisted to mean something so allegorical that only intellectuals could grasp it.

Having said that, we are still at the crossroads of who the one Jesus Christ really was. It is interesting that he did not even tell his disciples. Instead, he gathered them all r ...[text shortened]... ling. The rest will either distort the gospel into an unrecognizable pretzel or reject it entirely.

Not far apart

@thinkofone said
90% of my prayers are for other people. A great many of these ARE answered. Some 'Yes', some 'No'. We do not see the entirety of God's plan for people. The very best teacher for some is adversity.

My advice, if you want your prayers answered 'Yes', is not to pray against God's will.

These are just empty platitudes.

For the child with terminal cancer, what ...[text shortened]... at is the point of submitting a prayer request in the first place? Why not simply accept God's will?

Interesting point, to merely accept God's will and not bother praying.
But.....

In Isaiah 38 is a story of king Hezekiah, who was told by Isaiah "the Lord says set your affairs in order, for you are going to die, and will not recover from your illness".

The king wept and prayed to God.

Then the Lord sent Isaiah back to the king with this message: "I have heard your prayers and seen your tears, and will add 15 years to your life".
Isaiah 38: 1-7

So it appears that even when God has made up His mind, prayer might alter His plan (will).

God's will is adjustable with prayer?