How do you know prayer works?

[IceMobster]

I've read it all and I'm having a feeling as if I didn't read anything.

If you say so The opportunity was there to be presented with more concrete answers. Oh well.

[Mallz]

We have communication issues

[crochet1949]

How do I know that prayer 'works'? A born-again believer has a direct route to God through Jesus Christ / Prayer. Talking to God. Reading His Word is us taking opportunity to get to know God better. It's all part of Relationship. It's a heart-felt relationship with eternal significance.

A person usually prays to God because they Do believe in His existence and they want to communicate with Him. Many time the effect of praying to God is the change it makes in Us. The Holy Spirit is very capable of changing people from the inside out.

And it's like a relationship with People. The more time we spend with people, the more we know them and the closer that relationship can be.

Prayer 'working' -- depends on what our expectations Are. Some people pray for a 'miracle' and then don't recognize the 'miracle' when it happens. Maybe we should be praying for more Christ-likeness in Ourselves.

We are to bring our needs to God / He loves us and wants communication with us. Why -- only God knows. But He's given us His Word for a Reason.

[1over137]

Sometimes it takes very long time. We may recognize some prayers to be heard in years if not in decades.

[crochet1949]

Hopefully a person is including a Lot of things when talking to God. Like our own lives / attitudes. Decisions we need to make and have a peace that we've made the right decisions. And we thank God For lots of things.

[Metacrock]

We know prayer works empirically. Here is a journal article of medical historians studying Lourdes miracles they find they are still inexplicable. This is my summary of the article but it includes the source.

http://religiousapriori.blogspot.com/20 ... cures.html

[IceMobster]

We know prayer works empirically. Here is a journal article of medical historians studying Lourdes miracles they find they are still inexplicable. This is my summary of the article but it includes the source.

http://religiousapriori.blogspot.com/20 ... cures.html

A bit off topic: how come you have only 26 posts even though you have been on these forums for over 10 years?

[swordfish7]

Ultimately, we pray because God commands us to pray! We know it works also because God tells us it works. Prayer is communication with God, and much more than just asking God for things (1Thes. 5:17, Eph. 6:8, Matt.7:7, Phil. 4:6, Col. 4:2, Jam. 5:13, 1Chron. 16:11, Rom. 8:26, Rev. 8:3-4, 1 Tim. 2:8, Jam. 5:13). Probably my most dramatic prayer was the time I told God that he did not exist in anger. I had just got a bunch of low grades in college. I took off levelheaded in my car down the road knowing I was walking on thin ice. A car pulled out perfectly crossing over three lanes at a time I could do nothing about it and I was in an accident within seconds of stating to God that He does not exist! I will never ever question the existence of God again! Now I would not expect that if others tried this that anything would happen, for God did this graciously to me to show me He was there during a very difficult time in my life. No one was hurt in the accident and the car damage was not extreme. God is good!

[IceMobster]

.

Nah, the book tells you God commands you. The book tells you it works. (As you can see, I've got a problem with the Scripture, as well)
Furthermore, my objection and question is to things like praying for others. Or when someone asks to pray for oneself. You can't know if it works.
It is different when you pray to thank or worship God, of course.


Anyway, that's an interesting situation you got there, but I would never claim God does not exist no matter my emotional state. That's just illogical.

[swordfish7]

If you don't believe the good book, then how can you be a believer? How do you decide what is God's word? Essentially, you become God which is idolatry, which is damnable. You are walking on thin ice between heaven and hell if you are a believer. You must believe in Jesus to be saved (John 3:16, Eph. 2:8,9).

[swordfish7]

That would include confessing your sins and turning and living for God.

[RickD]

You must believe in Jesus to be saved (John 3:16, Eph. 2:8,9).

That would include confessing your sins and turning and living for God.

And here we go again!

[IceMobster]

And here we go again!

[swordfish7]

You never answered my question! God stands outside of time and if you understand your physics, you will know why.Everything, from God's perspective, is seen at once over all time. He sees our prayers as well as all sides related to the prayer. In God's infinite knowledge he answers our prayers in the best way, even though we may no understand His reasons.

[swordfish7]

Nah, the book tells you God commands you. The book tells you it works. (As you can see, I've got a problem with the Scripture, as well)
Furthermore, my objection and question is to things like praying for others. Or when someone asks to pray for oneself. You can't know if it works.
It is different when you pray to thank or worship God, of course..

Over the years I have prayed many prayers, and I have seen God's faithfulness in answering the prayers. One example was my father who was hard-set against Christianity. My family prayed for years for him and at long last he accepted Christ to be his Lord and Savior. I was walking on a trail with him with my uncle who was agnostic. He viewed that as the more enlightened atheistic view. My dad began challenging my uncle about the Christian world view. I got hot under the collar, since my dad didn't profess to believe, but I held my tongue. My uncle who always appreciated my dads unbelief, became visibly agitated as my father went on. I just couldn't believe it, even though I had prayed for him since I was a child - my mother and brothers too, not to mention many a fine pastors too. This is just one of thousands of prayers that I have seen answered, so I do believe in the power of prayer. But I take issue with the notion that prayers, that are not answered in the way that we want, are not answered prayer. Sometimes we don't pray in God's will but selfishly. Is God required to give us what we want when it may be very damaging to the soul? Certainly not! Sometimes we pray to get out of the consequences from our sinful actions, like David did when he sinned with Bathsheba. Is God required to answer these prayers? No! And sometimes God has some bigger and better plan that we cannot see which will be revealed in heaven!

Anyway, that's an interesting situation you got there, but I would never claim God does not exist no matter my emotional state. That's just illogical.

I was very well humbled and told the cop the exact speed I was traveling even though it was 15 miles over the speed limit. The girl who cut into my lane had such a bad driving record that the added information of speeding hardly hurt me. This again I account to the grace of God!