Does Prayer Work?

Author: Salixes

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#1
Salixes
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Perhaps we could build a 100% natural, faith healing hospital ....we could call it "The Holy Hospital of Kindness".

 * Instead of operating theatres we shall have prayer rooms.
 * Instead of professional doctors, nurses and surgeons, we'll have naturopaths, chiropractors and accupuncturists.
 * Instead of drugs we will have holy water.
 * And of course, we would need to erect a morgue that's larger than the hospital itself.

#2
Tradesecret
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@Salixes
Yes prayer works. I prayed that you would start another topic demonstrating your foolishness, and God answered my prayer. Thank you God. 
#3
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@Tradesecret
Lol!
#4
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Prayer may in fact work.   
I anti-prayer  every Christians prayers years ago. 

And I just did a little prayer thing just then. 
I prayed for Ethang5 to answer posts with a simple,  Yes or NO. 
Posts like this one.    Watch this. 
Thats Yesss or Noooo.
SHAZAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.



#5
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@Salixes
I prayer that Sal will start a topic about  ( DEMONIC POSSESSION )
I want to know all who believe in it . 
And whose church offers exorcisms. 
And a price check. And maybe signs you've been possessed........ 
Please pal. 

 Good day.

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#6
Salixes
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@Tradesecret
Yes prayer works. I prayed that you would start another topic demonstrating your foolishness, and God answered my prayer. Thank you God. 
Once again your logic is apparently completely fornicated.

To start with I started a topic that doesn't demonstrate my foolishness but in fact, highlights the fact that I fully researched the subject of prayer and had the guts to confront those who go around laying on the guilt trip that somehow prayer works.

And secondly, I initiated the topic on my own free will without intervention or any urging from God.

Thirdly, and most tellingly, your prayer was unanswered.

Fourthly, you failed (no doubt deliberately) to address the issue, for example, "Yes, prayer works because........." Because of course, you know very well that you would be in a losing position.

You completely lost out with this round; quite dismally in fact.

So, we can take it that, by default, you concede the fact that prayer does diddly squat.


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#7
Salixes
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@Deb-8-a-bull
I prayed for Ethang5 to answer posts with a simple,  Yes or NO. 
Good one Deb; very well thought out and very perceptive of you.

Since, if ( or rather, "when") Ethong does indeed fail to answer posts straightforwardly it will show his betrayal to his own religion by deliberately rejecting someone's prayers.  

#8
rosends
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Deciding whether prayer "works" requires coming to terms with why one prays and what would, quantifiably, be considered "working."

If you see the function and form of prayer as synonymous with "request" and the measurable effect, the fulfillment of that request, then "prayer" does not work. Then again, neither does "asking" or "attempting to rob a liquor store."

But if you see a request as having been successful if it communicates a need, even if that request is denied, then prayer "works."

And if you see prayer as having uses beyond asking, and therefore, judged by metrics of success beyond "getting" (or even "convincingly not getting") then prayer's "working" can be assessed in completely different ways, having little to do with hospitals and morgues.
#9
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I like picturing a ill directed Muslim prayer being sent on a like a South.  southwestern  path. 
Or prayers that are just slightly off. 
Picture em.  


#10
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Rosends gave the best answer.




#11
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I know that sincere prayer strengthens the soul to be mindful of God and to better walk in His Way.



#12
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@Mopac
Prayer strengthens ones soul. 
So Ya soulie thing can be mindful of God. ( well Duh )  
I mean. Of course it does right? 
Straight out Commonsense FULL STOP

No but Moe Moe. 

Hey Moe Moe. 

When does anything " surrounding " your  god and or your religion, 
kinda gather like ummmmmmm " NORMAL "      
You know what i mean Pac Moe ? 

When does something " normal " / easy to comprehend surrounding god happen, followed byyyyyyyyyyy,  Something normal surrounding god happen. ?






 




#13
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@Salixes
So, we can take it that, by default, you concede the fact that prayer does diddly squat.
Well, he prayed that you would start another topic demonstrating your foolishness, and you did so.

Was it coincidence?
#14
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Can anyone imagine if Deb posted as often as Sal? Makes one see that things could be worse. Yikes.



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@Mopac
@rosends
Rosends gave the best answer.
I agree. One of the best answers I've ever seen.
#16
Mopac
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@Deb-8-a-bull
Prayer strengthens ones soul.
So Ya soulie thing can be mindful of God. ( well Duh ) 
I mean. Of course it does right?
Straight out Commonsense FULL STOP

No but Moe Moe.

Hey Moe Moe.

When does anything " surrounding " your  god and or your religion,
kinda gather like ummmmmmm " NORMAL "     
You know what i mean Pac Moe ?

When does something " normal " / easy to comprehend surrounding god happen, followed byyyyyyyyyyy,  Something normal surrounding god happen. ?


Not really sure what you are asking.

#17
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@Tradesecret



.
Tradesecret,

YOUR REVEALING RUNAWAY QUOTE TO THE TOPIC AT HAND, TAKING ETHANG5'S APPROACH: "Yes prayer works. I prayed that you would start another topic demonstrating your foolishness, and God answered my prayer. Thank you God. "

First thing, show respect to our God and actually use His given historical name, understood?  It is "Yahweh," the God of the Hebrews only, and if you follow the Trinity Doctrine, His name recognition is Yahweh/Jesus/Ghost, get it? This action helps in differentiating our God from the many others in the Bronze, Iron, and Middle Ages where they all existed. 

I'll use a favorite term that your equally bible ignorant cohort ethang5 uses when he can't discuss the topic at hand, but only to run away from it. This quote is; "If you have nothing to say, remain silent!"  This quote fits you perfectly.


.




#18
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No But seriously guys. Who are you trying to kid ?   
We alllllllll know that there is only ONE TRUE METHOD of testing ones prayers. 

Ladies and gentlemen i give to you the (  PRAYER TRACKER ) app.
And now the ( PRAYER TRACKER PRO ) app
For a one off small fee of A buck sixty-five. Thats ( $1.65* ) Thats less then a coffee. 
One can be 100% sure of his or hers  Prayers " VALIDITY " . 
And track its exact ( within one inch )  whereabouts, andddd ETA with optional delivery reports.

With our latest and greatest, PIN POINT PATENT PENDING PRAYER POSITIONING SOFTWARE now fully operational
Checking on ones prayers is but two clicks and a buck sixty-five away.*

Don't be left in the dark anymore.

#19
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"If you have nothing to say, remain silent!"
For some reason, trolls never obey this.
#20
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@Deb-8-a-bull
All pray means is to ask.


The idea that someone can simply ask God for anything and He will give it to them as if He was some type of magic to invoke is superstitious.

What is the best thing one can personally ask God for? That is, ask for oneself rather than for others.

An example is in this prayer that we Orthodox recite frequently throughout the day and at the start of the divine liturgy...

"O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who art in all places and fillest all things; Treasury of good things and Giver of life: Come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O gracious Lord."

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@ethang5
Yes we have A Express prayer sender.  
We also have,  Pray today Pay tomorrow options.
 

 

#22
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@Deb-8-a-bull
Who is "we"?

Wait, let me guess.

You have a group. A singing group.

Lol.
#23
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@ethang5



ethang5,

Shhhhhhhhhh, you're done. This is because by viewing the many threads within this forum where you have run away from biblical axioms, why torture yourself any further by continuing to be the biblically ignorant fool that you are in front of everyone?  Therefore, may I suggest that you save yourself further embarrassment with Salixes thread upon "Does Prayer Work" and just follow your words, and remain silent, okay?

Just sit upon the sidelines like a good little puppy tethered to the porch where you belong, as you watch what you will never have, and that is you actually engaging in the topic at hand, understood? Yes? Maybe?

This link shows everyone in what you've become when confronted with bible axioms, where the only thing you can do, is to run away from them:

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@rosends


rosends,

Your dissertation upon prayer is nothing but gobbledygook Satanic Devil Speak! LOL What website did you retrieve this ungodly mess from?

Since you are HEBREW orthodox, and follow Yahweh God only, you're the last one to speak about prayer to Christians, understood?  Jesus, who you deny exists as Yahweh God incarnate in the Triune Doctrine, gave the Christian explicit knowledge about prayer and how it should work all the time.  Your definition slaps the Christian in the face by calling Jesus a LIAR relative to His prayer definition!

You represent what can happen when a HEBREW like you tries to tell Christians in what they are supposed to accept, when the two faiths are blatantly contradictory to each other!  H-E-L-L-O?   LOL! 

.




#25
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I'd say we ALLLLLLLLLLLL lived for years believing in.   
The Blowing out of candles on ones birthday cake would grant the ( ONE WISH ) 
We also ALLLLLLLLLLL understood that the telling to  anyone what ya wished for would void said wish. 

We all believed this thennnnn,  we didn't.  

HANG ON A SECOND. 
You theists don't still believe in birthday candle wishing do ya ?

Guys?

You don't hey? 





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#26
Salixes
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@rosends

But if you see a request as having been successful if it communicates a need, even if that request is denied, then prayer "works."
How would you know that the request was successful because of prayer and not due to circumstances?

Similarly, how would you know that a prayer was denied and not simply due to circumstances?

Several years ago a comprehensive study was done in the UK using 40,000 to determine the difference of prayer and non-prayer for the same situations.

It was found that there was no discernible difference whatsoever with the outcomes.

In any case, whether or not prayer works is totally hypothetical since there is no God to answer prayers and the whole concept of prayer was devised as a tool for wishful thinking.


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@BrotherDThomas
YOUR REVEALING RUNAWAY QUOTE TO THE TOPIC AT HAND, TAKING ETHANG5'S APPROACH: "Yes prayer works. I prayed that you would start another topic demonstrating your foolishness, and God answered my prayer. Thank you God. "
My quote was revealing. It however was not a runaway quote. It demonstrated in humour the ridiculousness of the OP. That you missed the obvious humour, I suspect, reveals much about you. LOL!

First thing, show respect to our God and actually use His given historical name, understood?  It is "Yahweh," the God of the Hebrews only, and if you follow the Trinity Doctrine, His name recognition is Yahweh/Jesus/Ghost, get it? This action helps in differentiating our God from the many others in the Bronze, Iron, and Middle Ages where they all existed. 
You don't get to command me to use a particular name for God. You are not my boss, elder, or as far as I can tell even a Christian. In any event I will from time to time use various names for God. However, that is my choice and it my decision. I also think that the character of God and indeed anything about Him distinguishes Him from all the so called gods made in man's image. 

I'll use a favorite term that your equally bible ignorant cohort ethang5 uses when he can't discuss the topic at hand, but only to run away from it. This quote is; "If you have nothing to say, remain silent!"  This quote fits you perfectly.
If you had only have learnt to apply that to yourself, then this response would not have been necessary. 
#28
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@Salixes
Instead of drugs we will have holy water.
Imagine taking condensed holy water pills


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#29
Salixes
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@WaterPhoenix
Imagine taking condensed holy water pills
Actually such a product does exist.

You place the pill in a glass, then add water.

Another method of making holy water is to place some tap water in a saucepan, turn the heat up high......
....the boil the Hell out of it.

#30
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@Salixes
Hi and please excuse the clunkiness of my response -- I'm still fairly new to the interface.

--> How would you know that the request was successful because of prayer and not due to circumstances?

In my statement, I indicated that the simple conveyance of the request is, in certain contexts, a measure of success. If I can muster the faith required to speak to the object of belief, and, no matter how dire the circumstance, not abandon that belief, then isn't prayer successful in that it cements my connection to the object of belief? The content of the prayer is almost secondary. The praying is the success. If we measure success differently, we come to a decision about what satisfies that measure differently.


--> Similarly, how would you know that a prayer was denied and not simply due to circumstances?

Admittedly, interpreting nature and prayer requests is self-justifying. if I get no answer, I interpret the answer as "no." That's not satisfying if all you do is measure the success of prayer as "fulfilled petition." I don't.


--> It was found that there was no discernible difference whatsoever with the outcomes.

Yes, using a stilted notion of what prayer is and is supposed to do, with an impossible to prove set of standards. First, I could point out that prayer is not always asking anything. Then I could point out that sometimes, requests receiving a "no" are being answered. Then I could point out that there is no control group here because every case is unique so the only control might be "what would happen in this particular case if there was no prayer" and that becomes impossible to gauge when prayer is introduced.

--> In any case, whether or not prayer works is totally hypothetical since there is no God to answer prayers and the whole concept of prayer was devised as a tool for wishful thinking. 

That is, indeed, your position and your evidence serves to justify that position so you should be comfortable with your position.