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male
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes: I wonder if someone would share some of their experience with me, the effectiveness of praying...I'm not a religious man, yet, but I really would like to see, what God would tell me if I would ask him.Some people has beautiful stories, how praying was answered ,and I wonder if there is any good way to try to ask God to show me some sign that he heard me.I’m going thru some very painful stuff, and I really would like some guidance or answers from God. Please let me know, if you have any experience like this. Reply to this Question |
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male
reader, axio  +, writes (17 August 2009):
Hi, I thought I should add my 2 cents here. In our faith, it is believed that God (or whatever u may call that Supreme Being) answers ALL prayers made to Him. However, He answers them in 3 different ways.1. As He is all-knowing and has knowledge of unseen and of future,he knows what we are asking for is better for us or not. If it is good for us, He has no problem giving it to us rightaway.2. When the thing we are asking for is not good for us, he may not give us that, but replace it with something else that is better.3. If a prayer does not get answered in this life, rest assured that He will give us so much as compensation in the afterlife, that had we known the amount of that reward, we would pray that our prayers may not be answered!Anyway, its a matter of faith. Some things may be good for us in this life, but may have very bad effects on afterlife, which is everlasting.Most importantly, to be happy in afterlife, one must pray to God for guidance, as He has promised to guide all who sincerely seek the right path from Him.
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reader, heartfullalove  + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
 Rainorfire...it didn't seem to me that Grimm was being sarcastic in any way. He answered 'a serious faith based question' in an honest manner, as did I.
He merely stated, as fact, that the Bible was written by people who thought the world was flat. Which was a reasonable assumption for people to make at the time. People would have wondered how the world came into being, and in the absence of any scientific explanation, decided it must have been the work of some unseen power - God.
Evolutionary theory has since done a great deal to explain how we come to be here. If people still find some comfort in telling themselves there's a God and an afterlife, good for them. (Gina's story is a lovely example of how religion works as a real comfort for many people.)
But your last comment...Grimm certainly has issues, but to dismiss those of us who've never met God as 'pawns of Satan, wolves that will lead the flock away' seems a little harsh, a textbook example of the kind of wrathful-Jehovah thought process that has given religious people justification (in their own minds) for any amount of wars over several hundred years, and which goes a long way to explain why religion really terrifies the rest of us.
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reader, Ginalolabridga  + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
 Many people are not religious and dont go to a house of the lord and pray, many believe you dont have too that you can pray wherever you are and you can, but going to church your surrounded with mind like people and that in itself will lift you, when you come out of church you feel elated, you feel ready to take on the world the inspiration it gives you is uplifting, and very beneficial.
I pray all the time not only for my own family and things but for many things, for people i know need prayers, for the sick, infirm, the lonely wee man or woman who have no one and depend on meeting people through home helps, and going to church this is a life line for these people and we should never ever forget our elders.
We pray for strength to get us through our darkest hours, to seek guidance on solving problems, to ask and it shall be given.
Sometimes when life has thrown you a burden and you feel you will never get over this, or feel somehow you will never cope without certain things prayer can lift you and yes they can be answered, i have a great faith and one i can say has kept me clean and honest, and kept me a decent person we all need faith in our lives and we all need prayers, i have yet to meet anyone who does not need the help of a prayer!
An incident that happened to me was a sign my prayer was answered:
When my Mother was dying of lung cancer aged 63 we were told she would have 3 months to live!
We were devastated how could this awful disease take one so quickly she had only been diagnosed a month earlier, i prayed she would get longer that the treatment she got would work wonders and for a while it did we just wanted more time to say all the things we wanted to say to her and to sort out all her things the way she wanted them while she was still capable of doing so, we got that extra time not too long 5 months but it was enough for her to do all the things she wanted to before she died, and it gave me and my family more time to be with her before she left us for good, i truly believe my prayers were answered for my Mother and to this day i give thanks for that.
The power of prayer is there for us all we just need to look to people like Mother Theresa, Gandhi etc: to see how these people believed in the power of prayer many inspirations i take are from people who have nothing and yet find it in their hearts to give to others thank God for those people without them where would we be?
If you have not been inside a church for years why not just this once go along go to a mass or service i promise you everyone will make you feel welcome, and whatever your pain is my friend at the end of that service it will have lessened i wish you well.
Gina
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reader, RAINORFIRE  +, writes (17 August 2009):
 seek and ye shall find i suggest you begin praying and make a connection with God. you should become saved as well. God is for us all if we choose. The act that you where born healthy could be a direct intervention by God. Its difficult to put exact experiences out there.falling asleep while driving and waking up rte before you go off a bridge things like that Gods all around you should have faith. think about ti like this. if you dont believe in God fine but your going to hell if you believe you have hope of eternal salvation. is that a chance your willing to take. you didnt say what religion are you inclined to follow suggest christianity but you dont have to have a specific denomination to have a connection with The lord the Bible does not even mention christians as far as ive read.And grimm i kno your being sarcastic but the poster is aking a serious faith based question your comment has nothing to do with it and is discouraging some one from finding the grace of the Lord. your comment is false and un founded. you have no need to answer this post but the bible warns of your type pawns of satan wolves that will lead the flock astray. poster i pray you find what you seek
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reader, GrimmReality + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
 Seek spirituality with whatever you choose to call your higher power. Do not seek religion, for they are vastly different.
Remember that organized religion is a MAN MADE CONCEPT, and the Bible was written by people who thought the world was flat!
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reader, Basschick  + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
 Those who earnestly seek Him will find him. It may not be bells and whistles, the sky will not part, and there will not be a loud voice that booms from heaven, but you will have an unmistakeable peace in your heart. The confusing thing about asking things of God, is that sometimes the answer he gives us is "No", therefore we assume he didn't hear us, or we misunderstood the answer. I have religious friends who tend to think God is their own personal Genie in a bottle -- Name it and claim it, but that is not how God works. He already knows what's on your heart and mind. He already has a plan -- but he often waits to see if we will earnestly ask for his help and then be prepared to allow him to handle it. That is probably the hardest thing we as humans must do -- To NOT steer the boat, but allow God to lead us. It's all about giving up our control over a situation, the desire to manipulate it to our favor and to not trust that God will do it for us the way it should be done. We humans have worked very hard to be in control of our lives, and our situations, so it is very hard to let go of the reins and NOT have the control. That in itself is a testimony of faith. I think the most disappointing thing we can do, is to ask for something and then not get it -- Often we wish that someone would be healed from sickness or disease, only to find ourselves burying them a few short weeks later. That's because we tend to think of death as the "worst thing" when in reality, in some cases it's the best. Especially if that person knows God and has had a relationship with God, they are simply going home to a place of peace and rest. I don't know what your burden is, but if you earnestly seek him, you will find him, and with him you will find inner peace. xoxox
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reader, heartfullalove + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
Yes, as an open-minded agnostic willing to acknowledge the possibility that 'God' exists but never having seen the faintest shred of evidence that he/she does, I've tried it (praying) once or twice.
Exactly as you said, wondering 'if there is any good way to try to ask God to show me some sign that he heard me.'
And absolutely nothing happened. Didn't hear a word.
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reader, knmbaby16 + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
 Well first going to church is always good. When going thru rough times I've found that chruch helps. I always feel Really good after going . But I've learned in my short 16 years that you shud not always pray when your having a bad time , you shud also talk and tell and thank God during the good times and appericate the life and thongs he's giving you. And that he gave you today.
My dad works for a sign company and a few years ago while installing a sign all on his own he went up in a boom truck ( the ones people go in and put up signs in high places) and somehow he pushed a buuton and some thing on the truck got him came down on his arm and it was heavy and could have cut off his whole arm and the only reason it didn't is because he was holding it off his armwith the other hand . He yelle and had someone call 911 but while he was still up there he called my mom and told her whatwas going on and thy second she turned pale white she cudnt even tell me or my little Sister what was going on And all I knew to do was cry . We all thought his arm was going to be cut off and he wud have to go to rehab and lose his job and our world wud be completly changed. And so I went somewhere on the quiet and I begged and pleaded and asked God fir him t. Be ohkay and for us to be ohkay and to please not let him be badly hurt. And like not even a minute after we got a call saying he wa in the trams department of the hospital but his arm was still there and it was remarkable that he was able to hold it there that long . Hi arm was minorly injured and he was able to go back to work soon after. My mom thinks I was my two grandpa's that have pasted strength that helped but I think it was praying.
And my moms friend that has 2 young daughters was riding on a free way and was going too fast an all the sudden spun out on to the usually busy oppisite side of the freewayand as she was spinning she said out loud please God help me and when the car stopped no cars we coming . And it was a Friday afternoon on a very busy freeway. And if anyone wud have been coming her two daughters wudnt have had a chance .
These two times and plenty others have made me believe and made me be thankful for everything I have and everyday I'm Alive. And I always remember this too. Things always turn out good in the end. If it's not good yet then it's not the end . There's always more to look forward to.
I hope this helped :)
God bless and good luck ;)
- Kristen
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reader, knmbaby16 + ♥, writes (17 August 2009):
Well first going to church is always good. When going thru rough times I've found that chruch helps. I always feel Really good after going . But I've learned in my short 16 years that you shud not always pray when your having a bad time , you shud also talk and tell and thank God during the good times and appericate the life and thongs he's giving you. And that he gave you today.
My dad works for a sign company and a few years ago while installing a sign all on his own he went up in a boom truck ( the ones people go in and put up signs in high places) and somehow he pushed a buuton and some thing on the truck got him came down on his arm and it was heavy and could have cut off his whole arm and the only reason it didn't is because he was holding it off his armwith the other hand . He yelle and had someone call 911 but while he was still up there he called my mom and told her whatwas going on and thy second she turned pale white she cudnt even tell me or my little Sister what was going on And all I knew to do was cry . We all thought his arm was going to be cut off and he wud have to go to rehab and lose his job and our world wud be completly changed. And so I went somewhere on the quiet and I begged and pleaded and asked God fir him t. Be ohkay and for us to be ohkay and to please not let him be badly hurt. And like not even a minute after we got a call saying he wa in the trams department of the hospital but his arm was still there and it was remarkable that he was able to hold it there that long . Hi arm was minorly injured and he was able to go back to work soon after. My mom thinks I was my two grandpa's that have pasted strength that helped but I think it was praying.
And my moms friend that has 2 young daughters was riding on a free way and was going too fast an all the sudden spun out on to the usually busy oppisite side of the freewayand as she was spinning she said out loud please God help me and when the car stopped no cars we coming . And it was a Friday afternoon on a very busy freeway. And if anyone wud have been coming her two daughters wudnt have had a chance .
These two times and plenty others have made me believe and made me be thankful for everything I have and everyday I'm Alive. And I always remember this too. Things always turn out good in the end. If it's not good yet then it's not the end . There's always more to look forward to.
I hope this helped :)
God bless and good luck ;)
- Kristen
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