How can you prove that prayer works?

Question

If you pray for X and it happens, you say God heard and prayer worked.
If you pray for X and it didn't happen, you say God works in mysterious ways and everything happens for a reason so that's why you didn't get it.

How can you prove that it works? Proof is important because otherwise anyone can come up with anything at anytime and demand you believe it because they said it.

Answer 1

People are comfortable with hope, false or not. Whether the "prayer" works or not, most people still feel good if they just keep on believing, whether their God is real or not.

Answer 2

I feel prayer working in my life. I can't prove it, but proof is not important, as you say. If there were proof, what would faith matter? Faith is the important thing. Why do you worry about people demanding that you believe a thing? You have a mind, a heart and a spirit of your own. If I say I feel prayer at work in my life, do you believe me? Are you afraid you will pray but there's nobody there? What drives you more, hope or fear? If this is a serious question and you're not just playing around, I hope you find the answers you are looking for. If you are just playing, you're playing with fire. Careful.

Answer 3

Your question is 2 fold.

Does prayer work?

&

What is the proof of prayer.

From the view of a selfish man/woman prayer devolves to mere
gimme gimme. I want this and I want that. Like a selfish child we sometimes ask forthisng we don't need and would be harmful to ourselves. God is wise and he gives us what we need. Food, water, air, family and friends. If we have been selfish with our blessings why would God reward us for ill purpose and extravagance when others around us are more needy and deserving.
You did not ask for life it was given to you. Did you create this world and all that is therein? If you did not then it must have been created by One greater than ourselves. Your question is a kinda rhetorical masturbation. Before you can have faith in man you have to have faith in God. That faith empowers we humans to rise above our own needs and helps us to serve mankind.
If you only believe in what you see are you any better than a cow?
The sun will rise tomorrow but I can't see it, touch it, experience it until it happens. I cant put my hands on it but it will happen. thus is the nature of faith. For the faithful faith, for the wayward uncertainty and doubt.
Its a puzzling question and a good one. Only a person with an observant mind would ask it. Roll it around for a day or two. Say a prayer that you understand the answer. Depending on your answer ,you decide.

Answer 4

the whole thing about faith, no matter what religion u believe in, is that if you really have faith u don't need proof.
it takes someone who is on a spiritual path that is really trying to find his way to understand why some prayers may or may not have been answered. sometimes they are and you don't even realize it because it was the answer you expected.

anyway, the mind/life institute has done and is currently running studies on the power of prayer, as well as on the effects of meditation.
try looking that up and reading about it.

Answer 5

You make it sound like praying is like handing God a big wishlist. God is not a genie, and selfish prayer is hardly ever answered. Prayer is not "I want this" and "I hope you let that happen." It's about talking with God, establishing a relationship our Heavenly Father, praising Him for all he has given us, and asking Him for strength and forgiveness. Most Christians who truly have a relationship with God do not treat God like Santa Claus.

With that said, proof is not all that important because prayer is just talking with God, not asking for something, getting it, and saying that it's an act of God.

Hope that helps!

Of course, God does sometimes grant people the things they desire, but that is not the essence of prayer.

God bless!

Answer 6

God has our best interests at heart. He answers prayers in 3 ways- yes, no, and maybe later. Sometimes we pray for one thing to happen, then we don't get it and realize that it was really for the best. God answers prayers- just sometimes in ways we never expected.

Answer 7

When I. pray it is for many things. God is not a short order cook at a resteraunt. Besides it says in the Bible that we should not cast our pearls before swine. Lest they become trampled under foot. The word is like a mustard seed. Some fall on rocks some fall on sandy unfit soil. others fall on good rich soil and those will grow big and birds will nest their. So your answer is you haved saved yourself.

Answer 8

Maybe you could start praying for really weird things. Like for the ocean to turn into chocolate pudding or for space to be white instead of black. If it happened you could totally be like, 'check it out my prayer worked yo'.

Answer 9

Hello eskimo.. :)

Praise the Lord..I was wondering when I would be able to share this here..

My daughter was diagnosed in 2004 with Hepatitis C..she went to see her Doctor today to here about her blood tests..

Thank-You Jesus..Praise You Jesus..she does not have even any antibodies showing this disease..

I looked at the Doctor and said Praise the Lord..he repeated back to me yes, Praise the Lord..for a miracle took place right before his very eyes..he had her previous 2 test results showing she had it..and 2 more blood tests saying it is not even in her blood anymore..

What a Loving and Glorious God we serve..Amen!!

In Jesus Most Precious Name..
With Love..In Christ.. :)

Answer 10

Everytime i have prayed for something I have had it happen eventually.

Then again, i don't pray to win the lottery, or to have auntie joline to hop out of a brain dead state and be perfectly normal either.