Can praying sometimes have a retroactive effect?

Question

I see many people pray to get out of financial hardship or similar problems that would be better solved using a more realistic approach. Does praying give these people a false sense of hope and hinder them from actually solving their problems?

I think negative would actually be a better description, rather than retroactive.

Answer 1

It may also have them believe that God will provide when God just might say 'no'.

Answer 2

prayer actually works. First it helps people to feel a sense of hope that they need and God comes through with some means to help. Most people are not in a financially ruined situation because they want to be. Like maybe everything was fine and then they become chronically ill and were no longer able to work so that effected their income greatly they didn't do it on purpose. Granted I don't think you can just go out and go into a huge amount of debt and then pray to get out of it that would be wrong and God would frown on that but in certain situations God understands and will send the means to help you.

Answer 3

You are free to make that assumption, however I have kept prayer journals recording each prayer for 1 year periods, at the end of that year I look over some of the requests I have made and am startled that I was actually asking for some of the things I was, but numberous other times I see how prayers were answered. God is not a trained pet that does as He is told, God sees our life ten years from now and knows what we need now and He also knows when were asking for something that is not good for us. We are so limited and basic in our understanding that to get inside God's head is just not possible.

Answer 4

I think people still try to solve them on thier own, but prayer gives them extra hope that it will all work out for the best, even if it has no influence on the actual outcome, because if you sit around you will notice that 99.9999% of the time your problem will still be there.

Christians will most likely answer this quoting from the bible or something. Something like "Thou that does not help himeslf will never find his way." and yes I made up that quote. LOL

Answer 5

Again, for the sake of our friends the God haters, I will tell you about prayer.. Prayer isn't time to beg for favors. Prayer is a time to come into a oneness with God's will. A person in financial hardship may find ways to control their spending by listening to God. While someone needing work may find the job of their dreams. A poor person could be handed 10 million dollars and they would be a poor person with money. Prayer provides the means to be rich, and content all due to being lined up with the will of God in our lives...Jim

Answer 6

you know, my grandparents were in desperate need for money for a trip they had been planning for a year. they had saved the money up but had to spend it last minute on a minor operation my grandmother needed. they prayed every night for an answer... a way to take their grandkids on vacation. and one day it happend. their prayers were answered. my grandmothers work called and wanted to offer her a higher position at her job. she gladly accepted and was making a good $1000 more a month. my grandfather, on the same day, found a wallet on the ground and turned it in to the police department. it had 5000 dollars in cash and he didnt take any of it. a man called him 2 hours later and wanted to meet him. he told my grandfather what an honest man he was and that he was surprised there were people still in america like him. he hugged my grandpa and gave him the 5000 DOLLARS. My g randpa told him he couldnt accept it but the man told him he didnt care about the money, he just didnt want to have to get a new liscense and all his personal belongings back. apparantly thing guy was loaded.

there is a true story that God does work in mysterious ways. needless to say, my grandparents got the trip and took all six grandkids! :)

Answer 7

I dont think retroactive is the word your looking for. I think your trying to imply that prayer can be a placebo. I dont think thats true unless theres an action you can take and you just pray instead. Ex. Theres a dog in the street that you can easily get too but your to lazy to move and you just pray oh god please dont let the dog get hit. Actually that's just stupid but you get the gist.

Answer 8

Praying in that fashion does give people a false sense of hope. People like that forget that the Lord gave us an intellect and will to be like Him (creative and helpful to self and neighbor). And so, we must examine how the person prays. These kind of people pray with a childish understanding of God and not a mature one. In a mature way, one usually knows what to pray for and prays after they have done all the footwork to help themselves or their neighbor. Blessed Pope John XXIII used to pray like this every night before going to bed, "Lord I have done all I could. It is Your Church. Take care of her. I'm going to bed. Amen."
Yet, even if one solved their problems with practical skills and common sense, they should still pray to God. They should pray to God in thanksgiving for making them so clever and skilled. As the psalmist says in Scripture, "I thank you Lord for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Yet, even if a thing remains unresolved it could be a deeper lesson about ourselves and enviroment. For instance, we suffer because we live in a wounded world and we cannot redeem it.
In either case we are to pray at all times.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May He let the light of His face shine upon you.
God's and your beast of burden
Fr. john

Answer 9

I'm an Agnostic, but I believe in God. I pray mostly when things are bad and I get results. I mostly pray to make me a better person so I can help others. It works, really works. And it definitely couldn't hurt. Pray on, sweetie.

Answer 10

Praying gives you hope, hope is the key to keep on going. So if anything, those people praying I hope aren't praying for a lottery ticket in the end God wants you to earn it. God helps those who help themselves and if you show the effort you'll get the nudge you need from God.

Answer 11

first off, this is a good question. in the bible it says "my people parish because of lack of knowledge". the bible also talks about laziness. the point the I'm trying to make is that i think that God wants us to be prayerful but at the same time we also have to keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities. In other words, when people pray to get out of financial hardships, they should also take some initiative/action to get themselves out of it. luck follows opportunity. opportunity follows action.