I deny thye usefulness of prayer and I defy anyone to prove the contrary.?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH0rFZIqo8A

Brent> you wish!

Answer 1

Clearly 'prayer' is a species of 'asking.' The object of that asking is simply God as opposed to another human.

If I were to ask Tesseract to stop posting the sorts of questions a jackass would bray and he does not, does that prove that 'asking' is in itself something that has "no use?"

One can not devise a test to measure something that is dependent on the unknown will of another to respond to a request. Hence, his whole approach here is flawed.

I give you credit for one of the better materialist attacks but like the others it still falls short of hitting the target conclusively.

Answer 2

Whether you deny it or not is irrelevant. An opinion about something does not change it. That being said, I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding as to what prayer is. Prayer is not the manipulation of reality via supernatural means. That is called "witchcraft". Since prayer is not about changing the world around you, your entire argument is moot.

Prayer, at least in a Christian perspective, is about changing you. It is a means to build a relationship with God. Therefore, the proof of the power of prayer lies in the lives of those who have applied it correctly in their lives. I have met many such people over my lifetime. People who have suffered serious and permanent injury, but still have hope and peace in their hearts. People who have suffered losses that could have destroyed their will to live, but made it through. People who were in the deepest pits of depravity and, through prayer, have been pulled out of it. That is evidence enough to be entered into a court of law. I defy you to prove the contrary.

Answer 3

I for one am glad to see someone take a stand for what they believe in, however if you deny the sky is blue and that it may let fly water on you I don't think your defiance is gonna change the color of the sky or where the sun will come up. Of what significance would it be if you said you denyied and defied the sun to come up in the east tommorow. None I assume . Taking a stand does not change a fact. If you were searching for a truth you would try prayer and see if it worked for you, so you are not trying to discover or to broadcast a truth then what are you doing. Apparently being rebelious. Some think that is exactly what Satan was doing just b4 he got fired.

Answer 4

Let me put it this way: When a law(physical and spiritual) sets in motion, there's no point for the law giver to intervene. What is that law? We can only know as much and incorporate that in our life. Atheists and scientists have that same thing going on in them. They haven't discover everything yet. But as progress/evolve in life we get better. Why prayer does not work? Because we probably don't understand much how it works. Why prayers work on the Son of God and failed miserably especially on Atheist? Haven't you consider that the thoughts in prayer can actually influence the outcome of subatomic particles( the observed and the observer)? If one has faith strong enough to energize that thought then prayer is not mere statistic. It works.

Answer 5

No one can convince another about the effectiveness of prayer but by the same token when I say that prayer has had profound usefulness in my life there is no way that you can dissuede me of my experience. The upshot is that I HAVE something and you are lacking. Can't hurt to try it.

Answer 6

Prayer is communicating with a higher power than yourself. You will know if you or a loved one ever gets sick or injured and the doctor says that there is nothing they can do, or a predator puts a gun to your head and pulls the trigger and there is nothing between you, him and the gun, except God. I have been in both of these situations and prayer has spared my life. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Answer 7

Why? What's your point? I'm an atheist, but I still see the value of it. And of the phrase live and let live.

Ok, now I've seen it all! According to Chris J, prayer is kind of like blasphemy! lololol! Because if something is happening that you don't like, and you pray to have it changed, you're telling god how to do his job! lolol I'm going to laugh all the way home about that one!

Answer 8

I defy you to PROVE to me that God does not hear prayers. Can you? I know for a FACT that God hears prayers. He heard me one night about 25 years ago. Why he listened is beyond me, but he heard me. Do you oh great disbeliever have FACTS.

Answer 9

When you pray, to whatever God you pray to, it gets re-directed to the Great throne room in Antarctica where our Lord and Saviour Oderus Urungus resides, watching channel 5 and waiting for the world to die. You see the Wise and Great Oderus Urungus has castrated and castigated your God and replaced him with a balsa wood replica.

Bow down before your Lord and Saviour, Oderus Urungus, before it is too late and you lose your place beneath his feet in the great throneroom in Antarctica.

Answer 10

One cannot scientifically prove or disprove spiritual things.

Prayer may not be useful to you but it is for me and billions of others.

Prayer is the elevation of the mind and heart to God:
+ In praise of his glory
+ In petition for some desired good
+ In thanksgiving for a good received
+ In intercession for others before God

Through prayer the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church.

"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." (St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." (St. John Damascene)

But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? (Ps 130:1)

He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."

With love in Christ.