prayer that works?

Question

Native american indians in the past, would offer a "rain dance" during dry seasons. Once in a while....it would actually rain so of course they attributed a successful rain to the rain dance and carried on the tradition for many years.

Question:
How is this different from prayer?

kingreef7: but you will surely admit that statistically speaking, a prayer to jesus has the same odds of working as a rain dance.

Solja4god: No, that's one of the greatest actors of all time...Robert DeNiro (from the scorcesse film CAPE fear)

wenz: How?? You do realize that if you pray for 100 cancer patients and indians do a rain dance for another 100 cancer patients.....you both have the SAME EXACT ODDS of seeing heald patients.....that's a fact, so how is it different?

2dee9: don't you find it odd that statistically speaking, your prayers are no more effective than a rain dance? Why wouldn't the "one true god" have a better success rate?

RW: That's not true. Native americans didn't have the concept of the christian god. They prayed to the earth, which according to the bible is Idoltry. Why is it that an all powerful god has no more power than the earth?

RW: my whole point here is this: WHY PRAY???? I could wave a lucky rabbits foot and it too would have the same odds of working as a rain dance or prayer to god. It's a superstition...it isn't real...it has no more power that a "magic potion" created by an african witch doctor.

RW: So god always gives and answer right? Don't you find it a little odd that your god answers "YES" and "NO" the same number of times as random chance? Or a pagan ritual? Or doning nothing at all? Why not just quit praying? It obviously has NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER on the outcome of any event, whether it be rain, sickness, disaster, lost keys (dear god help me find my keys, in the name of JESUS! amen).
Do you get what I'm saying here?

mushtaq_ammad43: are you joking?? rain occurring after a rain dance is "proof" that rain dances work? That's so irrational. Statistically, a rain dance will affect the rain as often as DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING will affect the rain. Think about it!!! Does that mean that doing nothing works as a prayer too? Think about the logic you are using.

Answer 1

I agree with you. Christians just can't seem to grasp that prayer does nothing. Prayer is one of the few things about Christianity that IS testable and it has been tested. The fact that they aren't proves Christianity wrong.

Answer 2

what makes you think this isn't simply another form of prayer?

they did belive in a God you know... and that god is very similar to the god of abraham in many ways.

well all the american indians I've talked to, and all I've read about their religious beliefs, involved a "great spirit" which was part of and oversaw everything.
and I didn't say the christian god, I said the god of abraham. most christians belive in the trinity, which is polytheistic and in many cases idolotorous too.

christianity's god is the weak one, ;-) American Indians simply didn't presume to have all the information about everything, its much more humble.

and its not a question of "sucess rate" your entirely misunderstanding the whole nature of the thing. I mean for starters who says the answer is always going to be the one you want?

edit again, >>"RW: my whole point here is this: WHY PRAY???? I could wave a lucky rabbits foot and it too would have the same odds of working as a rain dance or prayer to god. It's a superstition...it isn't real...it has no more power that a "magic potion" created by an african witch doctor."<<

its NOT a superstition... at least not entirely. prayer is what it is. if you are praying for vain things, well of course its not going to work so well, but if you are praying truly, and heartfully it can make a huge difference,
in fact in a sense it can be a potent form of magic, of spell casting in a sort. and yes, that stuff can work, for real.

theres alot more to existance than apparently you are aware of.

see, in the way things are "supposed to be" and how things must go, theres a relatively large amount of... give... of flexibility. the real idea for most prayer, is either things entirely separate from that, (repentance or worship type prayer) or trying to essentially tip the "flex" built into the system, in your favor. just in a slightly less direct way than actual witchcraft, and without as much risk for screwing things up, since your not actually doing as much yourself, as such.

I get that you don't belive in it, but it CAN make a difference, when applied right.

Answer 3

Prayers if asked for from heart's depth do work and reach in heaven where the prayer is adequately answered. As you said "rain dance" in dry weather result in rain, which speaks that the rain prayer has been answered. It is not different from other prayers, but the condition is this that Prayer must come from Heart of a man who must have faith in God and in the life hereinafter. Regards+ MUSHTAQ AHMAD FROM PAKISTAN/

Answer 4

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? (Psalm 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.

Answer 5

The Book of Psalms is a medicine cabinet, referenced by the prophets and the Master Yeshua Meshiah.
Prayer is a connection to the Oneness

Answer 6

I guess it's not. You can pray by standing still or you can pray while in motion. Notice how different people from around the world from various religions pray. It's so different in many regions of around the globe.

Answer 7

Because we as Christians pray to the one true GOD, the one who created the universe. The Lord does answer prayer every time. What some don't understand is sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no & sometimes it's wait. But HE always answers!

Answer 8

prayer when its made to God through Jesus christ is heard and is way different to a group of american indians putting there faith in a rain dance. It just is

Answer 9

it is prayer and some can pray and it gets heard and it rains. I pray it does not rain and it does not. Please do not tell the neighbors they are farmers.

Answer 10

its really not...its what the native indiand beleive, I feel there is some wisdom in a lot of their beleifs. Wiccan spells for example are nothing more than prayers in ryme. think about it ??? it makes sence????