2007-01-17 13:16:02 · 16 answers · asked by iamnoone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well, I mean, that's a difficult question because that's a person's choice what to think, isn't it? It' kind of like that joke where the guy is searching for a parking spot and is circling and circling and then says okay G-d if I find a spot I swear I'll give charity, and then a spot opens up and he says "oh nevermind found one."
It's all in how you see it. If you believe that nothings a coincidence, then it's obvious. It boils down to faith, I guess.
2007-01-17 13:49:00 · answer #1 · answered by way2kewl4u1224 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some of my prayers were blatantly obvious of Divine origin because they happened as I laid out the prayer. One of the most obvious took place right after my ex-gf and I split up. I was devastated and was having a hard time dealing with it. Well while in my car I decided to pray for help. Before I could even finish the prayer I felt a cool refreshing draft wash over me. I thought maybe the ac was on but nothing was coming from the vents. As the draft washed over me I felt refreshed, energized, and very positive. My mood elevated as well. It was like getting hit with a major dose of caffeine.
2007-01-17 21:29:19 · answer #2 · answered by Darktania 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I won the lottery regularly, you would come to the conclusion, based on the laws of chance, that I must be cheating: that I have some inside influence on what ticket number will be chosen. I might have bribed someone.
The fact that God has answered so many of my prayers, regularly, and sometimes in quite a dramatic way, make it impossible for me to thnk of coincidence.
It's not just an "ask and receive" thing, When I pray, I am talking with God, and He answers me.
2007-01-17 21:24:25 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Even as a theist (somewhat agnostic), I sometimes wonder if praying really does any good.
At churches I have been to in the past, the people said that God always answers prayer, though sometimes the answer is "no." And sometimes he answers it with something else other than what you wanted.
If that makes sense to them, then more power to them. For all I know, they could be right. But using that logic, you could also say that the maple tree in my backyard answers everyone's prayers--seems to me, anyway.
2007-01-17 21:21:45 · answer #4 · answered by I'm Still Here 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. Our relationship with God through prayer is like a painting that's being painted by each prayer that we pray. When we step back and look at it all the parts of the picture are all in agreement with one another. I hope this makes sense cause I tried to answer your question.
2007-01-17 21:25:06 · answer #5 · answered by hisgloryisgreat 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sure, it coooould just be a coincidence, but if you are a born again Christian you can often be certain that it was God answering your prayers. For instance I was low on money and I prayed for God to help me get a car. I ended up getting one for $680 that was in really great shape except that the previous owner had backed it into a telephone pole and there was a huge dent in the rear and the trunk lid was missing.
So I went to a body shop and got an estimate of almost $1,000 just to pull the dents out of it. Again I prayed and I told God that I knew there were Christians who worked on cars and I needed his help to get me hooked up to one of them that would help me out. Not too long after that I went on a church outing, met a woman that I talked with for a while, and a couple of hours later she saw me looking at a car in the parking lot and I pointed out my car. Guess what?
She had some Christian friends that owned a body shop and she told me she would hook me up with them and see if they would give me a deal since I serve full time in ministry and don't make a lot of money. A few days later I was looking at my bank account and telling the Lord that I only had $400 that I could put towards car repairs and how I hoped that maybe they could do some of the work for that much and do the rest later.
I go down to the body shop and meet up with the owner and showed him the estimate I got from the secular shop. I didn't say anything about how much money I had. He walks around the car and looks at it and goes "OK, how about $400?".
Was it coincidence that I met this woman that knew these people who just happened to come up with the exact figure I had been praying about? You can believe what you want, but I believe what Jesus said.
Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (9) Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? (11) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Basically, Jesus said don't worry about the little things you need in life. If you live a life that honors God then He will see that you get what you need when you pray to Him for it.
2007-01-17 21:35:18 · answer #6 · answered by Martin S 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Comfirmation from the word of God. Alot of people pray and have expectations from God, but do little in the area of spending time and fellowship with him in prayer and the word of God. Having that fellowship will determine whether you will notice the comfirmation of an answerd prayer or not. Draw closer to God, and he will draw closer to you. The more time you spend in fellowship with him the more sensitve you are to his voice..
2007-01-17 21:23:19 · answer #7 · answered by SonicCube123 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
that would depend on what you pray for. I have seen prayers answered and there was no way that it was a coincidence.
but its hard for non-believers to understand prayer power because they cannot experience it.
2007-01-17 21:32:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you actually do an experiment with a control group and eliminate the placebo effect, it is exactly the same rather you pray or not. In this case you were actually better off in the control group.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html?ex=1301461200&en=4acf338be4900000&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
2007-01-17 21:23:23 · answer #9 · answered by Alex 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If they are answered, ït´s a miracle from God
If not, well then it´s Gods will.
Who can argue with that?
2007-01-17 21:23:27 · answer #10 · answered by Honest Opinion 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋