A thought/question for those who pray?

Question

how about if every time you feel like praying for some group of people or another, instead you actually do something for them?
So, if you read a story about people who are homeless, instead of saying a prayer call a shelter and ask if you can volunteer for an hour. Or just drop by and give them $5.
If you see someone with Muscular Dystrophy, don't say days or weeks of prayer for them, send them money, or donate your time. Maybe you could even count these actions *as* prayers.
I'm sure these aren't new ideas, but I'll bet they'd do a lot of good for our world if people would act instead of pray.

one hot mama - wow, your cynicism is showing. It's neither.

hmmm....a lot of you seem to have chosen to take this as a personal indictment. It wasn't. Just an idea.
If it's a stupid one, it wouldn't be my first stupid idea.

Lotta lou - ok.

Answer 1

Well, that's why you not only pray but you act out too. When I see a homeless I give them 5 dollars but I also feed them 3 times a week at night in our dowtown area. I pray for the children with autism or diseases but I also volunteer with them at the special olympics. I believe in the power of prayer but I also believe you need to donate your time and money too.

Answer 2

I agree that it is great for people that want to help to take action, but I guess that there are some cases where this doesn't work due to personal conflict. What I mean by that is those that want to pray for the victims of hurricane Katrina may not be able to get there and help out personally due to expense of travel or distance away from their own small children etc. But even then, they could do fund and supply drives right in their town. Praying is great, but it is not a total answer, people do need to be proactive in the lives of the less fortunate as God often creates remedies and miracles through the heart and work of people right here on earth.

Answer 3

Is that what you do?

I will pray first, then do how the Spirit leads.

To me, prayer is sooo important. I don't want to try to help others. I want to help others. Doing things my way many times doesn't do any good anyway. I could give $5 to a homeless person who just goes & buys alcohol. That is a waste to me.

And, you should recognize the value of prayer, instead of telling people to not pray. Praying results in also listening to God's direction. When we lift up our hands & praise God, God goes to battle for us and our prayer requests.

My tithe is given to my High King & Priest first. God blesses me abundantly above what I can imagine, ask or think. And, as the Spirit directs, I am generous (with above my tithe) to who or what ministry the Lord puts on my heart.

Answer 4

It's a great idea.
But, for some, they can't get out of the house or can't help in any other way and I think that's why they pray.. they do what they feel they can.. this is certainly not the case for the majority.. they could do something but don't.. however, I do understand that some honestly can't do more than that.

It's like Debra M.. we all love her here.. but we don't know her in real life. We did want to show our loving support for her.. some prayed, some sent good thoughts.. some just sent best wishes directly to her.. but it meant a lot to her that we cared enough to show it.

Answer 5

Most Christians do these things! i try to help people in need but i also pray for them! my old church has dinners for homeless people every month and they pick them up and bring them there and many people from the church (me included) go and help serve and cook. also this one guy from my church does meals on wheels where this guy goes around the city and feeds anyone who is homeless or poor!!! i donate to charity and all kinds of stuff1 several of my friends went on a mssions trip to New Orleans just a couple of weeks ago!!! my grandparents did the adopt a kid thing where they send money and some little kid in a 3rd world country gets it for clothes, school supplies, food etc. my friends church does the same thing only adopt a family and my school raises money to buy Christmas presents for kids with little money!!

Answer 6

Perhaps praying for those things puts it in people's minds to do something about it. I stopped tithing to churches a long time ago and put that money into charity or even straight into a homeless person's hands. Atleast I knew it helped someone have a better day - not for someone to buy a big new home or expensive car.

Answer 7

Weve tried that but five minutes latter the same people are at your door asking for a hundred dollors instead of five, I get hundreds of letters for donations all the time am I supose to give to them all, then what would me and my family going to live on, are you going to donate for us to live, you seem to want me to give but do you give yourself or are you one of those that think that only others should give.

Answer 8

I will spare you the grief of listing the ministries my family supports. You have a grand idea there. Unfortunitly it is not very original.

Jam 2:14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jam 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jam 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
Jam 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Answer 9

with 2.1 Billion Christians in the world, hunger could be a thing of the past, if each would donate $1 per week towards helping the poor.

Unfortunately, that money is really spend on realestate and keeping the lights on.

Answer 10

how am I to help someone who has a disease without cure, where no amount of funds in the world can save them, and they are losing hope? I pray. menoy answereth to all things which apply to it. money is of no use to a dead man...

if it's cancer research, money'll help. so I send it. I trust God to have given man what he needs to take care of himself physically. I also trust God to give what man cannot...