Whether prayer is truly
effective, faith, and sin among the angels are topics, today. The “Yahoo!
Answers” writer using the ID “Realist!” (Level 3 with 1,696 points, a member
since January 17, 2012) posted the following:
Christians, a question on prayer, does it
work?
Some people really believe in prayer but I've
noticed that only about half of the things I've prayed for actually happened.
Now I'm not talking about praying for material things but for friends health or
help to those I know in morning, stuff like that. I once prayed for a friends
baby who was sick to get better and the baby died! I asked many of my Christians
friends why this happened since I and many others prayed so hard for that child
and they said it must have been gods will. Well if it's gods will and he is
going to do what he wants anyway, then why bother with prayer at all? I mean
praying just seems to be no better than flipping a coin and guessing whether
it's going to be heads or tails, half the time it's head, and half it's tails.
That's why I have fallen away from the church. The dogma of religion just
doesn't make sense and for the most part is just not believable. There is just
too much hypocrisy in religion and in the churches for my taste. Is there a God,
I don't know but if there is, I don't think it's what the bible says it
is!
THE BATTLE AXE: Sin Unknown?
(10/10/2012)—By the revelation of GOD through the creation of mankind, the
earth, and the church of Jesus Christ, the hosts of heaven have been shown that
defiance, fear, rebellion and sin are expressions of insecurity, weakness and
uncertainty. Devotion, obedience and understanding are expressions of balance,
clarity, completeness, stability and strength. Sin has no mind, will or
attributes of person; and does not carryout, express or respond to the will of
GOD. Sin appears as a by-product of divine creation; however, sin is more akin
to chaos, the condition of flux without order and process prior to the
acts of divinity that produced creation. Where the process of knowing is
primarily one of recognizing convergence and divergence or disparity and
sameness, barely visible differences and changes carry great power to give the
illusion of new order, even within fixed hierarchies. While Lucifer’s goals and
motives at first appeared natural and strictly in line with angelic being, he
introduced features that provided no godly benefit, including accusation,
deception, division, lies, presumption, pride, self-promotion, slander, and
severance from GOD.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: For we
know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by
hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet
hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience
wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we
know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8: 22-28, King
James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: When You
Pray (09/12/2012); Unanswered Prayers? (09/11/2012); Bad Knowledge?
(02/05/2011); A Prayer ID? (02/04/2011); Loved Anyhow? (10/27/2010); The Right
Way? (10/26/2010; Prayer futile? (10/25/2010); Awesomeness? (12/19/2010); The
Lord’s Prayer (12/18/2010)
Here is some truth shared among the sons and
daughters of GOD:
At some point in their spiritual growth, most
mature Christian believers ask various questions on the usefulness and value of
prayer. Most of their best answers are through the mechanism of their own
faith. For many, prayer is primarily understood as a process to fulfill
desires, and obtain things they lack and want from GOD (be they carnal,
material, psychological or spirit in nature). This may include human
companionship, divine favor (called “blessing”), forgiveness, and healing as
well as spiritual fruit and spiritual gifts. With growth, prayer is understood
as a process within sacred relationship that provides discernment of divinity.
There may be speaking words intended for GOD; however, outside of sacred
relationship the words spoken are not prayer. Realization of divine presence,
and supplication (bending, yielding) to the purposes of GOD are the primary
objectives of prayer. Therefore, the work of prayer is to change the person who
prays not the world he lives in or the conditions of human existence.
Faith is imparted to created beings and living
creatures as the actual substance of GOD along with such divine content as
being, holiness, humility, joy, longsuffering, and wrath against sin. Because
prayer can be an act of self-expression or self-will, what humans experience and
see as prayer does not automatically go forth as an aspect of divine being and
existence that connects us to Almighty GOD. In the same way our confidence to
ask for help, and our expectation of assistance from family and friends varies
on the basis of our experiences together within relationship, such that we dare
ask them what we would not confidently expect from a stranger; our access to GOD
varies on the basis of our experience together. Consider again David’s actions
when the child of Bathsheba was ill (2nd Samuel 12: 1-23, King James
Version).
As the “evidence of things unseen,” it is
faith that provides certainty that prayer is heard and answered; and prayer that
is answered may yet be hindered. One of the most powerful illustrations of this
is seen with the prophet Daniel, who fasted and prayed continually for three
weeks before an angelic messenger arrived, who explained he had been dispatched
the very moment of Daniel’s decision to pray, and that he had been hindered for
21 days (see Daniel 9, KJV). A broad set of conditions exist that determine
whether prayer is answered. When praying about others, prayer is no longer a
“one on one” or a “heart to heart” with GOD. The person who prays may be in
good standing with GOD, answering GOD unselfishly, and as one obedient, while
those being prayed about are not in harmony with GOD, or ready for what GOD will
do. Thus, mature believers keep in mind, Scripture also cautions that a wife
may hinder the prayers of her husband (see 1st Peter 3: 7).
There is far more to be said, correctly
applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, miracles (divine
intervention through acts that overturn the natural order) also must conform to
divine law—the laws for miracles, so to speak—and otherwise unseen divine
intent. Typically, mankind petitions GOD with a very narrow view to
alternatives, consequences, costs, duty, and the part we ourselves must
perform. In general, when asking for miracles that overturn divine order,
humans are meddling with things that are too high for them.) Even so, I trust
this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your
faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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