Thursday, October 11, 2012

(10/11/2012) When Prayer Works

      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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