Because Christianity is about having an active relationship.
[QUOTE=Belrix]
I know this’ll seem silly to an unbeliever but it’s through prayer that it became clear to be that I should delete my porn collection from my computer. In the daily hustle and bustle of life, in the noise from that comes in from society, it’s hard to hear that quieter message. This porn on my computer was damaging my relationship with my wife. I would’ve damage my kids if they should’ve found it. It was unhealthy and I think that God wanted me to get that message.
I believe I finally stopped rationalizing it and did the right thing.
I know this’ll open me up to ridicule, but I’ve had plenty of that this past 24 hours so I’ll just go ahead and do it. Humans are sexual beings, the women willing posed, it’s not like I was having an affair, blah, blah, blah. I used the arguments while rationalizing to keep it.
[/QUOTE]
Dude, you got my respect.
I’m a dyed in the wool atheist and I still pray. Out of desperation sometimes but also the monologue (as it is rarely a dialogue!) puts me at ease. I don’t think praying for other people would help nor really that anyone is hearing my prayers but I still pray.
[QUOTE=monavis]
Since God knows your thoughts and intentions than you are just satisfying your own need to believe.
[/quote]
Yes, that’s why the very first sentence in my post was, “I’ll echo Friar Ted in saying that prayer is for the person praying way more than it is for God, although I do believe that God likes to hear that we love him* and prayer is one way to communicate that.”
I missed the bit where I talked about begging God for things. Could you point that out? As far as thanking God for things, I just think God might enjoy it. My grandmother always knew that that we liked presents from her, but it still drove her nuts if we didn’t send a thank you note. Same with saying, “I love you.” I think God likes to hear it.
Hmm. Interesting. I started rereading Two-Part Invention because of this thread, and L’Engle writes about her prayers when they find out her husband has cancer, “If we don’t pray according to the needs of the heart, we repress our deepest longings. Our prayers may not be rational, and we may be quite aware of that, but if we repress our needs, those unsaid prayers will fester.”
[QUOTE=Yeticus Rex]
What an assumption! I (and generally speaking, most Christians) never in my whole life asked for a child’s religious background before I decided to pray or not pray for them. Kids are kids. You pray for the wellness of all kids in all countries.
[/QUOTE]
Speaking of assumptions, why are you taking what is a clearly hypothetical situation and making it about you?
But I’ll ask you what I asked someone earlier earlier: Do you believe God would be less inclined to help the sick if no one said prayers for them?
Praying is a psychological act.
When someone prays for something, believing that God is listening and judging them for their prayer, the mere act of putting the thought into words and judging it by the standards they attribute to God is an act of self-correction. If we put an idea into prayer, and then become ashamed of it, or modify our thoughts because of what we believe God might think of it, then we are correcting negative thought patterns that we might never have realized the folly of if we had not offered them up to that greater idea and placed them into words.
Of course, an unfortunate byproduct is that all too often, people attribute the worst aspects of their own judgmental nature to God, and act accordingly. We see it all the time on this board, people stressed because some dumbass relative is praying for them because they’re not living exactly as that dumbass relative WANTS them to live; and/or is telling them that they’re going to hell or being judged harshly by GOD, because they don’t meet dumbass’s standards of behavior. Then it becomes a negative self-reinforcing psychological pattern of offering up one’s thoughts in the service of what we falsely hold to be higher ideals.
Think about this prospect: It doesn’t matter if you believe in God or the Invisible Pink Unicorn. Sit quietly and offer up your thoughts as if in prayer, organizing them and directing them in service of higher ideals. Put these good thoughts, these good ideas, these positive directions and “blessings” into your mind. Then go about your day, or go to bed and dream. I guarantee you the outcome on your life will be a lot better than had you not done it.
Even if it’s only due to The Power of Positive Thinking.
Especially if you’re the type to go around filling your thoughts with stress and negativity and all manner of What Can Go Wrong. Filling your head with Good Thoughts and then going forward with those in your head is like the whole “putting good bacteria in place to prevent the growth of bad bacteria” thing, which really does work.
[QUOTE=Belrix]
My ex-Father-in-Law once reportedly told his wife. “I love you. If that changes I’ll let you know.” A couple years later, he told her that changed and he no longer loved her.
Until that time, based on his word, she should’ve known that she was loved. Right? She know her husband loved her. Don’t you think she wanted to hear it anyway?
Besides, it’s in prayer, in that quiet time when you’re listening, that you’re supposed to hear God’s will, too. Prayer is a deliberate act.
I know this’ll seem silly to an unbeliever but it’s through prayer that it became clear to be that I should delete my porn collection from my computer. In the daily hustle and bustle of life, in the noise from that comes in from society, it’s hard to hear that quieter message. This porn on my computer was damaging my relationship with my wife. I would’ve damage my kids if they should’ve found it. It was unhealthy and I think that God wanted me to get that message.
I believe I finally stopped rationalizing it and did the right thing.
I know this’ll open me up to ridicule, but I’ve had plenty of that this past 24 hours so I’ll just go ahead and do it. Humans are sexual beings, the women willing posed, it’s not like I was having an affair, blah, blah, blah. I used the arguments while rationalizing to keep it.
I’m not sure what you mean by “a relationship with some one you only heard of through another being”. My relationship with God is direct, not through an intercessor.
[/QUOTE]
You were first told or exposed to the word God at sometime in your life by a human. the only Knowledge we have is from another human.Many humans have a different interpetation of what the word “God” means.
It depends on what human you believe, and which one you don’t. Some say God speaks through the Bible(the words of humans). Muslims believe that God dictated the Koran. That doesn’t make it Gods word either.
You believe that you have a relationship with God, but that does not prove anything, I respect your right to believe it, what ever God you consider. But in truth you do not’know’, you believe, and that is a big difference.
Monavis
[QUOTE=MissMossie]
Yes, that’s why the very first sentence in my post was, “I’ll echo Friar Ted in saying that prayer is for the person praying way more than it is for God, although I do believe that God likes to hear that we love him* and prayer is one way to communicate that.”
I missed the bit where I talked about begging God for things. Could you point that out? As far as thanking God for things, I just think God might enjoy it. My grandmother always knew that that we liked presents from her, but it still drove her nuts if we didn’t send a thank you note. Same with saying, “I love you.” I think God likes to hear it.
[/QUOTE]
Prayer is a way of begging for things,God knows your heart so he doesn’t need Thanks, he can read a loving heart.Your grandmother did not know your very thoughts or intentions, God is supposed to know all things even before you were born.
I had my children so I could give love to them,not for them to love me.. I believe it is more important to love my children than for them to love me. My happiness comes from their having a healthy, happy, and good life.
[QUOTE=monavis]
God knows your heart so he doesn’t need Thanks, he can read a loving heart.
[/QUOTE]
How do you know that? I presume someone told you?
[QUOTE=monavis]
Prayer is a way of begging for things,God knows your heart so he doesn’t need Thanks, he can read a loving heart.Your grandmother did not know your very thoughts or intentions, God is supposed to know all things even before you were born.
I had my children so I could give love to them,not for them to love me.. I believe it is more important to love my children than for them to love me. My happiness comes from their having a healthy, happy, and good life.
[/QUOTE]
Okay. That’s your belief system. It’s different than mine. The OP asked “Why bother praying?” Under my belief system, why I bother praying makes sense. I believe that God is like a parent and the parents figures in my life, please excuse me for discluding you as I’ve never met you outside of the message board nor have I seen you interact with your children, have loved their children unconditionally and have still enjoyed hearing that their kids return that love or show thanks to them. If that doesn’t mesh with your beliefs, that’s okay. Don’t pray like I do, or at all. I don’t understand why you’re disputing that it doesn’t fit with my beliefs though.
I’m curious if you would be happy if your kids moved away and never spoke to you. Assuming that you were able to know through other sources, say you were friends with their neighbors or something, that they were healthy, happy, and had a good life. How would you feel about that?
[QUOTE=Koxinga]
How do you know that? I presume someone told you?
[/QUOTE]
I don’t know that; I am just putting out what people say God did or said. If there is a being that is separate from us then he (if he knows all things should be able to read a human heart.
If the people who wrote the Bible were hearing God directly then it isn’t the God they portray.
Monavis
[QUOTE=MissMossie]
Okay. That’s your belief system. It’s different than mine. The OP asked “Why bother praying?” Under my belief system, why I bother praying makes sense. I believe that God is like a parent and the parents figures in my life, please excuse me for discluding you as I’ve never met you outside of the message board nor have I seen you interact with your children, have loved their children unconditionally and have still enjoyed hearing that their kids return that love or show thanks to them. If that doesn’t mesh with your beliefs, that’s okay. Don’t pray like I do, or at all. I don’t understand why you’re disputing that it doesn’t fit with my beliefs though.
I’m curious if you would be happy if your kids moved away and never spoke to you. Assuming that you were able to know through other sources, say you were friends with their neighbors or something, that they were healthy, happy, and had a good life. How would you feel about that?
[/QUOTE]
If my children were Healthy, Happy, and had a good life I would feel I showed them enough love when they were with me. They do come and contact me often so I do not worry that they would not. As it stands they do tell me and act as if they care, but They do not need to tell me. Their actions let me know they are grateful and caring, and I see that in their own children and grandchildren.
God does not need anything to make Him Happy. I do think a supreme being would be already happy to His own capacity.This is of course if what Religions teach is true.
I believe we are all a part of what is called God. Jesus taught this when he was accused of blasphmey,he quoted the 81st psalm. 82d in protestant Bibles. I believe that if God was a separate being there would first have to be a place for Him to exist, So place had to proceed being unless place was also being.
I do not expect you or anyone to believe tha same as I do. We believe what suits our own lives, that is why there are so many religions.
Monavis
[QUOTE=monavis]
I do not expect you or anyone to believe tha same as I do. We believe what suits our own lives, that is why there are so many religions.
Monavis
[/QUOTE]
Maybe you didn’t read the title of this particular thread? :dubious:
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
People who don’t believe and who don’t pray can have positive attitudes. Atheism doesn’t equal pessimism.
[/QUOTE]
Good point. If the atheistic family was also engaging in positive activities, I’d say they would be at least equal then.
[QUOTE=Koxinga]
Maybe you didn’t read the title of this particular thread? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
I read the thread. I was answering someone who questioned me. I tried to respond yesterday but for some reason it wouldn’t go through.
Monavis