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Quote by: Hylife  It's possible they're not Christian, but instead of assuming the worst, the most positive explanation (if they are Christian) is that it is better for their spiritual well-being. So they die of starvation. Bg deal when compared to an eternity of peace with God. |
Very well, but that shows that prayers aren't always answered. They asked for bread, they got starvation; maybe that was the best thing for them (though I can't personally fathom why they shouldn't have bread, live another fifty years in peace and plenty and then go to heaven) but it wasn't actually an answer to their prayers.
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Quote by: Hylife Yeah, because God wills it so, and because it's what;s best for you (if you're a Christian). Prayer isn't to get things. It's to attune us to the will of God, so that we can understand why things happen. For example, if you pray for a new car, God's either going to give it to you or not; through prayer, hopefully, he'll help you understand why. |
Fair enough, but that isn't actually the representation of prayer being discussed here. The purpose of intercessory prayer is to accomplish something tangible: to potentially change the outcome of a person's illness by praying for God's mercy. It is not intended to give the person spiritual peace; as I said, if that is the purpose of prayer, more power to you.
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Quote by: Hylife You are completely wrong about not asking for help and advice. We should ALWAYS be seeking God's guidance, asking him to help us. Also, God loves us, he wants to here what we have to say to him, and he wants to help us grow spiritually through communication. |
If all we are supposed to do is ask for god's help and then do what he tells us, then it doesn't sound like we'll have much to contribute to the conversation. But I guess I just don't understand god's motivations.