The Power Of Prayer...Does It Work ?

[Anatta]

Kia Ora,

PLEASE RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE'S BELIEFS WHEN COMMENTING THANK YOU !

Some people swear by it, others think it's a waste of time...some believe it has nothing to do with any supernatural intervention but just coincidence/mere chance...

Or could it be that an auto-suggestive process takes place ?

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/6317/power-auto-suggestion.html

So what's your take on it ...Does prayer really work ?  Has it worked for you ?

Metta Anatta

[Carrie Liz]

It's pretty much always worked for me. And I'm not joking about that. Every time I've been led to pray for something, genuinely seeking help and an answer, I've gotten it in some form. And this has been a completely consistent thing, starting before I even became Christian, while I was a Christian, and now even long after I stopped officially considering myself affiliated with the Christian church.

It's always just about taking that time, stopping everything, turning off the noise of the world, and talking about my problems with God. (Or whoever it is that I talk to in that place of deep concentration. I've always called Him "God," and felt like He was the same God of the Bible, so I still assume that, even though I've gotten more into a kind of multi-religious mindset recently where I don't really believe in the exclusionary doctrines anymore.)

[Arch]

Every time I've been led to pray for something, genuinely seeking help and an answer, I've gotten it in some form.

"It"--getting help and answers when I need them--happens to me all the time, and I never pray.

[Heather]

Prayer has helped me greatly through out my life. And I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I'm at today without prayer. And I am the woman I am today because God answered my prayers I made so long ago when I was a kid.

[DriftingCrow]

I choose the middle option.

What definition of "prayer" are we working by here? Asking an immortal being for help, comfort, and advice, or spending time in self-reflection?

Also, what goals are we discussing? Having our wishes granted, meditation, offering praise, etc.?

Prayer can take many forms and have different goals.

I go by individual prayer as more meditation/self-reflection. God doesn't intervene but thinking about things with some sort of spiritual direction can lead you to the best answer.

There's also ritualized prayers (Nitnem, Ardas, etc.) which is more about rememberance.

[Kaylee]

From the perspective of an atheist - that would require the existence of something listening, caring, prioritising prayers and manipulating reality to cause beneficial events to occur at the request of a single person/group of people.  As there is no reliable evidence supporting this scenario I would have to go with no.

Though the mind is really good at cherry picking information from day to day life and interpreting it in ways that may cause it to believe that a prayer has been answered

However if a study is released with results that can be reproduced by 3rd party peers proves that they do I would readily re-examine my stance on the subject...

[Sarah Louise]

How about an option of just, Yes.

As a Christian, I pray to the Lord my God and God answers as He deems best for me.

[Sephirah]

I think the power of belief works. Whether that's belief in a prayer being answered, or a belief in oneself having the capacity to achieve one's goals. And part of that may well be a sort of auto suggestion. A signal to the subconscious that we want something, and to do something about it.

Whether prayer actually works as intended... I don't think I'll personally ever know.

[Jess42]

Well, I picked the third option. Why would the Creator of the universe be so interested? If so, He/She would probably be so insane from all of our craziness. Although I do believe we have that same spark inside ourselves that other's would call God, after all we were created in the very same image and that gives us the tools to handle our own needs and what is best for us. Does prayer work, yes I think so because the whole idea with prayer is pretty much consciously wanting or needing something and the answer on how to acheive it is within our own psyche. Not taking away from God but rather acknowledging a great gift much like Freewill.

[alabamagirl]

I don't personally believe in any gods, but I do pray each night. It has never worked, but I keep trying on the off chance that it will someday. I never pray about anything that would benefit me, just that the health of my friends be restored and things like that. Sometimes I offer god my health in exchange, but still, nothing ever happens.

For all the people who do think prayer works, who are reading this thread, please pray for my friends?

[Constance]

Years ago when my sister-in-law's rare bone cancer spread to her lungs, I prayed that she'd survive and that donor lungs could be found for her. She was 32 when she died, and her son was 5. It could be argued the answer to my prayer was, "No."

This is just one example, but I won't say that prayer doesn't work or hasn't worked for me. My attitude toward prayer has changed over the years. Instead of praying as a meas to an end, I pray with gratitude. I'm grateful to awake alive in the mornings. I'm grateful for the job I dislike as it allows me to survive and gives me the means to pursue my intention of seminary.

Grateful praying does indeed seem to have a genuine positive effect on me. If it's no more than a placebo effect or a self-fulfilling thing, then so be it. If that's the way it works, then that's the way it works.

[Arch]

However if a study is released with results that can be reproduced by 3rd party peers proves that they do I would readily re-examine my stance on the subject...

I've read about the opposite. Studies have been conducted in which one group of people prayed for sick folks. The control group of sick people was not prayed for. I remember reading the results of one such study; there was no difference in the outcomes for the two groups of sick people.

To eliminate the placebo effect, the researchers did not tell the sick people that someone was or was not praying for them.

Prayer appears to be like acupuncture. If you believe in it, it has a decent chance of working--at least, the people who avail themselves of it report that it works. If you don't believe in it, it's essentially useless. Therefore, I put it down to placebo.

[King Malachite]

I believe prayer can work.  I pray, but I don't always get the desires of my prayers, but I do believe prayer can work.

[Anatta]

Kia Ora,

Taking Sarah's advice I've added extra straight forward answer options of "Yes" & "No"...Some people may not have had any personal experience with prayers/praying but still 'believe' that they work ...

Also, what goals are we discussing? Having our wishes granted, meditation, offering praise, etc.?

Prayer can take many forms and have different goals.

I go by individual prayer as more meditation/self-reflection. God doesn't intervene but thinking about things with some sort of spiritual direction can lead you to the best answer.

There's also ritualized prayers (Nitnem, Ardas, etc.) which is more about rememberance.

Kia Ora Nimrata,

It's interesting you should mention meditation..It's true some people view meditation (especially mantras) as a form of praying, and in Hinduism they do tend to focus on getting in touch what they believe to be the "higher self"...

Meditation for me personally has nothing to do with praying to any supernatural deity to ask for help, guidance, etc, it's purely exploration, exploring the five aggregates of form, consciousness, sensation, perception, habitual tendencies, as they rise and fall, observing the constant state of flux, the 'empty' nature of all phenomena ...

I say a simple dedication/wish before and after meditation, which could be my wish for all sentient beings to be happy. peaceful and liberated eg "May all beings be happy! May all beings be peaceful! May all beings be liberated!" Also prior to entering my place of meditation I chant a mantra "Om Mani Padma Hung" (What I seek I am!)... The mantra and the dedication helps to keep the mind focused on the purpose of my being....I guess one could say the practice of saying a mantra and dedication is somewhat 'auto-suggestive' in nature=programming the mind so to speak...It works for me so I can't complain 

Metta Anatta

   

[Brandon]

Yes it does work, My prayers have been answered at times, What it all cones down to is that you have to have faith and truly believe or else it won't work and you have to be in the position for your prayers to be answered, God will grant you the desires of your heart, He said ask and you shall recieve knock and the door shall be opened. I had lazey eye when I was an infant, They told my mom that I needed lazer eye surgery, But she didn't wanna do that so instead she prayed and it went away on its own and you if you look at me today you can't tell and it was bad. I also prayed my dad would quit drinking and its working, A lady from my church was diagnosed with aids she was prayed over and was old to go back to the doctor and get checked and it wasn't there true stories. So its all in a matter of do you really believe that God will do what he said or even promised.

[Jessica Merriman]

I always remember God doesn't answer on our time table and may instead wait for the perfect opportunity. 

[Brandon]

Exactly he never works on our time.

[FalseHybridPrincess]

Actually praying has kinda helped me , not because I say god do this and he does but because im able to get some things of my chest...

when I pray (usually when im sad) I reffer to a higher existence asking her to change things if possible,,,,and other rants

:/ k that was awkward *flies away*

[King Malachite]

Funny story, I couldn't get my phone charger to work a few minutes ago so I prayed to God to get it to work and after a few more minutes, it started to work.    Prayer definately can work!  I don't know how long my charger will last but I'm glad that it is working now at least.

[SarahM777]

I always remember God doesn't answer on our time table and may instead wait for the perfect opportunity. 

And many times the answer will only come when God is the only hope of the answer. Sarah didn't have Issac TILL ALL HOPE WAS GONE. The man born blind was not healed for years. The woman with the issue dealt with it for 12 years. Hannah did not have Samuel for YEARS.
I have seen many,many answers to SPECIFIC prayers that could ONLY come from Him. His answer is not always yes,it can be no but it can also be NOT YET.