Extreme prayer and near death experience accounts....

DennisTate said:

but when infinite time is factored into the formula... perhaps we do get everything that we pray for..... eventually.....

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Before you are born, your prayer is answered.
You have already received your answer.
I know, most teachers are ignorant of this.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Matthew 6:8
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

SkyWriting said:

So your experience is that you get everything you ask for?

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God gives us the desires of our heart. We do not always get what we want right way. Lots of things I did not receive from God until 20 years later.

This is just so unscriptural, I don't even know where to begin.

I think a lot of assumptions are being taken in this OP. I’m leery of NDE’s which led to best sellers and Hallmark movies. Some have recanted down the road.

Alex Malarkey was six years old when a car crash put him in a coma for two months, during which time he said he went to heaven and visited angels. The resulting memoir, co-authored with his father, was a best-seller. But now, five years after its publication, Alex says he made the whole thing up, NPR reports.

“I did not die. I did not go to Heaven,” he wrote in an open letter to Christian books retailers. “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention.”

Just because a statement is made doesn’t mean it should be received. We’re told otherwise.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. —1 John 1:4

DennisTate said:

Something potentially huge about near death experience accounts is how often the person who has a brush with death is shown that somebody....... is praying for them...... with some boldness and faith!

In the case of Jim Woodford......
who himself was a rather extreme Skeptic.... he was shown that it was his wife prayers that brought him back from death.

After the twenty four minute mark it talks about how his wife and her friends were praying for him.


In the case of little Colton Burpo..... he was shown that it was the extreme boldness and
chutzpah prayers of his dad, Pastor Todd Burpo... that played the biggest role in his coming back from heaven.......
because little Colton.... did not want to leave heaven!


Pastor Todd Burpo talks about this after the 1:50 minute mark.....

Colton Burpo Home Video and Family Interview

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I don't give most of these stories much validity. There may be some elements of truth, and also good ideas how things works. Still better to get testimonies directly from someone and not from the TV. When there is money involved I always get sceptical.

LaBèlla said:

I think a lot of assumptions are being taken in this OP. I’m leery of NDE’s which led to best sellers and Hallmark movies. Some have recanted down the road.

Alex Malarkey was six years old when a car crash put him in a coma for two months, during which time he said he went to heaven and visited angels. The resulting memoir, co-authored with his father, was a best-seller. But now, five years after its publication, Alex says he made the whole thing up, NPR reports.

“I did not die. I did not go to Heaven,” he wrote in an open letter to Christian books retailers. “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention.”

Just because a statement is made doesn’t mean it should be received. We’re told otherwise.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. —1 John 1:4

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I'm especially weary of NDEs that are one's where someone went to Hell, but was sent back to warn others. The icing on the cake being, that they will believe the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man is talking about hell, and yet....

Luk 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

martymonster said:

I'm especially weary of NDEs that are one's where someone went to Hell, but was sent back to warn others. The icing on the cake being, that they will believe the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man is talking about hell, and yet....

Luk 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

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LaBèlla said:

“I did not die. I did not go to Heaven,” he wrote in an open letter to Christian books retailers. “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention.”

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The problem with his testimony is that he does not bring any new information to what he was taught in Sunday school. He will say I saw Jesus and Jesus was very nice and He has blue eyes. That was about all he has to say about Jesus. By comparison if you read Joyful Stars book when she talks about Jesus she says: "He was very big in a bright flowing garment glistening with many colors. As He moved, there were colors that came from Him and made patterns. Watching intently, I was completely captivated with the beauty and glory of it".

So we go from Jesus was very nice and He has blue eyes. To Jesus was wearing a bright colorful garment and there were colors that came from him that made patterns. We have more information and more to work with. If they really actually saw Jesus or not. Half our library is filled with books that are novels or fiction. That does not stop anyone from reading them and feeling that they have value for us.

joshua 1 9 said:

God gives us the desires of our heart. We do not always get what we want right way. Lots of things I did not receive from God until 20 years later.

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God answers all your prayers before you are born.
If you request, He will provide you with the "correct"
prayers which will "then" be answered "afterwards"
but which were already in store for you before you were born.

People have no ability to change God's plans.
And being already perfect, why would He or you
ever want than anyway?

Matthew 6
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

1 John 5
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

John 4
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Romans 8
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Luke 22
Saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

SkyWriting said:

People have no ability to change God's plans.

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There are people that build a whole house out of used recycled parts. We are co heirs with Christ. He said that we will do even greater works then He did. Jesus is the son of God. He has all the power and authority that a Son receives from a Father. Yet He came into the world as a servant. God wants to salvage what He can and then He will burn it all down and start all over again with a New Heavens and a New Earth.

During the 1980’s I was robbed and beaten. My shoulder capsule was torn. I was unable to lift my arm above my head. I went to a homeless shelter and made a partial recovery. Eventually I found work as I had one strong arm. Four years later I had a dull ache in my weak shoulder. It was aching for years. I was digging a storm cellar under a house with a shovel for a friend who hired me. I was praying to God about how sad it was my right arm was doing most of the work, while my left hand gripped the shovel and followed along. I wished I could be a better worker. I stopped praying. The same hour my shoulder was healed as good as before the night I was attacked. I did not relapse.

About 15 years after this, my back was severely injured while I was doing work towards buying a rental property in a distant city. I lost my full time job. I had canceled my health insurance to save money. I made a partial recovery. More prayer and I got a machine to stretch the damaged lower back. This allowed me to do some work and walk miles. This week I was praying how bad it is I do not have more strength. I was reminded in prayer to do the repetitive touch my toes stretching exercise. Today I was able to sit up in a chair for hours without pain. An eye has not seen, nor an ear heard the wonderful things that await those who love Jesus.

dqhall said:

The same hour my shoulder was healed as good as before the night I was attacked. I did not relapse.

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Reminds me of a stray cat I took in. He was a mess and hobbled around on three legs for at least 3 months. I do not know if he got hit by a car car or attacked by a raccoon. A year later though he did finally heal. I saw him run up a tree trying to get a bird. I never expected him to be in that good of shape.

joshua 1 9 said:

Reminds me of a stray cat I took in. He was a mess and hobbled around on three legs for at least 3 months. I do not know if he got hit by a car car or attacked by a raccoon. A year later though he did finally heal. I saw him run up a tree trying to get a bird. I never expected him to be in that good of shape.

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I saw a video by an Israeli war veteran who lived in a kibbutz in the Golan Heights. He had a bad back and went for back surgery. It left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was in bed watching TV from Syria. Damascus is on the other side of Mt Hermon from the Golan Heights. He learned Arabic. He was watching a 700 Club evangelist show. The speaker was talking like someone in the TV audience was going to be healed. His back was healed in an instant. He converted to Christianity and told his neighbors about Jesus. He and his wife were forced out of the community. They went to America and he became a pastor. He was speaking English with a foreign accent in the video. Years later I went back to search for the video, but could not find it again.

dqhall said:

His back was healed in an instant.

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I do have a story about that. When I first saw this mangled emancipated cat I gave it a bit of food and prayed for the cat. The next day I saw a cat that was all healed and restored. I praised God for answered prayer. Then the third day I saw the mangled cat again? I was confused. Finally I saw both cats at the same time. He had an identical twin brother. He actually chased his brother off. I have been taking care of the mangled cat. The other cat a neighbor women on Facebook said she was taking care of him.

I am all for instant miracles and restorations. But we also get slow gradual miracles over a period of time. God does not disappoint us and eventually in time He does give us the desires of our heart. But I have had prayers that were not answered for 20 years. I keep praying and expecting that God does all things in His time.

dqhall said:

I saw a video by an Israeli war veteran who lived in a kibbutz in the Golan Heights. He had a bad back and went for back surgery. It left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was in bed watching TV from Syria. Damascus is on the other side of Mt Hermon from the Golan Heights. He learned Arabic. He was watching a 700 Club evangelist show. The speaker was talking like someone in the TV audience was going to be healed. His back was healed in an instant. He converted to Christianity and told his neighbors about Jesus. He and his wife were forced out of the community. They went to America and he became a pastor. He was speaking English with a foreign accent in the video. Years later I went back to search for the video, but could not find it again.

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I saw a particular video recording of an episode of that show, the 700 Club.

Some lady in hospital waiting for surgery found herself shooting upwards and out of her body and then she flew out into space. She could see herself laying on the bed as she shot upwards and she could hear people calling out loudly.

She was travelling so fast that the stars passing by created a white tunnel effect. Then she slowed down and entered a very dark region. On looking around she noticed a huge trap door below her opening up.

Then she felt herself falling towards the entrance to some deeper domain that the opening of that immense trap door had revealed.

She said that she felt an overwhelming sense of God's existence and her approaching punishment.

A deep and terrifying fear gripped her and then suddenly, she woke up in her hospital bed surrounded by hospital staff working to revive her.

She was not a Christian before that incident took place but she became a Christian as a result of that event. She was babbling scripture verses better than the apostle Paul.

I was not sure what to make of that video so I showed it to some of my friends. I must say everyone who watched it just sat there stunned after watching the video.

To this day I remain undecided about the validity of that account. But the result was Christian conversion so in the end who knows?

klutedavid said:

To this day I remain undecided about the validity of that account.

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Half the books in the library are fiction or novel. Yet they still strike or resonate universal cords that people can relate to. Walt Disney made a fortune off of this. Look at Cinderella and the wicked step mother. Anyone that has ever had to deal with a Step Mother knows how Cinderella feels. The Bible is literal truth, also the Bible is archetype or what they call a paradigm. Some words we use are allegory, metaphor, symbol, homily, allusion and so on. Cahn's best selling book "Paradigm", explains how we can apply the Bible to our lives and how past events can play our in current events. As they say history repeats itself.

So fact or fiction really does not make that much difference in how we understand these stores and how they apply to our lives and how we relate with them. If I say I had a dream no one has any problem with that. Even if they do not understand how the dream may apply to my life. But if I say I had a vision then all of a sudden people want to question if it was real or not.

joshua 1 9 said:

I do have a story about that. When I first saw this mangled emancipated cat I gave it a bit of food and prayed for the cat. The next day I saw a cat that was all healed and restored. I praised God for answered prayer. Then the third day I saw the mangled cat again? I was confused. Finally I saw both cats at the same time. He had an identical twin brother. He actually chased his brother off. I have been taking care of the mangled cat. The other cat a neighbor women on Facebook said she was taking care of him.

I am all for instant miracles and restorations. But we also get slow gradual miracles over a period of time. God does not disappoint us and eventually in time He does give us the desires of our heart. But I have had prayers that were not answered for 20 years. I keep praying and expecting that God does all things in His time.

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God was able to turn some people back from injuring themselves. One who is healthy and whole might praise God for not all received such a miracle.

A one eyed man doing good works is better than a two eyed bandit.

joshua 1 9 said:

Half the books in the library are fiction or novel. Yet they still strike or resonate universal cords that people can relate to. Walt Disney made a fortune off of this. Look at Cinderella and the wicked step mother. Anyone that has ever had to deal with a Step Mother knows how Cinderella feels. The Bible is literal truth, also the Bible is archetype or what they call a paradigm. Some words we use are allegory, metaphor, symbol, homily, allusion and so on. Cahn's best selling book "Paradigm", explains how we can apply the Bible to our lives and how past events can play our in current events. As they say history repeats itself.

So fact or fiction really does not make that much difference in how we understand these stores and how they apply to our lives and how we relate with them. If I say I had a dream no one has any problem with that. Even if they do not understand how the dream may apply to my life. But if I say I had a vision then all of a sudden people want to question if it was real or not.

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While parts of the Bible are fact and parts are fiction, the fact remains God knows everything and worked miracles for a few people.