Prayer works?

[Xeno.of.athens]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

 

[Clare73]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

From the many, many times prayer has been answered.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

An answered prayer, especially those that seem almost impossible, get answered. That being said , this does not mean they all get answered. Blessings

 

[tampasteve]

Yes, I believe that it "works", but not in the sense that it changes God's will or what is to be. That is why we should pray as Jesus taught us, to pray that God's will be done here on Earth, to pray first in praise and thanksgiving and then in petition.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

The way faith works is that you hold fast to the profession of your faith. That means holding fast to the things hoped for and the things not (yet) seen. Jesus said:

John 14:13-17 NKJV
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

That is the evidence.

 

[Aviel]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

Its God's own will that He answer the prayers of His Born again.

What is an answered prayer?

Its God changing the circumstance for your good, regarding your prayer of Faith.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

Do you believe St. John? Did he know the Word and will of God?

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.​

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If you asked him if his prayers worked or produced the desired (asked for) results - what would he say?

What did St. James say?

James 4:You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.​

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I'll stay with the Word of God -

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

Do you believe St. John? Did he know the Word and will of God?

1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.​

​

If you asked him if his prayers worked or produced the desired (asked for) results - what would he say?

What did St. James say?

James 4:You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.​

​

I'll stay with the Word of God -

How do you know prayer works?
I am not asking how I know prayer works (or doesn't).

 

[Always in His Presence]

How do you know prayer works?
I am not asking how I know prayer works (or doesn't).

I know prayer works because I believe St John and St James told the truth in the scriptures I quoted.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

I know prayer works because I believe St John and St James told the truth in the scriptures I quoted.

You know by faith but not by experience?

 

[Always in His Presence]

You know by faith but not by experience?

I know by both, but my faith is based on Scripture. Which doesn’t change based on what I see or don’t see.

He is the same always

 

[Bob Crowley]

It's a frustrating question as to whether prayer works or not.

Officially World War II lasted almost precisely 6 years from 1 September 1939 (invasion of Poland) to 2 September 1945 (surrender of Japan). For six whole years much of the world was at war.

Supposedly around 50 million were killed; the world witnessed the holocaust and atomic bombs were dropped twice.

Yet there would have been billions of prayers for peace and a speedy end to the war; for safety of loved ones; protection from injury and so on. The plain fact is that most of the prayers would have not have been answered positively.

What are we supposed to make of the silent God who seemed to leave it to the human race to sort it out without much help from Him?

For one thing God won't override our "free wills" - if the people in power want to persist with their war, that's what we'll get.

Secondly we sometimes have to just leave it in His hands. The holiest person who ever lived didn't want to go through the crucifixion and all that it entailed, but surrendered to the Father's will. Suppose you'd been His mother - what would you think about the Father's will?

It's also said that prayer changes us and not God. He's immutable in one sense.

I'm afraid I'm a bit sceptical about prayer a lot of the time. I really wonder what difference it makes.

To be sure I have seen answered prayer. But far more often I've seen what to me seems unanswered prayer, or at least a "no".

Anyone praying for peace between Russian & Ukraine or Israel and Hamas? How's it going?

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Anyone praying for peace between Russian & Ukraine or Israel and Hamas? How's it going?

Not very well so far.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

God always answers yes to prayers offered in faith in the name of Jesus. The ones that are not offered with faith are not "heard" and so are not answered. Faith is keep.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

1 John 5:14-15 KJV
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Prayers offered in doubt and unbelief are simply not "heard."

 

[JulieB67]

I believe if it's in God's will do do so than yes, certainly prayer works.

John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us:

 

[Mark Quayle]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

From the fact that Scriptures say so. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

 

[Mark Quayle]

Its God's own will that He answer the prayers of His Born again.

What is an answered prayer?

Its God changing the circumstance for your good, regarding your prayer of Faith.

How do you know it is God changing the circumstance? Maybe it is God doing what he had planned all along to do, including planning for you to pray. He set Moses "in the gap" between the Children of Israel and God, to reason with him concerning what it would mean for him to destroy them —I say he put Moses into that position for that very purpose. God is not like us.

 

[Clare73]

It's a frustrating question as to whether prayer works or not.

Officially World War II lasted almost precisely 6 years from 1 September 1939 (invasion of Poland) to 2 September 1945 (surrender of Japan). For six whole years much of the world was at war.

Supposedly around 50 million were killed; the world witnessed the holocaust and atomic bombs were dropped twice.

Yet there would have been billions of prayers for peace and a speedy end to the war; for safety of loved ones; protection from injury and so on. The plain fact is that most of the prayers would have not have been answered positively.

What are we supposed to make of the silent God who seemed to leave it to the human race to sort it out without much help from Him?

Do you think the U.S. success in freeing Europe from the onslaught of tyranny was not the result of prayer to God from people of faith?

Prayer must be according to God's will, as we see with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And God's will does include suffering as judgment. . .as we see on the cross.

 

[Reasonably Sane]

Does prayer work? By "work" I mean "produce the desired (asked for) results".
How do you know?

A couple of years after we were married, my wife was suffering back pain as she was trying to go to sleep. She had had chronic back pain her whole adult life. She was 45 at that time. I was suddenly COMPELLED to lay a hand on her shoulder and pray for healing. It was as if it wasn't me doing it. It was really weird.

The next day her back pain was gone. It's been gone ever since. That was 23 years ago.

Make of it what you will.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Anyone praying for peace between Russian & Ukraine or Israel and Hamas? How's it going?

Not very well so far.

Then there is this instruction in Scripture:

Psalm 122:6
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.

Should we interpret that we should stop praying, or that it is not God's will for peace? Or do we realize God will not circumvent man's will.