Is prayer a false sense of control in this chaotic and random world?
463784
Absolutely.  Prayer is nonsensical and completely ineffective.  Why would anyone think it worth praying for something to a god who (supposedly) always knows best?  Why would said god ever give someone what they pray for if it wasn't already what he wanted in the first place?
825637
How do we know that "answered prayers" are illusions? We simply perform scientific experiments. We ask a group of believers to pray for something and then we watch what happens. What we find, whenever we test the efficacy of prayer scientifically, is that prayer has zero effect: \n\nIt does not matter who prays. \nIt does not matter if we pray to God, Allah, Vishnu, Zeus, Ra or any other human god. \nIt does not matter what we pray about. \nIf we perform scientific, double-blind tests on prayer, and if the prayers involve something concrete and measurable (for example, healing people with cancer), we know that there is zero effect from prayer. Every single "answered prayer" is nothing more than a coincidence. Both scientific experiments and your everyday observations of the world show this to be the case every single time.\n\nDon't hold your breath on Iraq.
597287
I would say, 'yes,' not simply due to religious beliefs but rather focusing on the sphere of psychological studies.\n\nMany psychological studies have noted that those with spiritual beliefs tend to live longer, live healthier, and become far more productive in society. These same studies have noted a very strong connection to prayer and the same effects.\n\nNow whether this is due to the truth of spirituality and religious beliefs, or is due to just what people feel about things because of their beliefs, is something that science cannot (and has not tried) to answer. I strongly recommend that you visit the American Psychology Association website and search their documents for more on this subject.
695622
Nope. If you live in God's will you are willing to accept that some times what you want is not what God wills. You do not and can not buy God's blessings or bribe God into giving you what you want.
799137
Totally, yes!  Faith with prayers does great wonders in my life.  I hope you will find the same for you.  Please try it.  You will not be disappointed. Hold on to your faith and don't let it go ... let it grow!
307504
I believe God has an end goal for us. Either we arrive there as a result of our own choices, or God will help guide us there. \n\nYou're not alone - sometimes I think I'm not seeing it either! But praying keeps you close. Be familiar with God and His word, and you'll more quickly recognize anything that doesn't seem quite right. You can also pray for more obvious signs, but be careful! I've done that, and then the signs were sort of like getting slugged upside the head with a cast iron skillet! OUCH! But I got the message, loud and clear!
1123992
This stuff happens everyday and I used to ask why it was happening to me.  Now I know God has a plan for me, protects me, and hears my prayers.  I am a muslim woman.  I know for a fact that God does hear my prayers and protects me.  I should be dead, should have been a few times already, or at the very least have a disease.  Before I became a muslim, I was living a very bad lifestyle.  My husband knows God hears me.  he is always shocked at stuff that happens, because he knows that these things that I prayed for are rare and somehow always happen for me.  God does exist and there is a reason for everything.  You just need to let go of the problem and put your trust in God.  God will take care of it as long as you do good.
247753
I am glad what you are doing. You said when you pray you get answer sometime. \n\nI am sure you know that we have conscious mind and subconscious mind. When we think we use conscious mind and from conscious mind it goest to subconscious mind. Conscious mind is just like a software and Subconscious mind is a Hard drive which will print or save whatever you have done by various software. \n\nIf you think good or bad your subconsious mind will accept it as it is and will give you the result. Therefore, it said think good, you are what you think etc.\n\nTo make something happen is believe, in prayer if you really need something you pray and when your believe and desire is solid your subconscious mind accept it and generate the result.\n\nThis is a very lengthy topic if you really want to know send me an e-mail nihon94@yahoo.com\n\nYour question remind me when I was learning these stuff.
1012753
I have found that the answer to our prayer is a lot closer that you think. You can not pimp God. He is sovereign. He will answer your prayer. Maybe you feel like he's not answering you 'cause your focus is on the answer and not him. When you put your focus totally on him and continue to live a life that is pleasing to him, your answer will be sitting at your feet. Focus on God and getting all the mess people can't see like envy, anger, hate, jealousy, covetousness, and the list goes on. We are all a work in progress, but when we take the time to build our relationship with him, instead of asking or "praying" for things, all our desire will be met. Now don't get me wrong, pray.... ask God for what you want and need. Just be prepared and ready to accept ,if he say not now or NO! You are not crazy or confused; life and death are in the power of the tongue. You are Godly person seeking Godly wisdom. Focus on you and everything will have changed because you have..............When what's important to God becomes important to you then what's important to you becomes important to God!=) tRust God even when he feels far away because you know he is always there never to leave you nor forskae you....BE Blessed
977019
There have been numerous times that I have prayed when I had exhausted all my ideas and had no clue what else to do.  It always helped.  I pray with both big and little problems for the strength and wisdom to deal with them. I am sometimes amazed and surprised at some of the ways that things work out.
767053
Come on now!  You want to believe in prayer, but you find something as little as that  to turn away.  Have you ever lost a love one and you needed God to step in and keep you from losing your mind?  Well he did it for me!   Prayer does work!
89055
yes, we pray to Jesus to make his followers shut the hell up and leave the rest of us alone, and while he's at it, remind them what his teachings were really about. \n\n(just kidding. but only sort of.)\n\natheists have hopes and dreams and sometimes express them to the cosmos. but i don't think i have prayed since i was a little girl and still believed in that idea that "faith" would get me candies and heaven and revenge against all those jerks who didn't "believe." i do meditate on occasion, and i believe that prayer is another form of that. (concentration or clearing the mind, for instance.)\n\ni believe in life and the universe and the effort to create a better world. i believe that the impact of my existence is clear, and based on the acts i undertake in this life, and that it is my responsibility to do my part toward a better world. i don't do this because i believe in "god's reward" or heaven, but because it is the right thing to do. and that "right thing" is obvious to me (and all healthy humans). i find it puzzling that anyone would depend on marginally indecipherable ancient texts to decide these things for them. having personal ethics does not depend upon a religious tract, nor should it. \n\ni have a pleasant life, i have plenty of community without going to church, and i personally can't imagine living any other way. and no, i'm not going to, nor have i ever, become "christian" while in a "foxhole." my beliefs are strong, and they are mine. they have foundation in history and in my personal experience. and best of all, i don't need to just "have faith." i have fact. \n\nand BTW, i have read the Bible many times, went to parochial schools my entire childhood, and i find it to be astounding the lengths that "christians" will go to talk themselves around in circles over it. i especially find it amusing that people who espouse themselves to be "christian" use their armageddon idea as a sort of "revenge fantasy" against unbelievers. as if christ would approve.
495129
i have actually thought some of those things myself. I do feel selfish sometimes when it slips out when i ask God for petty things. i try to remember that God already knows what i need so theres no point in asking;   but i always pray for all the Mom's and babies in the world every day. and i always thank God for everything he has given me and my family. I hope that makes sense. I try to keep my prayers beyond winning the game etc. but i commonly ask God just to 'help' me or others just in general if they just need a boost.
1085183
welcome to the club sister.  I don't think you have a problem at all.  I think that you are a free thinking and open minded person.  It's when you feel that pressure to conform and be like everyone else and resist it, that you truly begin to gain a greater perspective of reality.  I suggest you read "the herd" chapter from Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil".  This is the book in which the phrase was coined "God is dead".  Don't let that scare you.  What I think he really meant to teach was that organized religion and the God they invent is dead.  He challenges you, in the chapter entitled "the herd", to ask yourself if all these things that people are telling you that "God" has said are indeed from "God".  Or, are they something made up by leaders of church to influence the masses opinions to get a desired social result.  That result is control.  Don't let anyone but God control you.  He wouldn't force control on you.  He doesn't want to control you.  He offers suggestions and you choose freely.  To me though, all this damnation and hellfire are not products of Christ at all.  Christ is like the sweetest friend I have ever had.  I don't live right at all.  I have done bad things in my life.  Yet, he has never left me.  People, on the other hand, have behaved terribly...  and for that matter... so have I at times.  I decided that I would not be controlled by "the herd" either.  People will accuse you of rebellion.  Rebellion it may be, but against whom?  God?  I don't think so...  The "herd", definitely.  I had to separate myself from them, and while it is lonesome at times, it is at least free.  Knowing God should never feel like being in a social or political prison in which you are interrogated and punished.  They're like religious nazis and they have confused social control with God.  Welcome to freedom sister.  You may find groups that you "fit" with...  I never did.  This is the tragedy of the genuine individual.  Perhaps you should start your own "group" on yahoo groups.  If you do, let me know, and I will join.  This topic is certainly worthy of discussion.  Don't feel like you are alone.  There are many, many, people who have went through this...
23167
No. If it happens to 'come true', it wasn't prayer, it was luck or fate. Get with the program.
689283
I agree with you, and Rain, Psychology, A. Mann, tls.bhaskar, milo, azmurath, Sue Namie, babyarnie, and d_waddell2001. Religion is a system of understanding, so the religion itself, being a belief or pattern of thoughts, is not the act of violence or war (effect), but does prompt it and promote it indirectly (cause), while preaching exactly the opposite (defence). Many (others who have answered) have come to trust religion because of the good things it promotes, like purpose, goodwill, communication with spirit, respect for other belivers (sometimes), and feelings of belonging, among others.\nWhen a person trusts another person over their own feelings and intuition, they become a slave to be controlled. There are millions of people around the world who exist as robots to be ordered by the people in their lives. The boss, priest, trainer, teacher, commanding officer, whoever. These slaves are the ones who fight wars, even the ones at salvation army.\nWhat is advised is a detachment from organised religion, and to establish a relationship with self, life, love and nature. By feeling your personal interpretation of what matters, and, the most important thing, to keep the most important things the most important things, one can carve their groove in history exactly the way they choose. Total responsibility, total spiritual freedom. By standing up and saying "I made that mistake, and I'm damn proud of it because I've learnt from the experience," a person's character gains courage, humility and wisdom, just to name a few. By choosing to allow blame, guilt, fear, and hate to fill one's thoughtful life, one commits to living with stress, health problems, depression, detachment from self, immature and irresposible behaviour like terrorism, and extreme anxiety. Ever noticed how dedicated religious followers are, even though they may have only joined weeks ago? Thats an observable symptom. All external success begins with internal success, so peace must be made within first, followed by those around you (your world). When critical mass is reached, your world will become our world. If you do not go within you go without!!!
563689
My experiences with praying. \nEvery night I pray. For safety, for my friends, and for my family. \n\nI've still alive, I have a good life, I have great friends and a good family.\n\nRecently though I got into a bad situation. I was kidnapped by my father who I don't ever go to see. He told me I wasn't going to my mom's house for a long time. I prayed hard that I could get out of there. God answered the pray within seconds. Three seconds after Amen my dad came in and said he didn't want me around anymore and that he was taking me to my grandparents house (my mom's parents) and I thought this was the best thing that could happen to me. They took me to church and also took me home to my mom. You might say coincedince, but I say GOD.\n\nIf you truely believe in God and you want a full filling and safe happy life just pray and believe.