The Power Of Group Prayer?

[Floogeldy]

Because of the destructive fires that have devastated parts of the state during the drought, the Lt. Governor of Oklahoma is calling for all individuals to pray for rain. She is calling for prayers for rain at all group church services, too. Is his how God works?

"Hey, I'm gonna dry you out and burn you down unless you all BEG ME for rain!"

I don't get it.

I do believe in prayer on a personal level but not in connection with natural or semi-natural disasters.

[Shell Beau]

1. Some people believe that the more people praying,

the more powerful the prayer will be. I personally prefer to pray on my own, but I don't get bothered if people want to pray as a group (for whatever they want to pray for)



:)

[Fleshdancer]

2. as long as they don't start sacrificing the goats. n/t

[Taverner]

3. There is a bible verse

Something along the lines of "when 2 or more of you gather in my name the power of God is even stronger" or something like that.

Again, it also says to pray privately and in secret....

So....FWIW...

[LeftyMom]

4. It sure did those miners a lot of good.

:(

[Taverner]

5. Well I hate to quote ol' Jim the Lizard King but.....

YOU CANNOT..............PETITION THE LORD

WITH PRAYER!!!!!!!

[Shell Beau]

6. Well praying isn't a guarantee that things will turn out the way

you want them to. :shrug: I was also praying that they didn't have to suffer, etc. It may have brought them peace. I don't really know, but praying is cathartic for me. And whether or not the outcome is what I want it to be doesn't mean my prayers weren't heard. This is just my view.

[Taverner]

7. True...it seems that those who get the most out of prayer

Use it as more of a meditation than a "God give me X...and give me X"

I just get upset when people say "I won this game because I prayed for it..."

[Shell Beau]

8. I do too! People pray for the wrong things a lot.

[no name no slogan]

12. Yes, God is NOT Monte Hall

You can't tell God you want what's behind door #2-- God will provide for you what you need. It doesn't always make sense or seem like it's the right thing, but eventually it all makes sense.

[Taverner]

14. The way I see it is...

God is the energy that flows through us, that gives us life - pretty much synonomous with the "Chi" of Taoism.

Although this is sentient energy, it is not Monte Hall. And in the end all energy goes back from where it came.

This is where the idea of "Buddhaness" in every one of us came, as well as Jesus saying that God is within each of us.

It's the energy...but enough pontificating from me.

[no name no slogan]

15. That's also what the Gnostics believe

they believe that the way to God is within ourselves, an inner energy that can be unlocked through prayer and the pursuit of good. Hence the Gnostic belief that Jesus was not "The" son of God, but "A" son of God who showed the way to tapping into this inner energy.

The lost "Gospel of Thomas" discovered at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in the 1950s has a lot to say about this too.

[Taverner]

18. Yep. Love that book.

"Drink from my mouth and you shall become me, and if I drink from your mouth I shall become you."

[jonnyblitz]

17. yeah, ask the miners' families how prayer worked for them.

and what kind of god would hear your prayers and not answer them? not one i would care to worship if he, in fact, even existed to begin with.

[Shell Beau]

19. Look, I understand, but we all face tragedy in our lives. You

are certainly free to feel that way. I don't agree though. And as someone who has lost a very close loved one, I can say that I still believe in prayer.

[Loonman]

9. Prayer is meditation with a recipient

Pretty much. More for the person than any......deity, I suppose.

[Fox Mulder]

10. Oh man...

I could so do a copycat thread on this right now, but I'm not going to! (it relates to a new law Canada passed)...

[DanCa]

11. well heres a thought

if weather can affect our mood (seasonal depression) why cant mood affect our weather? I do tend to agree with you that if a god exist that he or she is a neutral healler and doesn't interfer in world events such as weather control.

[Strong Atheist]

13. Oh, boy. Is it time for

:popcorn: ?

[Kiteflyer]

16. Aren't there Indian tribes...

in your state who for a small fee would be willing to do a rain dance?

If that doesn't work, there's always voodoo as a last resort.