Power Of Prayer

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
I'm struggling with how this would all work out. Based on what you've said, it seems like God would not answer a prayer of a Jew or a Muslim without making it clear to the person making the prayer (and others?) that they are worshipping the wrong god and that God chose to grant it regardless.

Are you basing any of this on anything other than that's the way you'd like to think it works?

I'm basing this on I do not know what God would do.

Originally posted by FMF
I'm not asking you to validate or to naysay your fellow Christians' experiences, I am simply asking you if any of what they have presented on this thread is convincing evidence of the power of prayer to your way of thinking?

Sorry, I'm not participating in your "divide and conquer" campaign.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Yes. So it seems you agree with me that most prayer requests are done without expectation that they will be fulfilled because of the request.

Because expectation is not hope.

And no, I do not characterize prayer requests as simply mouthing words into the atmosphere, either.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
I'm basing this on I do not know what God would do.

Well, do you think that it's making very much sense?

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
Well, do you think that it's making very much sense?

My point is God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's. He can turn and cause change to what would seem impossible to us. So I stand by my comments, though you may be correct.

Originally posted by checkbaiter
My point is God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's. He can turn and cause change to what would seem impossible to us. So I stand by my comments, though you may be correct.

My point is God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's. He can turn and cause change to what would seem impossible to us.

This being the case, how is it you seem to have such confidence in YOUR interpretation of the will of God?

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
[b]My point is God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's. He can turn and cause change to what would seem impossible to us.

This being the case, how is it you seem to have such confidence in YOUR interpretation of the will of God?[/b]

Because I know God loves me and has revealed some of his word to me. I know he is faithful and kind and will work with people who are humble.
He even healed and forgave Naaman the commander of Syria's army. He told Elisha to overlook his sin when he bowed down to his kings gods. Elisha responded with "Go in peace".
My confidence stems from believing God is faithful, I follow his will as best I can. I obey his precepts as best I can. I know his promise of salvation and that his gifts and calling are irrevocable. I obey his son Jesus and speak forth the Good News of salvation.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Sorry, I'm not participating in your "divide and conquer" campaign.

For you to say you'd found a fellow Christian's testimony convincing might "conquer" you?

Originally posted by checkbaiter
Because I know God loves me and has revealed some of his word to me. I know he is faithful and kind and will work with people who are humble.
He even healed and forgave Naaman the commander of Syria's army. He told Elisha to overlook his sin when he bowed down to his kings gods. Elisha responded with "Go in peace".
My confidence stems from believing G ...[text shortened]... ts and calling are irrevocable. I obey his son Jesus and speak forth the Good News of salvation.

Not sure if you got my point. Let me rephrase.

How can you have such confidence that you "know" all of those things if in fact " God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's"? Presumably you're included in "anyone".

Originally posted by FMF
For you to say you'd found a fellow Christian's testimony convincing might "conquer" you?

Haven't you heard that when a girl says "no", she means no?

Originally posted by Suzianne
Haven't you heard that when a girl says "no", she means no?

I have heard a straight forward on-topic question on a discussion and debate forum being met with paranoid, brittle muttering about a "divide and conquer campaign". I don't see how it matters whether you are a "girl" or "boy".

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
Not sure if you got my point. Let me rephrase.

How can you have such confidence that you "know" all of those things if in fact " God is light years ahead of anyone's thoughts or idea's"? Presumably you're included in "anyone".

I don't have confidence, just my opinion on that matter.

From The Life Study of Exodus by Witness Lee, Msg. #150.

PRAYER RELATED
TO CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

Matthew 6:33 is a verse often quoted by today’s Christians: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This indicates that if we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, whatever we need—food, clothing, housing—will be added to us. This shows that there is no need for us to be occupied in our prayer with things such as food and clothing. Instead, we should pray for God’s kingdom.

What is the kingdom of God today? God’s kingdom is the church. But what is the church? The church is Christ. Therefore, to seek God’s kingdom is to seek Christ with the church.

According to Matthew 6:33 we should also seek God’s righteousness. What is God’s righteousness? God’s righteousness is Christ expressed through the church. Thus, to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness is to seek Christ and the church. Our prayer should be related to God’s kingdom and His righteousness, that is, to Christ and the church.

What is sad is that many Christians know how to pray for a better job, a larger house, or their safety on a journey, but they do not know how to pray for Christ or the church. When some pray for the church, they do not pray directly for the church, but instead pray for business matters related to the church. We should forget about praying in such a way and pray instead for Christ and the church. When some Christians hear this word regarding their prayer life, they may say, “This word is troublesome. It seems that you are robbing me of all my prayers. After hearing this word, I don’t know how to pray. It seems that any way I try to pray is wrong.”

http://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?cid=22E9FF

From The Life Study of Exodus by Witness Lee, Msg. #150.

If some saints were to ask me to tell them how to pray, I would not do it. If I told you how to pray and you prayed accordingly, that kind of prayer would still not be Christ. You may use the right terminology, but you may still be praying outside of God. You would not be praying in God, in the center of God’s dwelling place. Furthermore, while you are praying, you may not have the inner satisfaction or the inner energizing. This means that you do not have God praying in you as you are praying. When we pray, we need to pray in God, and we need to pray with God energizing us inwardly. Then we need to offer Christ to God and pray Him to God.

A SAD SITUATION

If you were to stay with me for a period of several days, you would learn that I am a person who much of the time is not happy. The situation of today’s Christians makes me very sad. Consider the people around you and what they are doing. What do they know concerning God’s economy? How pitiful is the situation! The Lord Jesus has delayed His coming back for nearly two thousand years. Of course, to Him two thousand years are as two days. What is a long time to us is a short time to Him. From the Lord’s point of view, two hundred fifty years is like six hours, one-fourth of a day. It is Peter who says that with the Lord a thousand years are as one day (2 Pet. 3:8). In the same chapter Peter passes over the millennium and speaks directly concerning the new heavens and the new earth in eternity (2 Pet. 3:13). This indicates that even a thousand years is not long to the Lord. But as far as I am concerned, the Lord has delayed His coming a long time.

Who today is praying that God would dispense His grace into people? Who is praying in such a way as to motivate God’s throne of authority to judge this age? Christ has a great deal of incense, but where are the prayers that are qualified to receive the incense of Christ? Is Christ able to add His incense to your prayers? I am afraid that too few of our prayers are qualified to have Christ’s incense added to them. Therefore, it is very important for us to see that concerning our prayer life, Christ is the tabernacle, Christ is the food offered, and Christ is also the incense.

http://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?n

Originally posted by checkbaiter
I don't have confidence, just my opinion on that matter.

Seems like all beliefs regarding prayer and the will of God are faith based, yet many Christian speak as if they KNOW if not outright claim to KNOW. You seemed to have done so at times on this thread. Good to see that you had the humility to acknowledge it.