The ridiculous contention between science and religion. We believe from compelling evidence that prayer works. There are things we can’t explain by science. But does God exist only where science doesn’t have an answer? When science learns more, does God disappear? Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred by the Nazis, said, “We are to find God in what we know, not in what we don’t know.” What we know is, while things we can’t explain happen, we actually find God... Read more
Needs or wants? Can you pray for pockets full of money and get rich? Will God give you that? Be careful what you ask for. Money corrupts, and it requires a great deal of attention that could go to other things. Maybe that answer should be no for most of us. Jesus gave us this example: Consider the birds of the field. They don’t lack. And he gave us the example of the Lord’s Prayer, which simply says, “Give us... Read more
Was Jesus an example of the miracles we can expect? Jesus did miracles primarily to show his authority, certainly not to cause belief, or to attract attention as a magic sideshow. Each miracle pointed beyond himself to God. He healed lepers, the blind, raised the dead, and walked on water. Jesus was compassionate; he couldn’t avoid doing miracles when he saw need.1 But then he said that believers could move mountains.2 Hmm. That really would be a miracle. Has anyone... Read more
Miracle or answered prayer? Many consider answered prayer to be a miracle, but many don’t go that far. A miracle can be defined as a surprising and welcome event that can’t be explained by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency. “Surprise” means an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing. The majority of miracles of Jesus were healings through the individual’s faith, exorcisms, raising people from the dead, and control... Read more
Are we willing to accept “no?” When it comes to prayer, do we have an attitude problem? Are we willing to accept nothing less than the best?” Do we expect nothing at all? Can we accept a delay, or something different? Can we accept that silence is a maybe? Can we accept that God knows what is best for us – we can’t see the future, but maybe he knows how we will fare with different options? A popular song... Read more
So what – nothing makes us undeserving of prayer I’ve heard too many people declare that they were born broken. So what? Chronic disease, substance abuse and self-harm, bad behavior, whether voluntary or not, destroys precious life, so they really need to be helped. There is help. Start with prayer. Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it. –... Read more
Can we believe that God loves us as an individual? Can we believe not just that God loves the entire world, even those who miss the mark, but that God really does love us as an individual enough to take care of us? Feeling “unworthy” limits our expectations. Entitlement is the opposite, but just as destructive. Feeling unworthy is something we have to overcome. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children... Read more
Do you have to be deserving for prayer to work? What if we’re wealthy, or “sinful,” sick, in prison, or broken? Yes, prayer works! There is no “Opt-in,” no exclusion list, no exchange this for that transaction, nothing! It’s truly free. Does prayer work even for the wealthy? Everyone likes to question why the wealthy, especially wealthy religious people, aren’t regarded as hypocrites and on a steep slope to some kind of special Hell. Jesus said to the wealthy Jews,... Read more
Does prayer really work? Is prayer some kind of self-delusion? Is it snake oil sold by religionists? Is there anything to the belief that prayer is answered? Prayer is communion with God to help us live our best lives, and it helps to understand that it works and how it works. This multipart series explores: “What is prayer and who can use it?” (everyone). Unrealistic expectations. And criticism – can it be subjected to scientific studies and philosophical inquiries? Pull... Read more
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