Originally Posted by kingerock
Let me take a stab at this...
First I will qualify/disqualify myself. I work for a ministry at a pretty large church in Texas. We are non-denominational, meaning our focus has nothing to do with any groups' leanings. Our goal as a ministry is for each person to experience God and that relationship in a personal way, and to be able to fully enjoy that relationship.
If we take the definition of prayer as communication with a deity, then the answer depends on the deity. Communication is 2 way, so prayer isn't reciting memorized scripture or speaking shakespearean english into your hands, it's talking to that deity and that deity responding. If the deity you are communicating with exists, and chooses to have communication with you and relationship with you, then yes, prayer works.
Prayer isn't, however, begging said diety to do what you ask. That's not communication, that's manipulation. For instance, everytime my kids ask for candy or money, I don't give it to them. I am looking out for their best interest, and candy for dinner and money for things they don't need isn't always in their best interest. Does that mean that parenting doesn't work because I didn't answer their 'prayers' to me? I did answer, but like stated in previous posts, my answer was no.
I think that we've developed a culture that thinks that prayer is just asking God for stuff. I will admit here, that as a Christian of over 25 years, I rarely at this point in my life ask God for 'things' in my prayers. I usually pray for the safety and protection of others, and I ask for wisdom and grace in my day to day endevours.
So if I am communicating back and forth with a deity that exists and wants a relationship with us, then yes, prayer works wheather we are getting the answers we want or not.
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