If a virus killed your daughter but not you, could you witness on the power of prayer?

[gordon 2]

'Cept people who do nothing sometimes get healed, too.....

Right. But you never know the heart of another...if in fact it is up to doing from something... believed to be nothing.

 

[gordon 2]

Maybe the power is in God.

Well if you want to go there, yes. The power of the healing is in God's power to do. What is greater that a person's guilt be taken away or that his/her illness is cured? It Is perhaps greatest when both happens.

 

[oldfella1962]

well...... that thread title is certainly a great "ice breaker" at a social function!

 

[SemperFiDawg]

This was asked in the spiritual study forum, but I guess you cannot question God's omnipotence there.

Read the context of the question there and I ask:
If, thru prayer, God brought you back from the brink of a deadly disease, wouldnt you wonder why he let you get the disease in the first place?

I would hope I would look to God and ask what I am to learn from it. Everything He does is for a reason. You have to remember that prayer in itself is just communicating with God. It’s not and never has been about God doing our will, but at times it allows us to see his.

 

[1eyefishing]

My wife had diastolic heart failure, she had a rough probably 1 1/2 to 2 years, told she would have to deal with this the rest of her life. Taking meds for it, 45 years old walk 50 yards tops to mailbox and back being completely out of breath. One Sunday morning she came up from an alter at church, said she was good. I said huh, what you talking about? She said my heart failure is good. Long story short, doctor ask what has changed, all we could tell him was prayer. Multiple visits he'd ask the same question when he finally had to state we are taking this off of your record. There is no sign of diastolic heart failure, this just doesn't happen.

Her spiritual life became stronger due to the battle she fought. Her Faith grew as the only cure she had was from God. She has gotten to witness to several, believers and non. This changed her life, her outlook on many things in it.

On the opposite side is myself, who prayed for his late wife to be cured from brain cancer. As many others prayed for the same and for his will be done. At 36 she left this world, fighting a battle for 10 years. Did she get her healing, yes but not on this side. However the lives effected and changed in those 10 years, especially my own would have never happened had she been healed on this side.

I'm glad your wife had a revelation. This is what connects with me. I am a seeker of my own personal revelation. I have faith that there is a higher being, but I have trouble with turning that faith into knowledge.
I also have trouble soaking up the attributes that some believers give that higher being.

 

[1eyefishing]

I would hope I would look to God and ask what I am to learn from it. Everything He does is for a reason. You have to remember that prayer in itself is just communicating with God. It’s not and never has been about God doing our will, but at times it allows us to see his.

I actually pray even more than I believe I would.
Not every night at bedtime or at dinner time with the family. I pray when I am alone with my thoughts.
I'm never sure if anyone hears me and takes action but but I feel a little more complete.

 

[SemperFiDawg]

Strange question to ask "down here".

yeah. It does kinda stand out.

 

[1eyefishing]

From past experiences, I know I would get scalded for putting my thoughts in the thread 'up there'...

 

[j_seph]

I would imagine many who think God offers a hedge of protection to not get it, wonder why that prayer didn't work. Then they ask for another hedge to prevent death.
Maybe getting it was a trial or tribulation to prove that your next prayer to survive it was to show the power of prayer. Maybe it was to prove your faith to yourself.

In death the victory is ours, don't wanna just up and die but............

 

[j_seph]

Actually, yes.

Not virus related but when my Dad passed away that was the hardest thing I ever faced. I was very close to him. A lot of prayers.

I had all of the “why” questions, I’m human. But I know prayer works, it’s worked since then for me, many times. I don’t know why it couldn’t turn out my way with my Dad.

I still don’t know “why” and it still bothers me that he was robbed of watching his Grandchildren grow up.

We buried my Dad on a Wednesday. I was in service that following Sunday.

But we can only imagine what he seen, experienced, when he crossed over. Honestly we can't even comprehend what eternity, no more pain or sorrow would be like. We just buroed a local pastor Sunday. Even on the hospital with Covid, he would ask for prayer but more so for those lost and others fighting for their life. Was told he would probably go home at end of week. Was joking on Tues and Wed. Well he went to home like no other on Thursday. Noting more than a Godly man full of love, nothing special about him. There were 250 people pluse at funeral.

 

[gemcgrew]

This was asked in the spiritual study forum, but I guess you cannot question God's omnipotence there.

Questioning God's omnipotence is constant there.

And here.

 

[Israel]

I think the 'power' is in the perception.

amen.

It's one thing to be told and hear "Be careful how you hear" and quite another to be made able to be careful how one hears (or sees). I'd agree it takes power for perceptions to be calibrated correctly. That little bubble thingy in a level will read true, but if it ain't set right to the full length of the level...

Let's face it there's a lotta output (seeking to be input) continually being thrown our way...one might even consider it assault set for the overwhelming were we not given some power to squelch.

And I appreciate your helping me out in further elucidating a comment I thought was directed to me.

Surprise me.

I was more than ready to add to the unnecessary static by preparing some defense...you disarmed me.

 

[kmh1031]

Prayer does help, and god hears our prayers. We are encouraged to pray to him in all things

However note some very practical advice for our time, written thousands of years ago from the Bible

Solomon said in Ecc 9:11
I have seen something further under the sun, that the swift do not always win the race, nor do the mighty win the battle, nor do the wise always have the food, nor do the intelligent always have the riches, nor do those with knowledge always have success, because time and unexpected events overtake them all.


We can have some bearing on our life, and longevity if we make good decisions in life especially related to what is going on now related to Covid.

Despite life’s uncertainties, we can often live longer if we make wise decisions.

The Bible says:
“The teaching of the wise one is a source of life to turn one away from the snares of death.” Pro 13:14

Likewise, Moses told the Israelites that they could “live a long time” if they obeyed God’s commands Deut 6:2

In contrast, we can carelessly shorten our life by bad or foolish actions. Ecc 7:17

 

[K80]

This is a very difficult topic for me. Probably where I have been tested more than any where else. My faith in the Lord is strong. I've felt the thousands of prayers going up for me and my family. However, the topic of power of prayer is very fuzzy for me, unless that prayer is for forgiveness.

 

[WaltL1]

I actually pray even more than I believe I would.
Not every night at bedtime or at dinner time with the family. I pray when I am alone with my thoughts.
I'm never sure if anyone hears me and takes action but but I feel a little more complete.

You heard you and took action (in your brain) and felt more complete?

 

[kmh1031]

God hears us:
Ps 145:18-19

God wants us to pray to him: Philippians 4:6

God Really cares about you: 1Pet 5:7

 

[kmh1031]

We all struggle at times to know what to say, ask for, thank god for…
Here are just a few of thousands….

• Faith in God. Luke 17:5
• Holy spirit, or God’s active force, to help you do what is right. Luke 11:13
• Strength to deal with troubles and to resist temptation. Phil 4:13
• Inner peace or calmness. Phil 4:6-7
• Wisdom to make good decisions. James 1:5
• Help with daily needs. Matt 6:11
• Forgiveness of sins. Matt 6:12

 

[1eyefishing]

You heard you and took action (in your brain) and felt more complete?

Yeah...
Still computing on that though...
Color me a little agnostic.
Just in case I am a little more than the product of the available chemistry and conditions...
Who or what defined all these rules (ie, physics, math, and other sciences) that we HAVE to live with?
Or are we purely accidental?
If we're accidental, there still could be a higher being...

 

[Israel]

Yeah...
Still computing on that though...
Color me a little agnostic.
Just in case I am a little more than the product of the available chemistry and conditions...
Who or what defined all these rules (ie, physics, math, and other sciences) that we HAVE to live with?
Or are we purely accidental?
If we're accidental, there still could be a higher being...

Or are we purely accidental?
If we're accidental, there still could be a higher being...

Those last lines is where all hangs. Purpose purposed to all things (with man included) or none at all. Any man addressing this matter by expression...words, deeds, even thoughts within himself...demonstrates he fundamentally embraces purpose by response...or else he would be silent, doing nothing, thinking...nothing.

 

[660griz]

Prayer works sometimes...and so do placebos. Ya just gotta believe!