The power of prayer – not because it works, but because it helps

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The power of prayer – not because it works, but because it helps

1John5918
Dez. 25, 2021, 11:20 pm

I now believe in the power of prayer – not because it works, but because it helps (Guardian)

This year I’ve spent more time in Anglican churches than I have in the rest of my life combined. I haven’t converted, I don’t think... But... it quickly became clear that without going to church I would miss crucial aspects of what it meant to become a Christian. And so, despite my initial wariness about structured religion, I started accompanying those I was interviewing not just to Sunday services, but the daily offices: morning prayers, evening prayers and compline (the night prayer)...

But most of the Christians I spoke with do not see prayer as efficacious. Instead, it is a response to the paralysis they feel when confronted with sickness, death or violence. “I’ll pray for you,” they say, and find it has more weight than “I’m sorry”... There is something in that impracticability I find serious, strengthening. Velleity is the closest word I have for the approximation of prayer I find myself moving towards: not a replacement for action, but a distinct act in itself. Sending out thoughts to people I miss or have hurt or will never meet. Knowing it has no power, but doing it anyway.


2MarthaJeanne
Jan. 13, 2022, 9:38 am

I have sometimes found that praying has been an important part of getting me doing something. When there is suitable action it is easy to neglect that until you keep praying for something to happen and start feeling like a hypocrite.

3eschator83
Jan. 18, 2022, 3:05 pm

I write in praise and celebration of all those of us who feel the Grace of Hope, Faith, and Love, and deep sympathy for those who don't, with a prayer for them.

4Inspiredword
Jan. 19, 2022, 3:56 pm

Prayer should be a life style for every Christian. Prayer is not just requesting things but fellowship with God. John 17: 3 reads "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent". Life eternal is knowing God which will includes communication and part of communication is prayer.

Or maybe we should go back to the drawing board. What is prayer?

5r_j
Bearbeitet: Jan. 21, 2022, 6:35 pm

>4 Inspiredword: Well said. Jesus communicated and was in fellowship with His father by praying all night (Luke 6:12) before selecting His apostles (Luke 6:13-16).

6John5918
Jun. 27, 2022, 8:09 am

Why I ask my patients about their faith or religion (Stat News)

As a surgeon specializing in cancer, I often meet people at a time of crisis and fear, when they have just been diagnosed with cancer. For many, their belief system is central to their coping strategy. So I believe it is an appropriate time to talk about faith and religion, though many of my colleagues may disagree...

7John5918
Sept. 3, 2022, 11:20 am

‘God gives me reason to hope’: why young Britons are turning to prayer (Guardian)

More young people in the UK are turning to prayer compared with 20 years ago, with one in three 18- to 36-year-olds saying they had prayed within the past month, a survey has revealed. The rise of mindfulness and spirituality in its many forms are thought to be behind the increase. Here, six young people share their perspectives on prayer – why they do it and what it offers them...

‘With the world crumbling, God gives me reason to hope’...
‘My attitudes to spirituality have softened’...
‘I pray to remind myself of the larger picture’...
‘Faith helped me process my dad’s death’...
‘I connected with faith after seeing priests on TikTok’...
‘I use prayer as a grounding technique’...

8IncarnationSR
Nov. 1, 2022, 1:51 pm

I find prayer centers me. It's like tossing a pebble into a lake. I don't see where all the ripples go, but that doesn't matter. When I pray for someone specific, that reminds me that they are also a child of God, and helps soften my heart. Thus, I pray harder for those I have a harder time with. That said, some of my most heartfelt prayers as someone trying to survive stage 4 cancer start with "REALLY GOD? WTF!

92wonderY
Nov. 1, 2022, 2:18 pm

Wonderful sharing here already.
My mom was a prayer warrior from way early on; and she succeeded keeping her heart soft and open, even to constant attacks. She’s my hero.
She also suffered terribly from rheumatoid arthritis and regular arthritis. Besides hands and other joints, she had pain on the bottoms of her feet. I spent time helping to find shoes that would help.
Today, I have just a touch of arthritis - and only on the bottoms of my feet. It’s her and God reminding me every morning as my feet touch the floor - Pray!