I’m shooting up a small prayer for everyone on ILP this morning. Prayer does work in at least 2 ways that I can think of right now. Maybe some of you have some other ideas as to how it works. But here are mine.
Prayer satisfies a person’s need to be valued. Every person feels the need to be needed. Everyone dislikes feeling useless. With prayer, there is never any need to feel helpless. You can always do something. But what benefit is it, you say, to have somebody sitting in a dark room mumbling prayers when all manner of tribulations are pelting down upon the world outside? That question is a good segue into the next benefit of prayer.
Prayer changes us. It makes us stop and think. We take time off from the business of the world and turn inward to look at our personal relationship with the world. When we do this, our personal relationship with the world changes. So we might pray something like; “Help Katie in this time of sadness.” and in the process, we consider Katie’s plight. In considering what Katie is dealing with, we realize ways that we can help her get through her sad time. The prayer leads to action. Christians say that God works through his people. Football players say they are psyching themselves up. Karate-choppers say they are concentrating on breaking the stack of boards. Buddhists say that they are clearing their minds. Philosophers say that they are searching for truth. So here’s to you Philosophers. Have a great day!
Prayer for me is a comfort. It’s a direct personal link to the Lord. I aver to the things you had described in your OP. Prayer is a necessary efficacy for people who love God. It’s one thing we can do with our eyes closed and our hearts open.
I also think that prayer is absolutely necessary for the maintenance and growth of one’s faith. Prayer is action in the sense that it causes changes in the brain. Studies have been done with meditating Buddhist monks. The axons extending from the neurons make new connections as prayer leads us to new associations…new things we can do to solve our own problems or to help others. Its part of God’s mechanism for working through his people. When neurons have a direct connection, that directs our future thinking. I think it takes active thinking to produce the axon growth, but once the axons are connected, it directs our future thinking. We have in effect changed ourselves. To be spiritual person, it is absolutely necessary to maintain and build these connections through daily prayer. Its using our highest ability as human beings. Some folks might say I’m not talking about God here, but about physical processes. But God works through his creation. Christianity says that we are the “Body of Christ”; the means by which God interacts with His world.
Nice thread f12hte. Sometimes I deliberately stop what I am doing and think of various people who are close to me - family and friends. I simply consider where they are and what they are likely doing at that moment. Is it nighttime for them? Are they sleeping? Working at their job? It doesn’t take me more than a minute or two to consider this, and I don’t even go so far as to “pray for them” in the sense of actively wishing them goodwill. And yet my sense of contentment and fulfillment always increases and naturally overflows towards others - both the specific people I have pictured in my mind (who I am subsequently more likely to give a friendly phonecall to) as well as the various people I come into contact with during my day.
Its OK not to call it prayer. But the effect is the same. Just considering our own situation and the situation of others actually changes and empowers us to action.
I have recently taken up a study of consciousness theory…great fun. And having done quite a bit of computer programming, its fascinating to try to think of how a thinking computer might be developed.
In short, Dr Seuss said it all…“Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try”