(June 9, 2016 at 8:16 am)MrNoMorePropaganda Wrote: Has anyone ever thought about prayer boxes? Does God not listen unless multiple people pester it about the exact same issue? Or is it that prayer is more effective if it's conducted by higher ranking Theists in the community? Very curious to hear the rationale.
We are told the prayer of a righteous man produces much.
But before you can just whether or not a prayer is answered or not you have to know the difference between petition and Prayer. Paul makes this distinction several times in his writtings and Jesus Himself Identifies prayer as conforming to a specific set of 'asks' and worship. This means asking for winning lottery tickets and or even things you think you need like a new car aren't 'prayer.' Why? because getting on your knees and starting with "dear God, or Our Father and ending with Amen" is not the qualifiers for a prayer. Those 'asks' identified outside of the Lord's prayer are examples of us petitioning God.
When we Pray for the things, the way Jesus told us to pray, God ALWAYS answers in the affirmative. even if it is not in a way we expect. Because in the end the net result will be the same. That said there isn't a mandate God puts on Himself recorded in the bible to answer petitions in our preferred way. Matter of fact I can almost always guarantee you that if your petitions to God or if trying to trade good behavior for 'stuff' whether alone or in a group exceed your actual prayers His answer will always be no.
Why? Because the goal to prayer is a relationship with Him First. Inorder to do that we must love the Lord God with all that we are. If we are petitioning and not praying that what we petition for comes before God. That thing becomes a wedge between you and Him... So then why would he give it to you?
