Thoughts and not prayers.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

OK so prayers help the gift and the giver.. glad I was getting that general point correct.

LOL

[tackattack]

I agree Anomalocaris. We shouldn't take the praise or seek approval for a truly selfless act and the Bible even tells us that it should glorify God not ourselves. See b. from the previous post.

I agree Anomalocaris. We shouldn't take the praise or seek approval for a truly selfless act and the Bible even tells us that it should glorify God not ourselves. See b. from the previous post.

Gawd,
If a prayer for you isn't self-serving, aggrandizing, or condemning; and is positive encouragement for you and the person you're praying for and it benefits you both, how exactly is is condescending or self-serving

[The Grand Nudger]

OK so prayers help the gift and the giver.. glad I was getting that general point correct. Why do YOU consider praying to be insulting, unintentionally offensive, or just downright evil. Also to the OP, and anyone else that find praying insulting, unintentionally offensive, or just downright evil.

No need to reply if you feel:
a. I could have used some help and they actually didn't help me, they just prayed.
b. They were only praying to pat each other on the back.

Tack, stop, lol.  I -don't- find praying any of those things, this thread isn't actually about praying...and you know that.

It's about thoughts and prayersing. But hey, look..I'm not going to do anything more about it. I'll just thoughts and prayers that you find your lost ass back to a relationship with christ, who can explain this to you again, like he did in new magic book.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Gawd,
If a prayer for you isn't self-serving, aggrandizing, or condemning; and is positive encouragement for you and the person you're praying for and it benefits you both, how exactly is is condescending or self-serving

When you're lying to yourself, of course.

[Shell B]

My mom appreciates it when people say they're praying for her. That's nice and all. I still think she'd be helped a lot more by other material things.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

My mom appreciates it when people say they're praying for her. That's nice and all. I still think she'd be helped a lot more by other material things.

Pray in one hand and food in the other, and see which one fills you up faster.

[Angrboda]

So in other words, praying and offering someone your prayers is all about taking advantage of the fact that someone is suffering and under stress to attempt to convert them?  Thanks for clearing that up for me, tack.  Way to go, Christians!

"Here.  I can't actually do anything for you, but let me take advantage of your vulnerability for my own benefit."

Here, I can do something for you that you may not see or believe, I have this guy I know called God and He loves you. If you needed a place to stay and some food, I can help. You might need some medical assistance I can't really provide, but if I can take a moment of your time, I'd like to show you that God loves you and so do I and hear about your situation.

It's not taking advantage, it's being open and empathetic and trying to help someone. If you're a believer and so down you can't see God, it'll help. If you're a non-believer and you just want to share, it'll help, If you're not a believer and hate Christians/Religion I can see where it would be fuel to the fire of your hate and not productive, but how is a bystander to know where you lay philosophically?

A simple, I'm praying for you, retorted with please don't pray I find it condescending/grandizing/self-seeking, would be sufficient. If that's all that people are saying then I'm cool with that. That's why on this forum where we have profiles and rules, I have no problem not saying it "out loud".

So, in other words, you really are trying to pull the puppets strings after all, despite your saying the opposite previously. Even with believers, if they wanted to be closer to God, they probably would be, and your offering thoughts and prayers is likely not going to change that. So, even with a believer, you are doing it for you and God's benefit, not that of the person you claim you're helping. And all too frequently Christians offer thoughts and prayers to people who they already know don't believe.

I can believe the reasons a lot of Christians do it, but it isn't the reasons that you gave. The reasons you gave are just half-true apologetic bullshit.

[tackattack]

No jor, that's not what I said.
"it's being open and empathetic and trying to help someone." It's not attempting to get God to do anything. It's reaching out from one human to another. In no way have I ever implied, to my knowledge, that prayer does anything to change God.

Praying for someone else publicly:
1. can piss someone off if it's unwelcome
2. can be self-aggrandizing
3. can be disingenuine or fake
4. can be an easy cop out to actual physical needs

I don't do it if it's any of the above. prayer can also be a lot of positive things. If you think that's half-true apologetic bullshit, after misrepresenting my words, you're just wrong and I'll leave it at that.

Gae, ok I'll stop, it's not about thoughts and prayers, it's about people being fed up with empty words over action. But perhaps, when people have been so condescending, skeptical and enflamed by those hollow words, they can't recognize true compassion when it reaches out. I'll stop and let you guys get back to your meme's and caterwauling.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

. But perhaps, when people have been so condescending, skeptical and enflamed by those hollow words, they can't recognize true compassion when it reaches out. I'll stop and let you guys get back to your meme's and caterwauling.

LOL

[Angrboda]

No jor, that's not what I said.
"it's being open and empathetic and trying to help someone." It's not attempting to get God to do anything. It's reaching out from one human to another. In no way have I ever implied, to my knowledge, that prayer does anything to change God.

Praying for someone else publicly:
1. can piss someone off if it's unwelcome
2. can be self-aggrandizing
3. can be disingenuine or fake
4. can be an easy cop out to actual physical needs

I don't do it if it's any of the above. prayer can also be a lot of positive things. If you think that's half-true apologetic bullshit, after misrepresenting my words, you're just wrong and I'll leave it at that.

That was only one of the horns, tack. When you get both, let me know.

Here, I can do something for you that you may not see or believe, I have this guy I know called God and He loves you.

If you didn't intend to say that, then I'll accept that. You still haven't answered the problem and at this point are only engaged in moving goalposts around. I'll stop misrepresenting you when you stop misrepresenting yourself.