I grew up in a Christian home, the Deeper Life type of Christian home. My Dad was and is still a very prayerful man who puts all his trusts in God. I remember in the early nineties, during one of some of our morning devotions, dad used to concentrate his prayers on asking God to help touch the government to release his money (think he made a supply to them or something). This prayer was repeated in such a way that it became a song, the money was paid later but it took a long while, and by then the value had even reduced. All the same, dad believed God had answered his prayers.

Does God answer prayers? After taking my time to consider a lot of things that happened in my life and that of people around me, I have come to form a strong opinion that God does not really answer prayers. Sorry, I am not just talking out of ignorance, but out of close observation and with a free mind.

I believe that God exists, not because I have seen him or because I have experienced him. Even people who claim that they have experienced God knew what it took them to form such opinion and believe that what they experienced was God. Well, the fact is that anybody can experience anything and call it God. But the reason I believe in God is just by simply looking around me and wonder how all these came into being. I just don’t have idea what, how or who he is. I don’t believe God has two legs or has feelings like us but if he does then he is not God.

I think the bible and a whole lot of books we read are the source of confusion in the world today. I have tried to wonder why God who created heaven and earth, who is so mighty, should want to communicate with his creation through a book. And this book makes him look like nothing but just a greater human who gets angry, jealous, regrets and reacts without thinking. Why does God need to be all that? Why does he enjoy our worship? Why does he plan to throw us in hell because we didn’t worship him?

I believe this world is very mysterious. There is so much about it that we don’t know about it. For instance how do we talk of a friend and all of a sudden he comes around or he calls u on the phone? How do u explain telepathy and ability to see the future? Some people sure have gifts and how they come about it only continues to be a mystery. I don’t bother about the spiritual or after life (how can we talk of after life when we have not fully grasp the present life), because the spiritual is a mystery (if it exists) how does spiritual things we talk of everyday looks like?

I don’t believe prayers are answered but I believe in miracles. Yes miracles occur because of the same mysteries in the world. But we chose to call it God in action. You see belief is one human capability that we have that can control our lives. What you believe in is what you see rules you. If you believe that Mr. John is a thief, maybe because someone told you so, you will see that whatever he does will make you assume he is actually a thief. He might just tell you that he loves keeping late nights, all you will do is conclude and think, ‘I knew it, he keeps late night because he uses that period to steal’. Believe me, if Mr. John is actually not a thief it will take a lot to make you change your mind about him.

That’s how we form opinion about God, after reading the bible. We pray and the answer comes after ‘our efforts’ we say it’s God. But chances happen to everyone. From observation people who pray hard still go through what people who don’t pray do. The only difference is that people who pray always go back to thank God for answering their prayer when their effort is positive.

But think, if God delivers you from a terrible accident, and others die, does it mean that he chose not to deliver them? To me, if you pray against death, why should God deliver you against it, when eventually you will die? You might say so that you fulfill your destiny (which we never know), but we have seen so many young prayerful people die when they haven’t fulfilled their destiny, yet we say Gods time is the best. We chose to make him win whether outcomes favour us or not. But does he really have a hand in all these? Did he tell us so? Even after reading the bible, we continue making assumptions about God as it pleases us.

My dad always prays till today. He never sleeps, he is always praying, yet he has lost his wife, his kids are still on the average, he is struggling, life is really not easy for him. What is happening to all his prayers? Life is all about chance, your decision and how it affects other people’s decision and how other people’s decision affects yours. No prayer can change that about life; if not can you pray for a job as an accountant in NNPC without being a graduate and get the job?

Importance of prayer
There is a lot of reason why prayerful people can’t stop praying. Prayer gives us hope. It makes us feel that there is a powerful being who has heard us and is in control of our situation. Such thinking can make us energetic in our endeavors, but energy, effort and wise thinking make things happen and not prayer.

Prayer can make us relax a bit. Relaxation helps gives us a clear picture of what we are doing. After praying, there comes a sense of focus since we now believe our thoughts are now controlled by a divine being. This is natural, have you ever wondered why people chose to associate with celebrities and rich and powerful people. Having them as friends makes us believe we can think like them and become like them.

Prayer is like wishing ourselves well. Everybody does that. Prayer is just a more intensive act of well wishing. Or have you seen anybody who wakes up in the morning and wishes that he does not get the contract he seeks today? With this, I think everybody prays.

In conclusion my brother, everybody has right to make opinion out of life events as it pleases him. But it becomes a problem when you see people with different opinion as evil or lost.

People always ask why atheists attack Christians. It is because, Christians have a psychological way of making other religion look bad or lost (Islam on the other hand uses physical means like violence and rejection). They just plain believe that other opinions are wrong and they think telling you is an act of boldness and working for God. Well, the conflict will continue to exist as long as beliefs are used to make others feel bad. Christians need to learn to preach with UNDERSTANDING.

Y nt, if only u ve FAITH or a faithful intercessor.

sorry for the long post, just had to let all that is in my grieving heart out.

Great post.

I'll just highlight a few parts..

frank3.16:

Does God answer prayers? After taking my time to consider a lot of things that happened in my life and that of people around me, I have come to form a strong opinion that God does not really answer prayers. Sorry, I am not just talking out of ignorance, but out of close observation and with a free mind.

Indeed. Why pray if it's God's will? Can our prayers change God's will? Is that even possible?

frank3.16:

I think the bible and a whole lot of books we read are the source of confusion in the world today. I have tried to wonder why God who created heaven and earth, who is so mighty, should want to communicate with his creation through a book. And this book makes him look like nothing but just a greater human who gets angry, jealous, regrets and reacts without thinking. Why does God need to be all that? Why does he enjoy our worship? Why does he plan to throw us in hell because we didn’t worship him?

A few more. Why pick one random tribe above others? Sanction genocides and other atrocities? From a Christian POV, how can a 1000 people claiming to be led by the Holy Spirit, read a verse and give as many interpretations?

frank3.16:

I don’t bother about the spiritual or after life (how can we talk of after life when we have not fully grasp the present life), because the spiritual is a mystery (if it exists) how does spiritual things we talk of everyday looks like?

Interesting. And this is where I understand why some atheists are very violent against religions like Christianity and Islam, especially Nigerian atheists. Suffering and poverty in this world is nothing compared to the glory that awaits you in heaven. The prosperity MOG's on other hand, would rather have you believe that your 'faith' rather than your works can transform bank account for the better.
Most Nigerians believe the evil politicians will face God's wrath in hell, so they're subdued. Also, all authority comes from God. Doesn't matter if it's a dictator. All power comes from above.
If only they knew better....

frank3.16:

But think, if God delivers you from a terrible accident, and others die, does it mean that he chose not to deliver them? There is a lot of reason why prayerful people can’t stop praying. Prayer gives us hope. It makes us feel that there is a powerful being who has heard us and is in control of our situation. Such thinking can make us energetic in our endeavors, but energy, effort and wise thinking make things happen and not prayer.

You don talk am finish..

DAZ ALL from me.. Great write-up..

OP,
'God answers prayers' is an understatement. He hears, He sees, He knows, he answers more than we can imagine.
I think the problem is many of us do not know how to pray aright and according to His will. Romans 8:23-27.
If only we all prayed according to His will not ours, the results we would get will outstand even us.

Alwaystrue: OP,
'God answers prayers' is an understatement. He hears, He sees, He knows, he answers more than we can imagine.
I think the problem is many of us do not know how to pray aright and according to His will. Romans 8:23-27.
If only we all prayed according to His will not ours, the results we would get will outstand even us.

Was it God's will that rain be suspended in Israel for three years?

James 5:
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Alwaystrue: OP,
'God answers prayers' is an understatement. He hears, He sees, He knows, he answers more than we can imagine.
I think the problem is many of us do not know how to pray aright and according to His will. Romans 8:23-27.
If only we all prayed according to His will not ours, the results we would get will outstand even us.

from your post, God answers only some kinds of prayers... according to his will. how does a hungry man pray according to God's will? if not to kneel down and ask God for favour. besides since God already has a will, why wait for you to pray first and when u do it wrongly he holds back? what do we think God is? a human?

the best way we can pray is according to our will. if you ask your father for money how do you askin him according to his will.

almost all prayers was answered in the bible. Jesus said that even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed, you shall move mountains. why then all these controversy.

why must it be difficult to get answers from a loving God and easy to get from a devil who hates us. those who invlove in ritualism just do all that is asked and gbam, they are sailing.

but for a loving God, you must pray according to his will and wait till his time.

ok, what is exactly according to God's will, teach me please

musKeeto:

Was it God's will that rain be suspended in Israel for three years?

Possibly?

I Kings 16:30-33
30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.

31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.



Deut. 11:16-17
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

17 And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.

Yes I believe Elijah was praying based on the scriptures as plainly shown above.


And if to confirm better, It was GOD that told Elijah to go to back to Ahab to tell him that God would again send rain again to the earth.

I Kings 18:1
And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth

Elijah still had to pray earnestly even for this to be answered. God has His ways that man can never understand. But the scriptures can give you a big picture.

Alwaystrue:
Elijah still had to pray earnestly even for this to be answered. God has His ways that man can never understand. But the scriptures can give you a big picture.

Brilliant answer...

But I think the highlighted answers a lot. We are never sure... Maybe it was the prayer, maybe it was God's will..

Alwaystrue:

Elijah still had to pray earnestly even for this to be answered. God has His ways that man can never understand. But the scriptures can give you a big picture.

madam, read the bolded again and ask yourself if you have not discounted all that you have been preaching. if man can never understand the way of God, how does man pray according to his will? if you dont understand him how do u confidently know what you are doing?

frank3.16:


from your post, God answers only some kinds of prayers... according to his will. how does a hungry man pray according to God's will? if not to kneel down and ask God for favour. besides since God already has a will, why wait for you to pray first and when u do it wrongly he holds back? what do we think God is? a human?

the best way we can pray is according to our will. if you ask your father for money how do you askin him according to his will.

almost all prayers was answered in the bible. Jesus said that even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed, you shall move mountains. why then all these controversy.

why must it be difficult to get answers from a loving God and easy to get from a devil who hates us. those who invlove in ritualism just do all that is asked and gbam, they are sailing.

but for a loving God, you must pray according to his will and wait till his time.

ok, what is exactly according to God's will, teach me please

God answers all prayers. The difference is the type of answer. There are ways I can ask my father for money that He will not answer me and there are ways you can ask that He will give more than you imagine, so that analogy cannot help you. Yes faith is praying and earnestly or loyally waiting on God for the manifestation who will give you the right way to have your desire (most times even when the thought comes we kill it as its not our desired or easiest way).

God loves and answers, yes Devil will give you what you want because He needs your soul, he gives a little and gets more from you or gets you. You ought to know better why the way of the devil always looks easier.

We pray according to the word/will of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. We can never understand it all, in most cases till the answer comes before it dawns on us why we had that 'light affliction which is but for a moment'.

frank3.16:


madam, read the bolded again and ask yourself if you have not discounted all that you have been preaching. if man can never understand the way of God, how does man pray according to his will? if you dont understand him how do u confidently know what you are doing?

'But the scriptures can give you a big picture'
Next time complete my sentences.
Thanks.

Alwaystrue:
We pray according to the word/will of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. We can never understand it all, in most cases till the answer comes before it dawns on us why we had that 'light affliction which is but for a moment'.

Why pray if it's God's will? It makes prayers unnecessary, don't you think? Even Jesus prayed, not my will, but thy will be done...

That alone gives me a clue that prayer goes beyond just a mere request....

Alwaystrue:

God answers all prayers. The difference is the type of answer. There are ways I can ask my father for money that He will not answer me and there are ways you can ask that He will give more than you imagine, so that analogy cannot help you. Yes faith is praying and earnestly or loyally waiting on God for the manifestation who will give you the right way to have your desire (most times even when the thought comes we kill it as its not our desired or easiest way).

well, dont just say praying earnestly, as if you prayed and went to lie down waiting for answers, didnt you still work hard? how are you sure that the good result was as a result of your prayer or hardwork? well i am sure it is result of your hard work because know hardwork pays most times, i know your success in life must depend on how much input u have made. i know a lot of people who didnt pray or perhaps they prayed but heir life style obviously dont represent the will of God and they were successful in their endeavours. i also know a lot of Christians who despite their prayers are suffering. why is it so difficult to just get from God?
the father example i used is definately wrong because God and never behave like our earthly father.

God loves and answers, yes Devil will give you what you want because He needs your soul, he gives a little and gets more from you or gets you. You ought to know better why the way of the devil always looks easier.

doesnt God need our soul? are you suggesting that God made his way harder? he made understanding and following him difficult?

We pray according to the word/will of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. We can never understand it all, in most cases till the answer comes before it dawns on us why we had that 'light affliction which is but for a moment'.

till the answers come? after your effort or when you sit in your room waiting? ok, who answers for those who pray not according to his will that are still successful, yet they claim God has answered their prayers? funny, God is the one giving you, yet he is the one to help understand how to ask him before he gives you.

Alwaystrue:

'But the scriptures can give you a big picture'
Next time complete my sentences.
Thanks.

sorry, just thought that wasnt necessary because if we can never understand God, why then do we read the scriptures?

musKeeto:

Why pray if it's God's will? It makes prayers unnecessary, don't you think? Even Jesus prayed, not my will, but thy will be done...

That alone gives me a clue that prayer goes beyond just a mere request....

Prayer is not a mere request truly.

Luke 22:41-43
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

As you can see, Jesus already knew the will of the Father that He was to die for the sins of the world. Even though his prayer was not 'answered', An angel was sent to strengthen him. That is the inner peace we receive after we pray even when we do not see the answer or get the answer as we want it.

frank3.16:


sorry, just thought that wasnt necessary because if we can never understand God, why then do we read the scriptures?

Reading a book about someone will never tell you ALL about the person even detailed autobiographies. The bible gives you the big picture but the Holy Spirit is the one that will comfort, help you and strengthen you whatever the answer is. We cannot comprehend God with our small minds. NOT POSSIBLE. That is why HE is the Omnipotent.
I will advise you pray for the Holy Spirit to minister to you as that is His work.
Thanks.

Alwaystrue:

Prayer is not a mere request truly.

Luke 22:41-43
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

As you can see, Jesus already knew the will of the Father that He was to die for the sins of the world. Even though his prayer was not 'answered', An angel was sent to strengthen him. That is the inner peace we receive after we pray even when we do not see the answer or get the answer as we want it.


Reading a book about someone will never tell you ALL about the person even detailed autobiographies. The bible gives you the big picture but the Holy Spirit is the one that will comfort, help you and strengthen you whatever the answer is. We cannot comprehend God with our small minds. NOT POSSIBLE. That is why HE is the Omnipotent.
I will advise you pray for the Holy Spirit to minister to you as that is His work.
Thanks.

well, good point there. the fact is that i am yet to see a prayer get answered. I lost my fiance on friday in the benin ore multiple accident... she was a prayerful person, always encouraging me. the week following her demise she was always in church when we talk on phone. only for her to die such a terrible death will a lot of people. her parents are almost a nut case since the news, i am almost a mad man. yet God knows the best, it is his will blah blah blah... we can't continue living on assumption.
if i hadnt brought God into this it would have been more easier to understand... but all the hype he gets, yet nothing makes sense. except senseless theories and assumption. we are just hell bent on giving him the glory even when its gone bad just because the bible said so. but reality is totally different from the bible.

I am so so sorry Frank3.16. Really sorry to hear this.
I really do not know what to say myself but May the Lord comfort you.
I believe she is in a better place.

I myself have lost very dear nuclear family members to death in painful ways. However, it was this same word of God that kept me from going crazy. If I went defiant, it would still not bring them back. I just had to trust and keep my belief in God.
Even Job did not understand. Pele dear.

God is d creator,we r His subjects.He makes decisions without our permission,it is only thru prayers that God may change or amend his decision.He is d potter,we r d pots.We can't dictate to Him how He should make us unless thru prayer.

Moreover; live as if there is a God, later if there is u will be comforted,but if there is no God,u still got nothing to loose! But to be on safer side FEAR GOD!

thanx sha, its just crazy... the whys and hows are too much. what strenght will God give me now when he would have prevented all these dramas. wht does he stand to gain seeing humans go through pain. why is the devil more active while god is just watching.

what do i do now? i had the best girl i culd ever desire and now she's gone. the thought of her burning in that flame i something else. yet God takes the glory. its just either he does not want to do anything or he cant. or he planned it that way from the begining, which is another crazy thing.

all i am saying is that why do we keep on assuming when in reality there is much we dont know

Cold blooded: God is d creator,we r His subjects.He makes decisions without our permission,it is only thru prayers that God may change or amend his decision.He is d potter,we r d pots.We can't dictate to Him how He should make us unless thru prayer.

Moreover; live as if there is a God, later if there is u will be comforted,but if there is no God,u still got nothing to loose! But to be on safer side FEAR GOD!

your post is more annoying than a blatant insult!! what do u mean by he makes decision witout our permission. is that what he told u? how? ok, he told u through a book? i though u said he loved us, how does he talk decisions that hurts us and think we have no right to question him

besides what will he do if i question him. what will he do, answer me

frank3.16:
thanx sha, its just crazy... the whys and hows are too much. what strenght will God give me now when he would have prevented all these dramas. wht does he stand to gain seeing humans go through pain. why is the devil more active while god is just watching.

what do i do now? i had the best girl i culd ever desire and now she's gone. the thought of her burning in that flame i something else. yet God takes the glory. its just either he does not want to do anything or he cant. or he planned it that way from the begining, which is another crazy thing.

all i am saying is that why do we keep on assuming when in reality there is much we dont know

Is it possible for you to take some time off? Time off everything and just rest. This is a great trauma that you cannot handle alone.
I believe if your fiancee could talk to you now, she may be saying hold on and be strong and still be encouraging you because she has served her course and finished her race.

It is left for you to finish yours and finish well. Please pray and let the ministering Holy Spirit strengthen you like Job, as he went through worse than any of us might have yet stood to the extent that He said even if God slays Him, He will still serve Him.
Any defiance now should be to the devil. Prove to him that you will survive this and bounce back stronger and more blessed and God will help you.
Again accept my condolences.

Alwaystrue:

Is it possible for you to take some time off? Time off everything and just rest. This is a great trauma that you cannot handle alone.
I believe if your fiancee could talk to you now, she may be saying hold on and be strong and still be encouraging you because she has served her course and finished her race.

It is left for you to finish yours and finish well. Please pray and let the ministering Holy Spirit strengthen you like Job, as he went through worse than any of us might have yet stood to the extent that He said even if God slays Him, He will still serve Him.
Any defiance now should be to the devil. Prove to him that you will survive this and bounce back stronger and more blessed and God will help you.
Again accept my condolences.

thanx anyways, i think i will just handle myself my own way... no one took my permission before allowing me go through this pain, and i dont have to beg anybody to get over it.

i lost my mum three years ago after so much prayers and prayers she still left. i didnt need the holy spirit to get over it.

all these sounds like the holy spirits waits for things to get bad, then hangs around hoping that u will ask him for stenght then he comes and feel like chairman.

well tell the holyspirit that prevention is better than cure, or he shuld as well strike me dead or send me to hell, since it is what he seem to enjoy most

You do need to calm down a bit, Frank. Take some time out. I hope you come out of the experience much stronger, with or without your faith intact.


Some responses esp the Xtian ones here might end up pissing you off. In my view, Nigerian Xtians can be the most judgmental.

frank3.16:


your post is more annoying than a blatant insult!! what do u mean by he makes decision witout our permission. is that what he told u? how? ok, he told u through a book? i though u said he loved us, how does he talk decisions that hurts us and think we have no right to question him

besides what will he do if i question him. what will he do, answer me

I never read your initial post about the demise of your fiancee before I made the post. But believe me when I said "He make decisions without our permission" I m not alluding it to the occurred tragedy. All I can say to you now is to be strong, I can imagine what you are going thru.But I believe that pending all questions about the credibility of prayers or the majesty of God will help a great deal to make you feel better.

I am sorry if what I said earlier frayed nerves but making despairing statements about life and God might steer mixed reactions from most christians. Take heart!

Cold blooded: I never read your initial post about the demise of your fiancee before I made the post. But believe me when I said "He make decisions without our permission" I m not alluding it to the occurred tragedy. All I can say to you now is to be strong, I can imagine what you are going thru.But I believe that pending all questions about the credibility of prayers or the majesty of God will help a great deal to make you feel better.

I am sorry if what I said earlier frayed nerves but making despairing statements about life and God might steer mixed reactions from most christians. Take heart!

i already knew that you didnt mean the demise of my friend. so that wasnt my reason for challenging your statement. but i am still concerned about the fact that God can do what he wants without our permission

--

hello frank.....how are you now and how's everything.
I just read your post now and all i can encourage myself now apart from crying all over you is hug you tight and tell you you'll be fine
I dont even know what to say. Just wanna keep hugging you and hoping you'll get better in time and with time. I pray God shows you the way and fill every void in your heart with Understanding and Love. Love that will spill out so much that you wont be able to contain it.


i read this post and i soooooo much felt it. i felt your pain believe me and though ive not met you before, i cant imagine what you went through in the dark phases of your life

I went through a similar phase too dearie, and you cant describe how i felt. Doubts and so many things crept in and i felt so bitter and angry, saying it in my mind that God did not love me.
And you know what God did? He showed me he did.
I really wish we could talk more frank, cos there's so much ive been through in life, so many things u need to know and so many things u dont understand yet till the time comes.

A friend sent me a book all the way(loool) u can imagine when i was going through that phase and i just believe God had a hand in it cos believe me, i have never seen the woman physically before, We just talk online and she happened to just be a wonderful person.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease dear, i want you to get this book, The SHACK by William P. Young. i read that book and i cried because i began to see my foolishness after seeing God in a diff light.
What do you say to a man that his little girl was abducted and killed by a serial killer? couldn't God have protected her? she couldnt have done any bad in life. she was just a child. 4 or 5yrs perhaps and yet you want the man to keep loving God like nothing happened?

I read 'Heaven is real' and i saw another man crying and yelling at God for taking his little boy away. Todd. and yet he was a pastor. How would God do that to his ministers? How could God do that to his servants that loved him and did his work?

Call me mushy but i think i cried here too because i saw a reflection of myself and i came to a new understanding.

Hugging you again. this too shall pass.
xo!!

Does god answer prayers?. . .No he does not. . .

glowingscenes: hello frank.....how are you now and how's everything.
I just read your post now and all i can encourage myself now apart from crying all over you is hug you tight and tell you you'll be fine
I dont even know what to say. Just wanna keep hugging you and hoping you'll get better in time and with time. I pray God shows you the way and fill every void in your heart with Understanding and Love. Love that will spill out so much that you wont be able to contain it.


i read this post and i soooooo much felt it. i felt your pain believe me and though ive not met you before, i cant imagine what you went through in the dark phases of your life

I went through a similar phase too dearie, and you cant describe how i felt. Doubts and so many things crept in and i felt so bitter and angry, saying it in my mind that God did not love me.
And you know what God did? He showed me he did.
I really wish we could talk more frank, cos there's so much ive been through in life, so many things u need to know and so many things u dont understand yet till the time comes.

A friend sent me a book all the way(loool) u can imagine when i was going through that phase and i just believe God had a hand in it cos believe me, i have never seen the woman physically before, We just talk online and she happened to just be a wonderful person.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease dear, i want you to get this book, The SHACK by William P. Young. i read that book and i cried because i began to see my foolishness after seeing God in a diff light.
What do you say to a man that his little girl was abducted and killed by a serial killer? couldn't God have protected her? she couldnt have done any bad in life. she was just a child. 4 or 5yrs perhaps and yet you want the man to keep loving God like nothing happened?

I read 'Heaven is real' and i saw another man crying and yelling at God for taking his little boy away. Todd. and yet he was a pastor. How would God do that to his ministers? How could God do that to his servants that loved him and did his work?

Call me mushy but i think i cried here too because i saw a reflection of myself and i came to a new understanding.

Hugging you again. this too shall pass.
xo!!

i wish, i know what u read in the book that was different from what we hear everyday... i saw ur pm, but go to nairaland/literature writing section... search for my stories, tenth generation, the cyber lover, the religion and the lost key, the u can also search for the tribute i wrote to beloved, 'in her loving memory' u will get my email and contact in either of these. lets see what can tell me, thanks

Frank, I have read your posts in the past but this is the first time I am replying you. I believe a loved one of yours passed a while ago, so let me extend my condolences.

Now, having read your opening post and with the background I have on you, its clear you are a deist or something like it even if you havent admitted to yourself.
Does "God" answer prayers? The answer is there is no evidence to confirm the affirmative. Anyone can do a control test and pray to a samsung phone (must be a quadcore I think) and get their prayers answered at the same rate.

If you can, please watch this link featuring George Carlin.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcy40pvGIGQ

For one, if god really answers prayers, 500 years of scientific study would have revealed that christians are better off than non-Christians (you see them everyday praying vehemently for success, good health, goodluck etc)...as we know, this is not the case (most of the richest, most successful people and countries, are not necessarily christians; goodluck and good health is evenly spread across nations). we have christians who are rich, poor, sick, healthy, do well in school, fail exams, do good or bad in business, receive visa, get refused visa; christians who survive accidents as well as those who don't etc so do we have muslims, atheist, buddhist, hindus etc experiencing the same aforementioned circumstances. unfortunately, answering prayers after all, is a BIG part of being god and it doesn't take a logician to see that it follows that christian lives would be undeniably better because they pray, if prayer was really answered, thus one of god's attributes, when held up to the scrutiny of evidence and proof, fails.

i remember reading an interesting article that asked (paraphrased) "why would god answer your prayer (for personal success, cancer cure etc) when s/he continues to let millions live in poverty/pain/etc?"

think of this...


OP, take heart n i too also hope you come out stronger from this. to try n lighten things up a bit let me leave u wit a lil joke:

In a small Texas town, a new bar started a building to open up their business. The local baptist church started a campaign of petitions and prayers to block the bar from opening. Work progressed, however right up til the week before opening, when a lightning strike hit the bar and it burned to the ground. The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, til the bar owner sued the church on grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means. The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise in its reply to the court. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork. At the hearing he commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but as it appears from the paperwork, we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not." take heart OP

How god actually answers prayers:
[img]http://halfjump.info/atheism/page/photos/How%20God%20answers%20your%20prayers.jpg[/img]