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A little over a month ago, we had a long thread on this discussion
board about how and for what we should pray. Liz pointed out that she
came to realize God loves her and that loving relationship continues
through the ups and downs in her life. We also talked about the
"magician in the sky" image that adults who attended organized
religion services have fixed in their minds.
At the time of the thread, I pointed out the inconsistency that people
ask us to pray for tangible things: recovery from an operation,
remission of cancer, some person finds new employment, this mother's
son returns from Iraq safely, etc.
It would be rude and offensive to say "I'll pray 'Thy Will be Done'"
to those asking for our prayers. Can you imagine saying to someone
"If it is God's will that you recover from your operation, then that
is good." Alternatively, "If it is God's will that your son come back
alive and healthy, then I will pray for His will to be done."
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
Now many of us have prayed for Martin's neighbor. I suspect it was
not Martin's intention that we pray "God, if it is your will that
Martin's friend die, so be it! Hallelujah!" Instead, Martin
presumably wanted us to petition God for something tangible and
substantive: recovery by his neighbor.
Am I the only person on this board who sees the inconsistency between
SAYING that we don't pray for substantive things, because we reject
the notion of the magician in the sky, yet every time someone in
church or our neighborhood or on this board asks for our prayers, IN
PRACTICE we pray for substantive, tangible intervention by God each
time those prayers are requested?
Mike
P.S. A related inconsistency is trying to define the phrase "In
Jesus's name" as meaning "Thy Will Be Done."
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