Prayer is a waste of time!

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Here is the story of Suzie a demonstration on how prayer is a waste of time, emotions effort and thoughts.

You know, this francis guy they have in rome now is sort of cool.

He once said, "You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works."

I'm on board for meditation. What Freud and Jung hinted at has shown to be probably sort of true -- that the part of our brain we are conscious of is just a part, and there are other parts that work other ways. I'm not saying that listening to motivational tapes in your sleep works, but any sports coach will tell you that visualization exercises work. That meditating on doing something, sleeping on it, and then doing it works.

I think this francis guy has the right idea.

Wouldn't it make more sense to just feed them without prayer?

I have been prayed for, and I felt it. I have prayed for others, and later I found out they said they felt it when I did it, at a considerable distance and with no knowledge that I prayed for them and without me saying anything about it to them. there is something there that no corporeal intelligence understands even though they profess otherwise. for those who have not felt it, there is a certain feeling one gets when one is prayed for. for want of better words, it is a feeling of warmth and lightness/buoyancy, a temporary lessening of the normal angst of inhabiting a human body.

This is something that I have experienced too. There is little doubt that prayer, meditation (and perhaps even the now fashionable 'mindfulness') takes us into an area of existence for which conventional wisdom has no rational explanation. When we pray inwardly - what the Orthodox call 'prayer of the heart' - we are confronted with ourselves and all our faults, which is a salutary experience. It reminds us that there is something more powerful than us in life, that human beings are not the pinnacle of existence but just part of a vast network of interconnected, interdependent beings. Prayer is a different level of consciousness.

What blauSamstag says is also true, particularly regarding Freud and Jung's theories about the different areas of human conscious.

And yes, the Pope is a cool dude. His latest encyclical on the environment, 'Laudato si', is fascinating. In effect it is a theology of ecology, a holistic approach to climate change that makes the views of politicians and even green activists look distinctly inadequate. It can be downloaded for free from the Vatican website: http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html

I hope he lives his normal allotment of time.

I can't watch your video, cuz I still have Dial-up Internet----but, I wanted to comment on what seems to be the theme of this thread (going-by the title).....

I'm thinking people might feel prayer is a waste of time, because when they don't get what they want, they figure nobody's listening----that there isn't anyone there, to grant them, the "whatever". We're a people of "I want what I want, and I want it NOW"----but, I don't believe God works, that way. I can feel / HAVE felt disappointed when God doesn't grant me, what I've prayed about; but, my belief is "God may have a different plan"----not only in WHEN He should grant me something----but, also, IF He should grant me something. I believe that God knows our HEARTS; and, for instance, if we're asking for something for purely selfish reasons, He's not going to give it, to us----cuz, why INDULGE us. I also believe that God might not grant us, something for which we pray, cuz maybe we're not ready for the responsibility, for instance----and HE can see "down-the-road", and WE can't; so, we're thinking He's being unkind to us, maybe.

To ME, it's like this: When an earthly father tells their child to NOT do something, it is because he has had the experience, probably, and he knows what the child wants to do, isn't going to be good, for him. The child has a right to decide, for HIMSELF, what he wants to do (just like God gave us, free-will), but then don't blame "earthly father", when he warned you, it would turn-out badly, and it DID (just like I don't feel I should blame God, when he's given me instructions [The Bible], and I chose to make-up my OWN mind).

Then, in this scenario, the child might go-ahead and do what he wants, then it turns-out badly, and then he sees that his father was correct, to warn him. We, as children of God, don't usually have the luxury of "instant gratification"----as in, seeing that God was right (if, for no other reason, but because God isn't standing, right in front of us), so it's difficult for us to have / KEEP faith.

My faith in God continues ever to be strong----and, usually the more problems, I have, the stronger my faith, IS. Also, I try, very hard, to remember to thank God, when things go really well, as well, cuz it's very easy to think "Oh, BOY----I got 'lucky', with THAT", and for me to forget that God had a hand, in it. People who do not have as strong a faith, think that's LUDICROUS, to continue to be faithful, continue to thank God, continue to pray, continue to try to do what I feel He wants us, to do (ie, be kind to each other, and so-forth)----ESPECIALLY, when people know how "challenging" my life has been (in TOTALLY UN-Aspie-related ways)----but, MY feeling is: "I'm still, HERE!", and I certainly have made ALOT of mistakes----so, I feel SOMEBODY had to have a hand, in that!

Oh, I forgot..... I think the Pope, TOTALLY ROCKS----and, I'm not even Catholic!!

That's a lovely comment, Cat - particularly what you say about prayers being answered or not, and the Divine plan that has a hand in this and everything else. I don't know about you, but when I pray I always sense that 'someone' is listening - and since I pray silently that someone is able to read my thoughts and my heart.

And yes, the Pope is a breath of fresh air in so many ways.

I am a big fan of prayer, for all the reasons others have given.

Thanks for that Campin_Cat.

We once had a preacher come and tell us about one of those stupid moments in his life. It must have taken guts to confess being that stupid. He read in The Bible that Jesus said if anyone had faith as much as a tiny mustard seed the could say unto this mountain be moved and it would move. So he went up to this particular mountain and commanded it to move. Don't be surprised it didn't move. In some desperation he prayed and got his answer. It didn't suit God's purposes to have that mountain move. After all why not have ten mustard seeds and move the whole Appalachians.

Jesus said he spoke to his disciples in parables and I suppose this was such. So we aren't always told what were parables , but can get the point, if we really want to know. This brings me to the point of being in agreement with Campin_Cat saying our prayer can be asking for what God wants. It is about knowing God's heart.

I'm an atheist, but I actually believe prayer can positive effects on those to which the prayers are directed, for the same reason positive thoughts can be beneficial.

Might be something to the energy of prayer...

You're quite welcome!