<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Faithless</b></i>
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Sorry for the delay in
writing, but I needed to register and the work pc wouldn't play
ball.
Mockingbird, you said that the reason for praying is simple. Prayer
is not about asking for stuff, it's about communication with God.
Others concur, saying that prayer is not a shopping
list.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">This seems to be in
direct contradiction of the very scriptures I quoted earlier. To
paraphrase:
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Mathew 7:7 - Ask and
it shall be given....
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Mathew 21:21 - .....you
will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">John 14:12 - 14 .... if
you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">The scriptures are
incredibly clear; ask and it shall be given, you will receive
whatever you ask, if you ask anything in my name I will give
it. I am not sure how this can be read differently,
especially when in context of the surrounding text.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">In a different thread
you stated "You don't understand. I cast away my own thoughts and
ideas long ago when I realized they were useless. (Ecclesiastes
1:12-15) I, myself, am neither wise nor knowledgeable, so anything
I say apart from scripture is completely meaningless."
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Having cast away your
thoughts and ideas, what is said in the scriptures must remain at
face value. It says "Ask and it shall be given....." not ask and it
shall be given so long as fits in my master plan. If you ask
anything in my name, I will do it. Anything. Whatever you ask for.
These are definites, not some woolly provisos.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">You say prayer is not
about asking for stuff - I say that according to the bible it is!
By your own words anything you say apart from scripture is
meaningless and therefore invalid.
IMHO (that of a spiritual, but not religious person) that its in the wording. Just like when I wished upon a star as a child. If you make a "general" wish such as I wish I didnt have to suffer or I didnt have breathing problems with CF. That is a lot different then saying I wish I never had CF etc. I believe that what we want (depending on our thoughts/wishes) & what we get (depending on whats interpretted as our thoughts/wishes) can be different. My understanding of how "God" works is that he always answers us. Just not in the way we were expecting, hoping or wishing. **Refer to the general wish part of this paragraph**
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Sorry for the delay in
writing, but I needed to register and the work pc wouldn't play
ball.
Mockingbird, you said that the reason for praying is simple. Prayer
is not about asking for stuff, it's about communication with God.
Others concur, saying that prayer is not a shopping
list.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">This seems to be in
direct contradiction of the very scriptures I quoted earlier. To
paraphrase:
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Mathew 7:7 - Ask and
it shall be given....
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Mathew 21:21 - .....you
will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">John 14:12 - 14 .... if
you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">The scriptures are
incredibly clear; ask and it shall be given, you will receive
whatever you ask, if you ask anything in my name I will give
it. I am not sure how this can be read differently,
especially when in context of the surrounding text.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">In a different thread
you stated "You don't understand. I cast away my own thoughts and
ideas long ago when I realized they were useless. (Ecclesiastes
1:12-15) I, myself, am neither wise nor knowledgeable, so anything
I say apart from scripture is completely meaningless."
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">Having cast away your
thoughts and ideas, what is said in the scriptures must remain at
face value. It says "Ask and it shall be given....." not ask and it
shall be given so long as fits in my master plan. If you ask
anything in my name, I will do it. Anything. Whatever you ask for.
These are definites, not some woolly provisos.
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">
<p class="msonormal"><span style=
" font-size: x-small; font-family: Verdana;">You say prayer is not
about asking for stuff - I say that according to the bible it is!
By your own words anything you say apart from scripture is
meaningless and therefore invalid.
IMHO (that of a spiritual, but not religious person) that its in the wording. Just like when I wished upon a star as a child. If you make a "general" wish such as I wish I didnt have to suffer or I didnt have breathing problems with CF. That is a lot different then saying I wish I never had CF etc. I believe that what we want (depending on our thoughts/wishes) & what we get (depending on whats interpretted as our thoughts/wishes) can be different. My understanding of how "God" works is that he always answers us. Just not in the way we were expecting, hoping or wishing. **Refer to the general wish part of this paragraph**