In a conversation I was having on the Islam board a frank and opening conversation started with the usefulness or not of an imposed national day of prayer. This soon developed into a number of inner woven topics from sin, to Adam and Eve, to the power and purpose of prayer. However, as you might have surmised it became too off topic so I thought we could open a topic here using the basic idea of the "Power of Prayer"! It is real or imagined? If real, how does it plays in one’s life ...

"The true worshiper, while praying, should endeavour not so much to ask God to fulfil his wishes and desires, but rather to adjust these and make them conform to the Divine Will. Only through such an attitude can one derive that feeling of inner peace and contentment which the power of prayer alone can confer." (The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 240)

We may feel helpless to be of benefit and/or assistance to situations like what is happening to the Baha’is in Iran so we prayer for them. The question that might come from someone who doesn’t believe in the power of prayer maybe: "But how does pray help in the 1^st place.

I hope posters will jump in, but to start this threat, if I may cut and past a comment I made on the Islam board:

My understanding is that prayer is like rain! It promotes spiritual growth for the individual and the world at large! The purpose and power of prayer is intermingled with our heart and mind as it relates to the spirit and soul of man as well as its relationship with the Word of God in developing our spiritual understanding – individually and collectively. Through our spiritual understanding as it relates to the Word of God for this day, prayer develops a commitment to action as the result of the increased knowledge of God’s desires. If one doesn’t fully understand the ramification of the prayer and resulting action, prayer helps one to stay committed to the process thereby allowing for the result God expects. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves! To pray for the Baha’is of Iran doesn’t mean I know the full ramification from such action but I trust that positive things not fully know is the result. I know as an individual and as a global community Baha’is all over the world become more united in thought, the first requirement for change, as well as a collective effort of informing the secular world, and mobilizing resources (media, gov’t, agencies that might be influential, etc) for their benefit. Peaceful efforts are always sought ...

But what do I know? So! Is prayer real? Does prayer help? If so how?

Howdy Seefan

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

 

My understanding is that prayer is like rain! It promotes spiritual growth for the individual and the world at large!

My understanding is the meditation is like rain!  It promotes spiritual growth and the world  at large. 

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

The purpose and power of prayer is intermingled with our heart and mind as it relates to the spirit and soul of man as well as its relationship with the Word of God in developing our spiritual understanding – individually and collectively.

The purpose and power of medititation focuses the mind of man on its relationship with all sentient bengs. 

  I like to start at the basics.   What is prayer? 

dictionary.reference.com/browse/prayer+

Now there are several different definations for the word prayer. 

In the specific case of your "praying" for the Bahai in Iran which of the definition applies?

I think it is safe to say that your prayers are directed  towards God. 

What words are you saying or thinking when you are either asking or communing with God reagarding the Bahai in Iran?

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

But what do I know?

What do you believe? 

Is there a difference between what you know and what you believe?

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

So! Is prayer real?

Yes prayers are real.  The Bible is real.  The Quran is real.   I know that they exist.  But wether or not they are the wordS of God is not known, but believed.

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

 Does prayer help?

I don't know.  How would you be able to tell if it works?

Jun 1, 2010 -- 6:25PM, Seefan wrote:

If so how? 

As I said in the other thread prayer might help the person doing the prayer by giving him hope that God is going to hear his prayers and in someway respond.  It may help those who are being prayed for by if they knew somenone was praying for them. 

So in those contexts prayer might help. 

But meditation could accomplish the same objectives.   

However I do not think that prayer is of much help in stopping the persecution of the Bahai in Iran. 

Have A Thinking Day And May Reason And  Compassion Guide You

Communion with God makes us better.

It should shape our desires into conformance with the Divine Will.

We learn how we should become and be.

We are enlightened as to what we should want, receiving contentment and certitude.

It is free for us to ask for what is in our hearts.

Our hearts should grow to hold more, become big enough to hold the Throne of God.

Emptying the heart of all else, helps make more room.

When there is infinite room, there is no self as there is no center to be self-centered.

Nothing is more eloquent than silent listening.

God is Most Eloquent.

We are so blessed with favor.

A bounty whose immensity is immeasurable, whose extent is boundless.

Jun 3, 2010 -- 12:43AM, larry wrote:

alot of yall are asking does prayer work well with the faith of a mustured seed all aman has to do is say mountion move and the mountion will move but but thats from biblical text of christanity but the buddist as i understand it belive that religions are the path to enlightendment others have realised that pain is relitive and by the power of the mind simplied blocked it out and all of this can be achived by faith and the defination of faith is without doubt  you cant just  make anything happen at the snap of your fingers you just have to realise it has already been done so yes with faith prayer will work

 

but with all that power the createor wills to us doesnt make prayer a little oboslite

ay food for thought ever wonder it never answers back maybe the creator trying to tell you something "like ay artard do all by your self i didnt spend a week making you so you can ask for help every 5 seconds"

"I didnt spend a week making you so you can ask for help every 5 seconds"

I like that Larry ...

Welcome to the Baha'i Board ... 

Howdy

Jun 2, 2010 -- 4:14PM, world citizen wrote:

How would you be able to tell if it works? ... meditation could accomplish the same objectives.

I think meditation is absolutely the way to go for finding inner peace, but it can never accomplish what fervent prayer might*, and often does, for a specific need.  A factual case in point...  a youth is diagnosed in the ER with spinal meningitis and by the next morning it has spread up the spine and brain swelling (encephylitis) has begun. 

Does this youth have a name? 

Jun 2, 2010 -- 4:14PM, world citizen wrote:

The teen is now in a deep coma.  The doctors' prognosis is imminent death within 72 hours and the family is told to "prepare" for the inevitable.  The word spreads like wildfire among friends and fellow highschool students for the need of prayers on her behalf.  Long story short, within 48 hours the teen comes out of the coma and has no residual side effects other than a bad headache and blurred vision, both of which disappeared within two more days.

So this sounds like a prayer in which the friends and fellow youths petitioned God to save their friend. 

Because their friend survived you attribute this to the prayers of his fellow students and friends. 

Is that correct?

Jun 2, 2010 -- 4:14PM, world citizen wrote:

*I say "might" because only God knows whether what we ask for is for the best.  Prayers for a dying person also serve for the progression of that soul in the next life.

When the friends and fellow students prayed for the youth did they pray for

A.  God to save their friend from dying of meningitis?

B.  God to help the progession of their friends soul to the next life?

C. God to do something? 

So wether the youth lived or died the prayers would be answered.  It is therefore impossible to prove that prayers work.   No matter what had happened you can say that the prayers worked. 

Your claim cannot be disproved.  No matter what happened you can claim that God  did something.    Is that correct? 

Have A Thinking Day And May Reason Guide You