Do Any Religious Scriptures Actually Say You Can Pray For Divine Intervention?

p-tavern
p-tavern Members Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited October 2011 in R & R (Religion and Race)
Whether it be for a sick family member to get well, peace, to win a million bucks, for your favorite sports team to win, or anything else you'd want some sort of higher power to intervene with.

Do they say this is a viable way to create change? If so, are there stipulations such as you have to work toward the change yourself as well, or that you can only pray for change that doesn't directly benefit you?

All scripture welcome for discussion purposes, although the reason I ask is Christian Bible specific.

Comments

  • @My_nameaintearl
    @My_nameaintearl Banned Users Posts: 2,609 ✭✭
    edited October 2011
    yeah, there's a whole bunch

    but Christians will tell you they don't work the way they clearly say they do because if they really did work, you'd be able to test them easily

    Jesus straight up says ANYTHING you sincerely pray for, it WILL be given to you

    obviously, this ain't real life
  • p-tavern
    p-tavern Members Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
    yeah, there's a whole bunch

    but Christians will tell you they don't work the way they clearly say they do because if they really did work, you'd be able to test them easily

    Jesus straight up says ANYTHING you sincerely pray for, it WILL be given to you

    obviously, this ain't real life
    I'm aware of that, I just need actual quotes for an IRL debate on the matter.
    I thought Jesus said something along those lines, but wasn't sure if I mistaken nor did I know if he mentioned anything else that elaborated on stipulations.
  • @My_nameaintearl
    @My_nameaintearl Banned Users Posts: 2,609 ✭✭
    edited October 2011
    heres some copy/pasted directly from an openly anti-Christian website, for full disclosure:

    1) And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:21-22 NAS)



    2) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NAB)



    3) Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst. (Matthew 18:19-20 NAS)



    4) Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. (Mark 11:24-25 NAB)



    5) And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-13 NAB)



    6) And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14 NAB)



    7) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 NAB)



    8) It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. (John 15:16 NAB)



    9) On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. (John 16:23-24 NAB)




    you can use http://www.biblegateway.com/ to find more readable versions, if you want
  • p-tavern
    p-tavern Members Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
    Props, that should help. And I guess since they're Gospel quotes they're considered directly quoted from Jesus (if I'm mistaken someone let me know.)
  • @My_nameaintearl
    @My_nameaintearl Banned Users Posts: 2,609 ✭✭
    edited October 2011
    They're all New Testament, but you'll still hear excuses as to why they don't count. I recommend couching them in the verses that precede and follow them so they can't say you took them out of context. They'll still say that, though. Why are you having this debate?
  • p-tavern
    p-tavern Members Posts: 2,626 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
    They're all New Testament, but you'll still hear excuses as to why they don't count. I recommend couching them in the verses that precede and follow them so they can't say you took them out of context. They'll still say that, though. Why are you having this debate?

    To try and convince someone that simply praying or invoking the will of ? isn't a viable way to get things to happen or keep others from happening (being as that seems to be their position). Since they strongly believe in the teachings of the Bible, I'd like to at least find examples where it says you cant just pray or solicit divine action. The debate has to agree to the existence of ? for them to engage.
  • alissowack
    alissowack Members Posts: 1,930 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
    Well, I believe that ? has already intervened...and either we don't know or we don't want to know.