Does God answer prayers with yes?

[Greatest I am]

God cannot move us against our free will. Only we can do that.

God has nothing to do with the physical.

Scriptures are clear that his concern is our thinking and minds.

[Martin Peter Clarke]

No.

[Belinda]

God cannot move us against our free will. Only we can do that.

God has nothing to do with the physical.

Scriptures are clear that his concern is our thinking and minds.

Libertarian absolutely free will was invented centuries after Jesus died. Libertarian absolutely free will does not in fact exist despite popular belief and what religionists tell you.

Incarnate God has literally everything to do with "the physical".

Praying is best regarded as a psycho-drama where the man pretends there is somebody else listening to his intimate and often private concerns. Psycho-dramas often help us to see our way ahead.

[promethean75]

I've only ever gotten his answering machine.

And he's does that lame thing everybody did when answering machines first came out: hello? .........hellooo? ......, ha ha gotcha! You've reached my answering machine. Leave a message and maybe I'll call you back!

[LuckyR]

It is well established in the Medical literature that praying for a patient's recovery has no statistically significant positive effect. However, it is also known that praying for your own personal recovery does have a positive effect, similar to the (placebo) effect of patients performing positive thinking.

[Belinda]

It is well established in the Medical literature that praying for a patient's recovery has no statistically significant positive effect. However, it is also known that praying for your own personal recovery does have a positive effect, similar to the (placebo) effect of patients performing positive thinking.

I guess we are presuming the OP meant private not public praying: and also meant reflective not ritualistic praying.

Public praying has a different use from personal praying. Personal praying can be a gentle means of facing reality. Public praying is a way to get people to cooperate with each other in fellowship.

Private praying is superstition (magic) when it is entirely ritualistic .Private praying is most effective for emotional and even physical health when it is reflective (thoughtful). Private praying includes assent which is quietly saying ‘yes’ to life as it is — awake, aware, and accepting, without either fighting life or giving up.

[MikeNovack]

It is well established in the Medical literature that praying for a patient's recovery has no statistically significant positive effect. However, it is also known that praying for your own personal recovery does have a positive effect, similar to the (placebo) effect of patients performing positive thinking.

You really should be more specific (else misleading). I believe you mean "public prayer that the patient does not know about". If it was the papers you were referring to not making the distinction, their bad, not yours. Also need to make clear talking about purely physical illnesses. Otherwise, "placebo" has no meaning << mental illnesses do depend on the state of the mind >>

[LuckyR]

It is well established in the Medical literature that praying for a patient's recovery has no statistically significant positive effect. However, it is also known that praying for your own personal recovery does have a positive effect, similar to the (placebo) effect of patients performing positive thinking.

You really should be more specific (else misleading). I believe you mean "public prayer that the patient does not know about". If it was the papers you were referring to not making the distinction, their bad, not yours. Also need to make clear talking about purely physical illnesses. Otherwise, "placebo" has no meaning << mental illnesses do depend on the state of the mind >>

Why would it matter if the patient knew they being prayed for or not? A god is either going to intervene, or not. Just because they don't, doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist, merely that they don't take requests.

[MikeNovack]

Why would it matter if the patient knew they being prayed for or not? A god is either going to intervene, or not. Just because they don't, doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist, merely that they don't take requests.

Oh dear. It matters because EFFECT was being measured, not MECHANISM.

You are wrongly assuming "A knows large group of people are praying to god B on my behalf" and there is a result "A improves" the only possible explanation is that god B did something. Couldn't just possibly be something like A feeling better because "gee, all these people are willing to put out effort on my behalf".

Well --- having A NOT unaware of the large group of people praying for him rues that out.

[Belinda]

Why would it matter if the patient knew they being prayed for or not? A god is either going to intervene, or not. Just because they don't, doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist, merely that they don't take requests.

Oh dear. It matters because EFFECT was being measured, not MECHANISM.

You are wrongly assuming "A knows large group of people are praying to god B on my behalf" and there is a result "A improves" the only possible explanation is that god B did something. Couldn't just possibly be something like A feeling better because "gee, all these people are willing to put out effort on my behalf".

Well --- having A NOT unaware of the large group of people praying for him rues that out.

I presumed that Lucky, you, and I regard the true object of any prayer to be psychological ---- not some sort of substance.

[LuckyR]

Why would it matter if the patient knew they being prayed for or not? A god is either going to intervene, or not. Just because they don't, doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist, merely that they don't take requests.

Oh dear. It matters because EFFECT was being measured, not MECHANISM.

You are wrongly assuming "A knows large group of people are praying to god B on my behalf" and there is a result "A improves" the only possible explanation is that god B did something. Couldn't just possibly be something like A feeling better because "gee, all these people are willing to put out effort on my behalf".

Well --- having A NOT unaware of the large group of people praying for him rues that out.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Sorry, it's my understanding that the patients did not know about the praying, ie it was a blinded study, in order to remove exactly the significant bias you identified. I erred in assuming that was obvious.

[LuckyR]

Why would it matter if the patient knew they being prayed for or not? A god is either going to intervene, or not. Just because they don't, doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist, merely that they don't take requests.

Oh dear. It matters because EFFECT was being measured, not MECHANISM.

You are wrongly assuming "A knows large group of people are praying to god B on my behalf" and there is a result "A improves" the only possible explanation is that god B did something. Couldn't just possibly be something like A feeling better because "gee, all these people are willing to put out effort on my behalf".

Well --- having A NOT unaware of the large group of people praying for him rues that out.

I presumed that Lucky, you, and I regard the true object of any prayer to be psychological ---- not some sort of substance.

Psychological through the venues of culture, community, family and tradition. Thus controlling for those, eliminate the effect.

[Belinda]

Oh dear. It matters because EFFECT was being measured, not MECHANISM.

You are wrongly assuming "A knows large group of people are praying to god B on my behalf" and there is a result "A improves" the only possible explanation is that god B did something. Couldn't just possibly be something like A feeling better because "gee, all these people are willing to put out effort on my behalf".

Well --- having A NOT unaware of the large group of people praying for him rues that out.

I presumed that Lucky, you, and I regard the true object of any prayer to be psychological ---- not some sort of substance.

Psychological through the venues of culture, community, family and tradition. Thus controlling for those, eliminate the effect.

Yes, the object of prayer is prevailing culture of belief. But I did not understand you last sentence Lucky. Would you elaborate please?

[popeye1945]

Which God gives the best results?

[Belinda]

Which God gives the best results?

That is for you to decide for yourself. I presume that where you live thinking is free from state control.

Did you ask "Which God gives the best results? " in order to oxygenate the discussion? If so, I hope it works!