tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post8220294115547066099..comments2023-10-10T09:50:34.565-07:00Comments on Find and Ye Shall Seek: Alternatives to intercessory prayerMystical Seekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10828225180668865911noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-49920637671052021902008-03-26T14:15:00.000-07:002008-03-26T14:15:00.000-07:00Chris,You have a point, but of course the coaxing ...Chris,<BR/><BR/>You have a point, but of course the coaxing might not work. According to process theology, God can only coax, not make things happen.<BR/><BR/>But I have an additional problem with the idea that God would only try to influence events if we prayed for it. Suppose some poor soul who is sick has no God-believing friends to pray for them, while another sick person has lots of praying Christian friends. Are we to believe that God favors the latter simply because he/she had the good fortune to choose friends who prayed? To me, it makes no sense that God's decisions to lure the universe in a particular direction are influenced by human pleadings. Doesn't God already know the best thing to work for in the universe, regardless of what we ask for?Mystical Seekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10828225180668865911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-8284175790378727412008-03-26T12:08:00.000-07:002008-03-26T12:08:00.000-07:00mystical,Couldn't God coax the universe in a certa...mystical,<BR/><BR/>Couldn't God coax the universe in a certain direction in response to our prayers? Or am I misunderstanding how this whole process thing works?Christopher Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09539170598198122642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-47268996082097763022008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:002008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00My big concern about personal prayer is the self-c...My big concern about personal prayer is the self-centeredness of so much of it. The praying for good weather, for a close car park, for a good day... Granted, these are more petitionary than intercessory.Brian Highthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07306357650551548310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-6628171610267616692008-03-13T11:38:00.000-07:002008-03-13T11:38:00.000-07:00Chris,I guess my objection is to the idea that God...Chris,<BR/><BR/>I guess my objection is to the idea that God will intercede on our behalf and cure our diseases or give us that job we asked for if we ask nicely enough or if we have enough allies who will pray for us (pity the poor people who have no Christian friends to argue their case prayerfully before God!)<BR/><BR/>As I mentioned, I'm not against the idea of people unloading their concerns and aspirations before God, or of just being in God's presence when we have issues that concern us, and if "intercessory" prayer is defined in that way then I'm okay with it.Mystical Seekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10828225180668865911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-58824960684391277052008-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:002008-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:00I love Pearls Before Swine.What you're leaving uns...I love Pearls Before Swine.<BR/><BR/>What you're leaving unsaid here is why you dislike intercessory prayer.Christopher Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09539170598198122642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29128991.post-82688264193373183272008-03-13T00:31:00.000-07:002008-03-13T00:31:00.000-07:00Anne Lamott is just awesome!Once again, great cart...Anne Lamott is just awesome!<BR/>Once again, great cartoon!<BR/><BR/>I noticed you have "United Church of Christ" on your links. That's cool, I go to a United Church of Christ-- First Congregational Church of Ramona.wellis68https://www.blogger.com/profile/06087588494600746854noreply@blogger.com