Is prayer just coincidence?

[PatThePoet]

I’ve heard atheists say that all prayer is just coincidence. You pray for a raise and you get a raise.
They also say that un-answered prayers are proof that God doesn’t exist. These were some situations presented…

A man prays that he wins the lottery. He doesn’t. Therefore God didn’t answer the man’s prayer and God does not exist.

The parents and family of a dying child are on their knees perpetually praying for her cancer to heal. It does not and the child dies. Why would God not answer the petitions of faithful people and kill an innocent child? He does not exist.

A Christian prays to win the lottery, he dosn’t have the right numbers and loses. Before the next drawing he prays to Zeus or Apollo, he wins the jackpot prize. Therefore the Trinity has refused him.

I want to believe in God, but if He isn’t real than its a waste of my time.

 

[masterjedi747]

Based on your last statement… I’m confused as to why you’re proceeding in this order. Why are we looking at “whether or not God answers prayers” before first determining if He exists?

Maybe God exists, and does answer prayers.
Maybe God exists, and doesn’t answer prayers.
Maybe God exists, and answers some prayers, but not others.

There’s really not much of a logical connection between His lack of answering prayers and His existence… so it really seems like a bad place to start out from. This question really needs to be asked (and answered) after you’ve already determined that God does exist.

I would suggest that you instead go back, and begin with a much more fundamental consideration: >>> Why is there something, rather than nothing?

 

[jmjconder]

Not sure of the age of the OP. It helps a lot to have been a parent when one tries to consider the issues the OP talks about. That is God and how He or does He answer prayers.

God always wants our ultimate best (salvation) ~ as well as all parents do for their children. Sometimes children ask parents for something that is not good for them and therefore all virtuous parents would never grant the request in a million years – because parents are older, wiser and see the bigger picture.

Sometimes children ask for something and parents know that it is a good request ~ just not yet….perhaps there needs to be a bit more growth or more longing on the child’s part in order to truly appreciate and even earn such a request.

There are the times that a child will have a request that aligns with the parents’ desire for their developing honorable character and the desire granted.

Then there are times ~ that for no reason at all parents bestow great gifts for no reason other then they are loved beyond words, upon their children. These great consolations of life are unexpected and truly undeserved.

Prayer is never just a coincidence ~ God is not just a random Father ~ “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1).

Consider reading the book Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, by Anthony DeStefano.

 

[BlaineTog]

I’ve heard atheists say that all prayer is just coincidence. You pray for a raise and you get a raise.

They’re presupposing that prayer is false, not proving it.

They also say that un-answered prayers are proof that God doesn’t exist. These were some situations presented…

God answers all prayers with either “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait.”

God isn’t a goodie-dispenser. He isn’t there to give us what we want, even if what we want appears to be good. He loves us, so he’ll give us what’s best for us, even if we can’t quite tell.

 

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

I’ve heard atheists say that all prayer is just coincidence. You pray for a raise and you get a raise.
They also say that un-answered prayers are proof that God doesn’t exist. These were some situations presented…

A man prays that he wins the lottery. He doesn’t. Therefore God didn’t answer the man’s prayer and God does not exist.

The parents and family of a dying child are on their knees perpetually praying for her cancer to heal. It does not and the child dies. Why would God not answer the petitions of faithful people and kill an innocent child? He does not exist.

A Christian prays to win the lottery, he dosn’t have the right numbers and loses. Before the next drawing he prays to Zeus or Apollo, he wins the jackpot prize. Therefore the Trinity has refused him.

I want to believe in God, but if He isn’t real than its a waste of my time.

I’m not surprised an athiest would say something like that. Even I get those thoughts sometimes.

 

[wjp984]

Belief in God is a matter of faith and therefore so is prayer. There is almost always some rational explanation for a prayer being answered and likewise it can be a coincidence.

 

[Starwynd]

A man prays that he wins the lottery. He doesn’t. Therefore God didn’t answer the man’s prayer and God does not exist.

Or maybe God did answer, but the answer was a silent NO.