Prayer

[theresaavey]

Does prayer really work? Like if I pray for growth in my spiritual life would I attain the growth compared to if I don’t pray?

If I don’t pray as opposed to when I pray does God ignore me then?

Can I thwart someone’s prayer with my own?

 

[Ophelia23]

Our relationship with God is just that: a relationship.

Think of it this way. If you have a friend, but you never speak to them, how well can you know them? If you don’t listen to them, how can you know what they are needing from you?

Prayer is a communication line. There is a phrase that is very common in protestantism, referring to Jesus as “my personal Lord and Savior”. This is something that, as Catholics, we should also be very aware of. While we are part of a whole, part of something so much larger than just us, Christ literally was crucified with YOU in his heart. You. Knowing you. He has that personal relationship with us, and prayer is how we strengthen that personal relationship with Him. If you don’t pray, God doesn’t ignore you. Rather, you ignore Him.

It isn’t about thwarting others prayers. It is about thanking, listening, asking, and receiving. It is a two-way relationship full of grace, trials, mountain tops and valleys.

 

[louisak]

If I don’t pray as opposed to when I pray does God ignore me then?

God never ignores you. But He respects our freedom - He doesn’t give us His gifts if we don’t ask for them. In other words He doesn’t force His grace upon us. We have to be open to it.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Would your relationship with some one grow if you did not spend time with each other?

So it is with prayer.

You’re spending time with God, who dwells within.

When you turn to God, your placing yourself in his presence,

Jim

 

[R_C]

Does prayer really work? Like if I pray for growth in my spiritual life would I attain the growth compared to if I don’t pray?

If I don’t pray as opposed to when I pray does God ignore me then?

Can I thwart someone’s prayer with my own?

If you believe in Christ, and you believe that He is the Truth, then you must necessarily believe the following as true:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Ask and you shall receive …] for everyone who asks receives

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

If you do not pray (that is, if you do not have a relationship with God founded on words, thoughts, deeds, and sheer contemplation) then you will necessarily fall: for in the spiritual warfare to not advance is to fall behind. This may also help the answer.

God never ignores you: in fact, the only reason you exist is because He keeps you in existence. And the reason he keeps you in existence is this: He loves you of an infinite, eternal love. Which is why Christ said:

your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him

Which leads to the last question: we often ask for things without really knowing what we need, or what we are asking for. God, infinitely wise and merciful, will only give the best. If someone prays to be more devout at Holy Communion and at the same time you pray that God make that person reach the peak of holiness, then perhaps you “thwarted” his prayer, so to speak, because God already wants to give him (and you) the best there is, but God will also take into account the other person’s prayer because it will show his degree of devotion, of sincerity, of humbleness, of love…so I guess you can “enhance” someone’s prayer but never truly thwart it (I think that is one of many reasons for which we often pray through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the saints)

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Does prayer really work? Like if I pray for growth in my spiritual life would I attain the growth compared to if I don’t pray?

If I don’t pray as opposed to when I pray does God ignore me then?

Can I thwart someone’s prayer with my own?

If you pray for growth in your spiritual life, then the prayer has as a minimum, a psychological impact on you. I found during my more “agnostic” periods, that I could pray honestly in any given breath, with or without actually putting them into words. And I feel these ideas and intents. And whether or not a supernatural, personal God intervenes, I know that my prayers have a positive impact on my psyche.

Plus, when I’m prayer for things that I know God wants me to have, like growth in my prayer life or a grateful heart, I know that if there is any Divine Assistance I will get it because I know it’s God’s will for me.

As far as thwarting someone else’s prayer, I’m not sure it works that way. But I’ve kind of gotten away from petition prayer some time back, so usually I don’t pray for things that would be against others so I’ll leave this one open. The kinds of “prayers” I normally pray pretty much answer themselves as I go, so I’m not really at conflict with anyone.

Alan