Answer from God

[F1fan]

I have no need to prove to others what I believe is right or wrong to them, what you believe is your personal belief.
By the way do not claim, I only speaking about my own belief. If others believe different than I do, no problem.

I am not here to convince others

Then why write this in the OP?

That does not mean God isn't answering the prayer, but the answer was given to the person in an unexpected way, so the believer think, God did not answer. But actually it was the believer who was not paying attention.

You're inviting options for others to propose, one of which is perhaps the God believers think exists doesn't.

The young are told that a God exists, and that they can pray to this God to get benefits of some sort or another. This is learned behavior. Some believers start to realize things are off when the benefits don't show up. It is cruel to suggest something is wrong with the believer when they are being realistic.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Then why write this in the OP?

That does not mean God isn't answering the prayer, but the answer was given to the person in an unexpected way, so the believer think, God did not answer. But actually it was the believer who was not paying attention.

You're inviting options for others to propose, one of which is perhaps the God believers think exists doesn't.

The young are told that a God exists, and that they can pray to this God to get benefits of some sort or another. This is learned behavior. Some believers start to realize things are off when the benefits don't show up. It is cruel to suggest something is wrong with the believer when they are being realistic.

Being a believer is no smooth sailing, we can never be sure to get yes to our prayer. It depends on what we ask in the prayer

 

[Truthseeker]

My understanding of prayer is to advance in our religious practices, praying for material goods is a wrong way of prayer

What do you mean by religious practices?

 

[Spirit of Light]

What do you mean by religious practices?

The practice of becoming a more pure being, through spiritual teaching.
Believing in God is not enough, humans must change to be able to enter the state of heaven.

 

[Fallen Prophet]

If a believer has been praying for a long time to God ( put in the God you pray to) but it seems as God does not answer.
That does not mean God isn't answering the prayer, but the answer was given to the person in an unexpected way, so the believer think, God did not answer. But actually it was the believer who was not paying attention

Thoughts?

This happens - of course - but often God will not answer if the seeker is not sincere or simply trying to sate their curiosity.

Answers tend to only come after trials of faith.

 

[F1fan]

Being a believer is no smooth sailing, we can never be sure to get yes to our prayer. It depends on what we ask in the prayer

It sounds self-defeating. A person presumably prays to God for some sort of comfort. If the believer is in discomfort it is a risk to pray in the first place, and also expect some miraculous outcome.

In some sense if you are the parent of a child dying from cancer there's not much else you can do except pray. In the end we all need to rely on ourselves and friends and family for comfort, as the universe seems completely indifferent to our suffering.

 

[Spirit of Light]

It sounds self-defeating. A person presumably prays to God for some sort of comfort. If the believer is in discomfort it is a risk to pray in the first place, and also expect some miraculous outcome.

In some sense if you are the parent of a child dying from cancer there's not much else you can do except pray. In the end we all need to rely on ourselves and friends and family for comfort, as the universe seems completely indifferent to our suffering.

Suffering in my view is not bad in spiritual practice

 

[F1fan]

The practice of becoming a more pure being, through spiritual teaching.

What does it mean to be a "pure being"? And how does spiritual teaching help an ordinary mortal achieve this? What does it teach the mortal?

Believing in God is not enough, humans must change to be able to enter the state of heaven.

Humans must change what?

 

[F1fan]

Suffering in my view is not bad in spiritual practice

Suffering is inevitable.

Suffering the death of a loved one is vastly different than suffering as an endurance athlete. Do you distinguish any difference here?

Are you referring to suffering relevant to spiritual practice as a form of deliberate stress placed on the self for some cause? If so, explain.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Suffering is inevitable.

Suffering the death of a loved one is vastly different than suffering as an endurance athlete. Do you distinguish any difference here?

Are you referring to suffering relevant to spiritual practice as a form of deliberate stress placed on the self for some cause? If so, explain.

Suffering repay a lot of all the negative a human do in life. I only speak for my personal understanding, I don't say what others should think or believe

 

[F1fan]

Suffering repay a lot of all the negative a human do in life. I only speak for my personal understanding, I don't say what others should think or believe

Explain. Give some examples. Don't be shy.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Explain. Give some examples. Don't be shy.

Suffering can be everything from feeling guilt, to becoming ill. Depend on the gravity of bad action done.

 

[F1fan]

Suffering can be everything from feeling guilt, to becoming ill. Depend on the gravity of bad action done.

You don't seem willing to explain this is detail. Have you not thought it through?

 

[Spirit of Light]

You don't seem willing to explain this is detail. Have you not thought it through?

I do not know it all, it take years to understand all of the teachings.

 

[osgart]

I see what you are saying I think. There's a truth to discover that is apart of God's qualities. It's not that prayer is supposed to cause magic in a believer's life. The basis of prayer is to enlighten the one praying to be able to see this truth. If God is working in a believer it's going to be a process of realizing this truth.

No matter what happens in life, the goal of prayer is to bring about truth in the hearts of believers. No magic fulfillment, no material wealth gratification, no interference with cause and effect to bring about desired and wanted outcomes. Prayer is all about relationship to God, and thus relationship to truth. There will be positive outcomes only stemming from the believer's sincerity, faithfulness, attitudes and actions and nothing else.

And faithfulness is being true and accurately abiding one's self according to God's truth.

Did I get that right?

 

[Spirit of Light]

I see what you are saying I think. There's a truth to discover that is apart of God's qualities. It's not that prayer is supposed to cause magic in a believer's life. The basis of prayer is to enlighten the one praying to be able to see this truth. If God is working in a believer it's going to be a process of realizing this truth.

No matter what happens in life, the goal of prayer is to bring about truth in the hearts of believers. No magic fulfillment, no material wealth gratification, no interference with cause and effect to bring about desired and wanted outcomes. Prayer is all about relationship to God, and thus relationship to truth. There will be positive outcomes only stemming from the believer's sincerity, faithfulness, attitudes and actions and nothing else.

And faithfulness is being true and accurately abiding one's self according to God's truth.

Did I get that right?

Pretty much yes