Trailblazer
Veteran Member
I do not know about all the other religions, but prayer is a very important practice in all the Abrahamic religions, including my religion, the Baha’i Faith, and prayer is certainly considered very important in Christianity.
Somewhere I recall that it is in the Writings of my religion that God answers all prayers that are urgent, and I would assume that God would be the one to determine if those prayers are urgent or not. I mean we might think they are urgent, but since God is the one answering the prayers, God would have to think the prayer is urgent if God is going to answer it.
Also, I believe that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves so God knows everything that is going on in our lives. As such, whether we say a prayer or not, God can help us with a situation if He chooses to do so.
I do not believe that everything that happens in our lives is predestined by God because if that was the case then that would preclude our having free will. Nevertheless, I believe some things are predestined (fated), but I also believe there are two kinds of fate, an impending fate and an irrevocable fate. The basis of my beliefs is the following passage:
“Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.
The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.
God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 133
Note that it says it “can succeed” and not that it “will succeed.” What that amounts to is that we are completely at the mercy of God... That is congruent with what the passage above says, that we have to accept our fate, whether it is impending or irrevocable.
What made me think of posting this is that I am having major difficulties in my life right now, so I am living on the edge, minute to minute, hour to hour. I have done everything I can do about the situation by virtue of my own free will, but I know have to accept my fate, whatever that will be.
I do not say a lot of prayers but I try to have what Baha’is call a “prayerful attitude.” Even when I do say prayers it is only for general assistance, never for anything in particular, because I reason that an All-Knowing and All-Wise God knows what is best for me; so I just need to accept God’s Will for me, whatever that is, even if I do not like it.
Anyhow, it seems as if when I am at the complete end of my rope, I get assistance, but whether that came from God or it was just a coincidence nobody can ever know. It is all a matter of what I choose to believe, a matter of faith.
Question: Do you believe that God can alter an impending fate, stop bad things from happening that might have otherwise happened, or make good things happen that would not have otherwise happened, had we not prayed or cried out in desperation? Of course this could never be proven one way or another, so I am just asking for personal opinions or beliefs.
Somewhere I recall that it is in the Writings of my religion that God answers all prayers that are urgent, and I would assume that God would be the one to determine if those prayers are urgent or not. I mean we might think they are urgent, but since God is the one answering the prayers, God would have to think the prayer is urgent if God is going to answer it.
Also, I believe that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves so God knows everything that is going on in our lives. As such, whether we say a prayer or not, God can help us with a situation if He chooses to do so.
I do not believe that everything that happens in our lives is predestined by God because if that was the case then that would preclude our having free will. Nevertheless, I believe some things are predestined (fated), but I also believe there are two kinds of fate, an impending fate and an irrevocable fate. The basis of my beliefs is the following passage:
“Know thou, O fruit of My Tree, that the decrees of the Sovereign Ordainer, as related to fate and predestination, are of two kinds. Both are to be obeyed and accepted. The one is irrevocable, the other is, as termed by men, impending. To the former all must unreservedly submit, inasmuch as it is fixed and settled. God, however, is able to alter or repeal it. As the harm that must result from such a change will be greater than if the decree had remained unaltered, all, therefore, should willingly acquiesce in what God hath willed and confidently abide by the same.
The decree that is impending, however, is such that prayer and entreaty can succeed in averting it.
God grant that thou who art the fruit of My Tree, and they that are associated with thee, may be shielded from its evil consequences.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 133
Note that it says it “can succeed” and not that it “will succeed.” What that amounts to is that we are completely at the mercy of God... That is congruent with what the passage above says, that we have to accept our fate, whether it is impending or irrevocable.
What made me think of posting this is that I am having major difficulties in my life right now, so I am living on the edge, minute to minute, hour to hour. I have done everything I can do about the situation by virtue of my own free will, but I know have to accept my fate, whatever that will be.
I do not say a lot of prayers but I try to have what Baha’is call a “prayerful attitude.” Even when I do say prayers it is only for general assistance, never for anything in particular, because I reason that an All-Knowing and All-Wise God knows what is best for me; so I just need to accept God’s Will for me, whatever that is, even if I do not like it.
Anyhow, it seems as if when I am at the complete end of my rope, I get assistance, but whether that came from God or it was just a coincidence nobody can ever know. It is all a matter of what I choose to believe, a matter of faith.
Question: Do you believe that God can alter an impending fate, stop bad things from happening that might have otherwise happened, or make good things happen that would not have otherwise happened, had we not prayed or cried out in desperation? Of course this could never be proven one way or another, so I am just asking for personal opinions or beliefs.