Does praying really work.is it all nonsense?

how do we really know that prayer works?
if for example i pray looking something for my family (material or spiritual) i'm told my prayer wont be answered as it is a selfish prayer.
if i pray for someone to be cured from a some kind of illness along the lines of aids or cancer it wont happen.
what are we meant to pray for?

You should pray for anything that is good and righteous. Always pray (1Thess5:17). Prayer is not limited to asking; thank in prayer, communicate in prayer. God is the Father and should be seen in this respect. He is both caring and concerned he wants us to communicate so he can also communicate back; this is revelation.
OUT

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.I have seen miracles happen because of it:-)

Pray for an amputee to get a new leg, and pray really hard, and don't stop until he gets his new leg.

Praying does have a success rate. Not a very large one, but you can't claim it's zero.

Some people will get better from anything.

A new bike for Xmas ~ prayers are crap! I prayed for my dad to be saved, it never happened !

Sunshine, where was the miracle when I needed it ~ I stand by wot I say..........praying is a waste of space

According to the Prayer Experiment it doesn't work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk6ILZAaA...
And this shows that it's an optical illusion.

Nope. Here is the largest study: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health...

Didn't help a bit. In fact, the control group actually did a little better.

Praying is nonesense. All you're doing is talking to yourself when you pray.

If you put it all like that...Then it is all balderdash.
But things can happen because of the karmic vibes you send out.

Nonsense. Even if you believe in God, that means you believe that he has a plan and the future is written. All of it. Sounds rather fatalistic in my eyes but in any case it makes praying nonsensical from every perspective I see. Christians should say stuff more like, "I hope you have peace planned. I hope you plan to make my grandma happy." This is logical.

ALL things are possiable to him that believes

PRAYER DOES WORK

" Confess your faults one to another and pray ye one for another that ye maybe healed , the effectiual ferverant prayer of a righteous man availeth much "

PRAYER changes things

Really works, but you need to be faithful, when your prayer is answered about if you shall do this or that you will feel what is written here Gal 5:22 if the answer is yes.

I prayed for help staying Catholic.

I'm now an Atheist

cuz I can make a list of ones He has answered!!

Praying is communicating with God, our Heavenly Father. It works because it's communication. If you are asking for something that is very different than just talking. You may get what you ask for and you may not depending on what Gods will is for you.

Call to me, and I will answer you; I will tell you wonderful and marvelous things.鈥?(Jeremiah 33: 3)

When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.鈥?(Matt. 6: 6)

the bible teaches that prayer is the answer to many things. we are taught to pray for things we want but not only that. we pray for others..and for thanks for the things God has done. Faith is what sends prayer to God. when u pray your prayers must be sincere. you can't pray out of bitterness or cruelty. but out of love,sympathy,and hope. i believe that prayer is the 'phoneline' connection between u and God. jus believe

You can pray about anything you want. God loves it when we ask Him for things, materially, healing, etc. No prayer is selfish. I ask and talk to God about every little thing. We need to learn, though, what His will is for our life. His will is to meet our needs and to heal and bring deliverance to those in bondage. That is why He died. Maybe you need to get advice from someone else about praying.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Prayer is a conversation with God, He is our loving father so He keenly listens to all we say, he is not judgemental about us and gives us our answer at the best and most appropriate tiem, not necessarily when we feel we want the answer but when we really need it. Thn ofcourse we should also and above all pray just because we love God not only to ask for things

My brother was run into by a car. He landed in the front seat beside the driver. They rushed him to the hospital. The doctor told my mom, he would never wake up again and he would die within 2 hrs. Mom being a devoted Christian, looked up and said, "God, I tried to teach my children the right way. You promised that if we did, they wouldn't turn from it. That you would remember them. God, Please don't let my son die unsaved". Keith opened his eyes and prayed with mom, dad, and the minister and myself. He died 5 mins. later. Yes, prayer really works.

Before I became a Christian ,my wife for many years was a Christian. I used to see her praying all the time and said to myself who does she think she's praying to. But one day she asked me to pray with her and I stayed and heard her prayer. That next week the Lord answered every prayer that she prayed. I can't deny him , I can't say it was luck. I know he is and I love him with all my heart. For truly he loved me first. God is good.

Prayer is extremely powerful. It's just that we often want things to go our way and that's what I think the cute movie "Bruce Almighty" was showing...that every prayer cannot be answered 'yes'.

Worship in Spirit works....

That is a way to get in tune with God's will. It is "let THY will be done."

The prayer people do these days is more like... God, will you please do this or that. That kind of prayer may as well end up with the words "And let MY will be done." IT'S BACKWARDS and that is why it is so ineffective.

This will explain "worship in Spirit." This is the kind of spiritual practice that Jesus recommended and gave to the people in the ORIGINAL KINGDOM GOSPEL.

This resource will explain it.

God answers our prayers when we have faith, God has answered so many of my prayers, you will know, when you believe you will see the change God makes in you, God loves us, and cares for us, We should pray and have a personal relationship with God, not to test God with prayers, by looking for something, Pray for The Lord to come into your heart and to work His Will in your life, and Those around you.

wisdom to know what God wants or knows to be in our best interests. Death or even severe illnesses don't just happen to 'bad' people. Even tho' you or i may not see what good there is when, for example, a baby dies...God knows all. Perhaps, "the good" could simply be to get you to ask for answers & be open to what you learn. The days of parting the Red Sea & burning bushes are past, God doesn't boom His answers to us, but speaks thru others in whispers...

Good Luck!

Yes it really works.

>does praying really work.

No. It can sometimes have a placebo effect, but in the sense that it can bring about divine intervention, no, it does not work.

>how do we really know that prayer works?

We don't, because it doesn't.

>if for example i pray looking something for my family (material or spiritual) i'm told my prayer wont be answered as it is a selfish prayer.

The whole 'selfish prayer' idea is mostly just a way for religious people to try to cover up the fact that praying doesn't actually work.

>if i pray for someone to be cured from a some kind of illness along the lines of aids or cancer it wont happen.

That's also correct. Statistics have shown that praying does not actually help people recover from injuries or diseases.

>what are we meant to pray for?

Well, some people would claim that we can still pray for the soul of someone who died in order to improve their chances of being forgiven by God. However, this doesn't really mean much of anything. It's sort of like saying that by banging a stick on a wall, you can make plants grow in some parallel universe. Sure, you might, but given that you can never detect the effect, how can you know?

If you chant and meditate lovingly on the names of the Lord, it elevates you to, connects you with, and gives you God consciousness; this is proven.

Praying to the Supreme for material objects is a meaningless pursuit and obviously won't reap any rewards; he doesn't want us to be preoccupied with the temporary material world, we should focus our love and service on him.

Ask not what God can do for you, but what you can do for God...

when hitler was killing the jews his chosen people .did their prayers stop it? don't think so.

Ofcourse it does.Its like asking your teacher for a re-submission. if u knw wat i mean lol