by Jeff Hual of The Mockingbird Blog
The following story appeared on a major news website yesterday:
"Farrah Fawcett Shockingly Shaves Head, Hollywood Gathers to Pray for a Miracle. As Farrah Fawcett fights for her life, Tinseltown's elite...gathered at the Beverly Hills Paley Center on Wednesday evening to reflect upon the starlet's legendary life and hope for a miracle..."It makes no difference who we are, whether Hollywood elite or small town suburbanite, suffering and the need for healing is universal, and we as Christians honestly believe that God still heals people today. The problem posed for most of us from a faith standpoint, though, is that God doesn’t answer all of our prayers for healing. In fact, he doesn't seem to answer all of our prayers, period.
In order to understand why some prayers go seemingly unanswered, we have to understand that the purpose of prayer is not to bend God’s will to ours, but rather to align our will to his. The promise that our prayers will be answered is conditional on what we are asking being in accordance with God's will. Consequently, every prayer we pray should be a variation on the theme, “Your will be done."
After all, this is how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane on the night he was handed over to death, saying,
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me (Luke 22:42a). This was Jesus’ desire, his human reaction to the inevitable death that awaited him, but then he added,
yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42b).
What Jesus most wanted was not to have to go through the pain and torture and death that he knew the cross would certainly mean, and he asked for this, but he knew in the asking that what he was asking for… what he wanted… was not in accordance with God’s will, and he knew that ultimately God’s will had to be carried out. But God did not turn his back on Jesus in his time of need, for in the next verse,
an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him (Luke 22:43).So, will God answer Hollywood's prayers? Will he answer our prayers the next time we pray? The answer is always yes if the prayer is "Thy will be done." Otherwise, the answer is only "perhaps", because what is asked for may not be in accordance with God's will. Is God still with us in either case? Absolutely.
Comments (16)
i think though that God will answer Hollywood's repentant prayers before He grants Hollywood prayers of success and wealth and prosperity...
that goes for us too... whether Christian or not... God hears repentance and grants that first because it's the first step for anyone who figures out their stance and position in light of God and desires to have that restored and He's more than willing to grant that prayer...
So will He hear? Of course, that's the definition of sovereignty and omniscience and omnipotence and omnipresence...
Will He answer? Mmm... depends on the condition of Hollywood's heart... is Hollywood Christ-centered or is Hollywood Hollywood centered...
Then all the unaswered prayers during the Holocaust-- from caring Christians in Western world and from the Jews of Europe-- must have meant that it was in God's will for innocent Jews to die.
@CelestialTeapot@xanga - Just because it was God's will does not necessarily mean that was what he wanted. Consider it as one of those things that has to happen, such as the tribulation. God doesn't want it to happen, but it has to happen. And be careful of your wording, for no one is innocent.
@MasterShoe11@xanga - Given this idea, and the thesis of the entry, then it makes no sense for the Christian to pray. God, powerful as he is, has his secret plan for all of us. Attempting to divine this is useless. Prayer is useless.
Just because it was God's will does not necessarily mean that was what he wanted.
This seems contradictory. It seems to me that by the definition of the phrase, "what God wants" would be "God's will."
And be careful of your wording, for no one is innocent.
Babies are innocent. Young children have not yet had the opportunity to commit sin. In the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazi, there has to be at least a few infants.
I think god will ....
I'm reminded of John 9 when the blind man, on trial before the Pharisee's. When told that Jesus was a "sinner" he replied "Why is this hard for you to see? He has healed me.... God Does not listen to sinners" (paralleled wording, of course).
Fortunately for those of us that have accepted God's offer to salvation and recieved the cleansing power of Jesus' blood, we're no longer counted as "sinners".
If I understand the question correctly; "will God hear Hollywoods prayer"? To me the first and most applicable question is "has hollywood repented and been cleansed by Jesus' Holy blood?"
Thought that might apply.
@deepestrecesses - The British royal family must have incredibly good health.
Every year, Queens and Kings have the privilage of accepting millions of prayers for good health from an entire nation of Christians. For all the self-identifying Christians, there must be at least a few "true" Christians whose prayers are worth hearing.
Given this idea, and the thesis of the entry, then it makes no sense for the Christian to pray.
I never said that everything that happens has to take place. But some things do. It would not make sense to pray that God's Judgement would not take place.
It seems to me that by the definition of the phrase, "what God wants" would be "God's will."Perhaps I should change how I word things. It is not necessarily what God wants, but maybe he allows it because it has to happen.
Babies are innocent. Young children have not yet had the opportunity to commit sin. In the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazi, there has to be at least a few infants.
Why does God allow babies to be killed? It's the same reason he allows any sin to happen. God gives us a choice, and when we make the wrong decision, this will happen. Young children get AIDS from tainted blood transfusions, why? Because of sexual immorality of man.
There are five basic types of prayer: petition, blessing, praise, intercession and thanksgiving.
It would seem that had Sodom and Gomorrah issued passioned prayers of petition and intercession that God would have been pleasantly surprised.
May Hollywood continue to pray!
I think God answers every one of our prayers. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no and sometimes He says wait. No and wait are both answers even if they are not the answer we want. Covering our ears and chanting like children will not change the fact that God has given us an answer we don't like. Death is not a bad thing. Death is the ultimate healing of body and soul. Heaven obviously being preferable to even the best life on Earth. Of course we miss our loved ones and we are sad when they die but as Christians we should remember that heaven is our goal. I think God wants us to live and love while we are here and be willing to go and to let go of others when the appointed time comes .
Why not ?
@echois23@xanga - I agree! He answers EVERY prayer in His time. May not be the answer we want, but he DOES answer them.
@JUSTAVAPORHERE@xanga - So often I hear people say God did not answer their prayer just because they did not get what they wanted. I find myself wanting to remind them that No is an answer and so is wait. I will never believe my God capable of ignoring the prayers of his children. Even when we "ask amiss" he says "we ask and recieve not".... He doesn't say he ignores our asking.
@echois23@xanga - I'm with you two.
As I have told my daughter during times of strife, God
and I will always be there. I do believe God answers every prayer,but not always what we've asked for. I sincerely believe he does what is best,there is a reason for every decision, Do I know why? No, and my faith is to follow the Lord's guidance, for He alone knows what is best. Case in point, I recently told my daughter that if for some reason God was to take her from me, I would go probably insane, but I wouldn't blame or be angry with God. My daughter proceeded to tell me she's had an abnormal pap smear, and may have cervical cancer. As her mother, I am truly terrified, as a child of God, I know everything happens for a reason, and regardless of the outcome, I will never turn away from God, He's the one who brought her into my life in the first place. This doesn't mean I am giving up, I don't want to be a martyr. But God's will and his will alone be done.And this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, we know He hears us. And if He hears us, then we have the requests we asked of Him (1John5:14).
As LoBornlite@xanga said above, there are various types of prayers. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah and GOD listened. Abraham obviously thought 10 righteous in the city was do-able.
If Hollywood or Anytown, USA approaches GOD according to His will they will get their prayers answered. Even Neneveh, as terrible as that town was, was able to stay GOD's judgement. So repentence is the key.
Note: Jesus never turned away anyone who came to Him for help, but He has reminded some of them to repent.