tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36848325.post6235694613466271683..comments2023-06-16T04:03:51.666-05:00Comments on Confessions of a Lutheran Husker: Sermon for 7-1-12: "And When You Pray..."LutheranHuskerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08982382351776657088noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36848325.post-8492688039511437032012-07-02T12:35:48.335-05:002012-07-02T12:35:48.335-05:00Hi Matt, Very interesting topic! I wish I knew ho...Hi Matt, Very interesting topic! I wish I knew how prayer worked too, why some prayers seem to be answered, and some not, at least in the way we understand or expect. It's troubling though, in that we assume God takes an active part in bringing blessings. For example, we pray for rain, and if it comes, we thank God for answering our prayer. If it doesn't rain, is it because God failed to act? Or, if we pray for healing, and a person recovers, we say God answered our prayer and we give thanks. If they do not recover, is it because God failed to act? In both cases, we give God credit for good things, but fall back on reason to say that it's the weather patterns, or reality of sickness and death, and not part of some divine plan, essentially turning God into the vending machine you describe. If we believe that God does take an active part in our lives, that God can be influenced by prayer, and indeed, wants us to pray for our daily bread and deliverance from the evil one and temptation, when our prayers are not answered, and suffering results, couldn't that be attributed to God's inaction? Obviously, if someone smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day and suffers from cancer, prays for physical healing and dies, it's not God's divine punishment, but the result of his/her poor choices. I struggle with how we relate the Biblical evidence of God bringing both blessings and curses to the the nature of good, evil and suffering in the world. The Israelites were tested by God in the Exodus, there was suffering as a result of sin. St. Paul mentions this in 1 Cor. 10:1-6. Proverbs 3:11-12 mentions discipline, or correction from the Lord...probably resulting in some painful moments for some. You believe that God does not cause evil and suffering. I agree on the evil part, but, based on the Biblical evidence, I believe <i>some</i> suffering results from God's action, or, in the case of unanswered prayer, inaction, or in a more politically incorrect view, as a result of sin or disobedience. We are not in a place to judge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com