What do you think/feel when someone tells you that they will pray for you? Do you feel thankful, blessed, or comforted? Or do you feel empty, puzzled, or awkward?
Do you really feel like it makes any difference? I mean, everything is in God's hands, right? So, will praying actually do anything? Will it change God's mind? Will it make him mad when you ask for things?
I will tell you my take on it, because, after all, that is why I blog. :-)
I feel like prayer is almost like bubble wrap. Whether prayer changes your circumstances or not, I feel it will at least make things easier to deal with. If you had to fall down a flight of stairs, wouldn't you prefer it to happen while wrapped up in bubble wrap? Will it still hurt? Probably, but maybe not as much.
Let me know your thoughts, please.
Thanks for stopping by.
32 comments:
From the point of view of the "prayer" (one who prays), praying gives us mere mortals the feeling of power--or at least of involvement--a chance to help. Given a situation in which we really cannot do anything tangible, prayer enables us to do something. On the flip side, when someone prays for me, I feel as if my burden has been lightened because it has been shared--hense your bubble wrap metaphor. Granted, God is in charge, but I think He likes to see us offer compassionate acts (like prayer) for one another. Prayer shows we're paying attention to His teachings to love one another. So--in answer to your initial question, yes, I would like to be bubble wrapped! JRF
Bubble wrap is awesome!
No, I don't think god get's mad when you ask for things. He will simply do what's best for you regardless, but at least if you ask, you know he has heard you. Sometimes, when we talk....to god, or to anyone....when we have a problem, that's all we really want anyway. To know that someone can hear us. We don't need them to change anything or solve anything, just listen... simply to be heard, and to release our troubles into the air so that we don't feel so alone.
-p.s. my word verification word (you know, the squigly word you have to type to leave a comment); mine was taders......am I the only one that found that funny :-)
Prayer comforts me. I like your thoughts of being bubble wrapped. When I pray, I feel I am one on one with God, and he's listening to only me at that moment. You can bubble wrap me anytime!!!
God Bless~
Debbie Jean
I used to get angry because I felt that they were interjecting their beliefs and their "God" on me. Now I realize people are saying it out of love and good intent. Not only do I feel better about it but now I say it.
Look at John2 1-5 It is the water into wine story. Was it really important for Jesus' ministry to create 192 gallons of wine? Yet, it was his first documented miracle. He shows he listens to his mother - when he didn't really want too. He also shows compassion on a couple for something very small - wine. It kept them from being looked down on for not doing what they were suppose to do.
God wants us to depend on him for everything - no matter how small it is. He wants us to see he gave us EVERYTHING! God knows what is going to happen and is in charge of everything. We should pray " this is what I want, but keep me satisfied with what you want". Then trust that he will always make a better decision than we will ever make.
He loves you because you are his child. Would you tell your kids, "I don't care what you think - this is the way it is - tough" No, you would at least make them fell better about a decision you make or not let them get too hurt. He treats us the same way.
It is my personal opinion that we honor God by praying. Prayer it personal and Faith lifting, but like you said What do we have to loose? Keep me bubble wrapped, love you.
guess u r right. it does make one feel safer.. and at peace with oneself. during preiod of comparitive unrest, talking to God has helped me lessen the pain and feel a whole lot better... :)
A very close friend of mine once told me that I wasn't meant to deal with everything in life by myself. I truly didn't understand what she meant by that until I started praying for myself and others. Prayer is a powerful thing. It gives you hope, faith, and most important strength to carry on. It gives you a feeling that you're not alone.
P.S. loved the idea of the bubble wrap!
I'll always take the prayer. Makes me feel good that someone would do that for me.
First, it never hurts.
Second, I believe in the power of prayer (to a certain degree). I like it when people pray for me.
Third, ditto to most all the other posters.
I wondered by your blog... I like the bubble wrap analogy. It's clear too. I bet we're wrapped in bubble wrap & don't even realize it sometimes. After all, we don't always know when someone has prayed for us... Now you can just wonder if I wrapped you in bubble wrap today. ;)
I think it makes me feel a little strange! Do I expect help or not? Is it a test - very good question that you pose!
funny connection, Prayer and bubble wraps...
funny thing I was talking to my cousins about bubble wrap an hour ago b4 looking at your blog..
bubble wraps do make me happy, and releases lotsa stress out of my body..
prayer too.. and when someone says they'll pray for me its eaither they dont know what else to do (or dont know how to give an advice) , or they want to makes me feel better... and it actually makes me feel safer.. in some way..
prayers are good, and Gods listens to us when we pray for him the most... so I always have faith in him.. ;)
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Bubble wrap is a cute analogy. I feel that prayer is powerful and it certainly can't hurt.
When someones says they are praying for me, I feel Thankful! I believe in the power of prayers, I have seen it first hand in my life. So for me, it is definitely bubble wrap!! (I really like that analogy!) When doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with my son for 9 days... (Stomach pain that came and went- but no fever, no high blood count or anything else) we went to doctors and emergency rooms everyday! Then all of a sudden he was better. I had everyone praying for my son. No matter what religion, I asked for prayers. One year later, he was having the same symptoms. Stomach pain that came and went. He was finally diagnosed with Appendicitis. When he had his surgery, the surgeon said his appendix had burst, but it was wrapped in a layer of fat, so it didn't affect any other organs... the power of prayer!! My husband and I joke sometimes that if you get enough people to pray about the same thing, God would be like us as a parent and say... "Ok, Enough already!!" and give us what we want! Ha ha!
Honestly, I don't like it when people say this to me. I feel like it is just a nice thing to say, and then they go on with their day never thinking about it again. Well, not until they see so and so on the street or in the lunch room. Then the excuse to gossip about my problem is to spread the word to "pray" for me.
If I come to you and ask for prayer, then that is a different story. And if I do this, then I want prayer right then and there. Not a "I'll keep you in my prayers".
When? When will you keep me in your prayers? I'd only ask certain people to pray for me. Those people I know will drop everything and say, "Let's pray together, now".
"I'll keep you in my prayers" to me is just an excuse to gossip. They start with, "keep so and so in your prayers, they're going through a rough time". Then they spend the next 30 minutes discussing the problem instead of praying.
The more bubble wrap you have around you, the harder it is to move and breath.
LOVE that i read that here- it is a state of mind like you rightly said. Plus, i think everyone is a form of God and God then makes it easier for you. Made sense? I'm thinking.
We are taught to pray without ceasing, carry everything to God in Prayer,and that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much. Our circumstances may not change but the way we handle them most certainly will when we are placing our trust in the God who has all things in His hands....I'll take the bubble wrap any day!!!
Sister, be blessed...I read your blog and was blessed and had to giggle a little too. I have lifted you up in prayer today.
yes good honest appraisal of this thing 'Prayer' 'oh I'll pray for you', like a rubber stamp to spirituality, a 'Brownie point', (God Bless the Brownies by the way) also observed the apparent failure of some healing prayer when a someone pronounces the person healed and a week later, guess what? also experienced such intense prayer over myself I felt as tho' I was going to melt, and was healed - keep praying, in all things at all times, for me it's 3a.m. thing but that doesn't make me anything other than an early morning prayer
It really depends on the situation at hand. There are times when I have felt awkward, even offended, but that has mostly been when complete strangers feel that I am living my life wrong and prays to "fix it".
Other times it has been out of compassion, where I know they only mean well. Those times I've said thank you, if all else fails, sort of thing.
Prayer is not about a sense of power, or even safety (sorry it's more than bubble wrap) prayer is about communication with God. God desires relationship with his creation. Prayer is about more than just asking God for help or to fulfill your desires. Prayer is about devotion to God and following his will. Often the sense of safety and power come as a result of that but they should not be the purpose of prayer.
If you come before God in weakness and admit that you need more than bubble wrap - in fact if you admit that you need him in every facet of you life - you will find better support than bubble wrap. The kind of support that lets you fall when you need to so that you build strength getting back up again. The kind of support that allows you to struggle so that you come closer to him. I think the worst thing that God could do for you would be to wrap you in bubble wrap so that you are sheltered from the world. Although, often God protects you from the things that would harm you most. Perhaps, God bubble wraps you at times when you need it but I like to think that he is standing there with a shield; He lets you fight and get scratched and struggle and when you cry out to God he brings down that shield of protection over you when you need it most.
Community gets me through. I love to have people pray for me.
I stumbled across your blog this morning and it caught my eye, very inspiring. I enjoyed your recent article and also some of the others. I know God is great in everything he plans for us. I believe in the power of prayer and I like your analogy of prayer/bubble wrap, and I would love to be bubble wrapped in Gods hands.
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hello my name is nessa. just started this blogging deal but i thought your last entry was rather interesting. i myself was raised in a christian family and your right everything is in god's hands but when people say they will pray for you it helps to know people care and are there for you when you need them. the bubble wrap metaphor is probally one of the best i've heard as well. after reading it, it has changes my view on things somewhat..
I really find that it irritates me and makes me feel quite akward... I realize the good intent and well wishes behind it which is why I usually just say thank you when some one says that, but honestly I don't want your prayers
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This is funny. I thought i had read this here on one of my previous blog-hops and i searched for my comment- wholla! I find it queer that i found you AGAIN in this crazily infinite blog-land. (If you're wondering- i changed my blog title from The Warrior in ME.)
I am going to follow your blog if you don't mind. Thank you! Will be back for more :)
Enjoy your day!
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