John Piper - What is Prayer?

[jallaguri]

If I make 100 prayers, God might reject 50 of them, and accept 50. I have been explained that God's will not always accept my prayers. So that is the reason why 50% is rejected. Well, if God already know his will, why bother praying in the first place? Just questioning.

[joelieherp]

@jallaguri Hey, we have a big fence around our walking area, the fence is God's will and the walking area is our free will. In our free will we can ask God. We can ask for a friend, or if we really don't want a friend we can ask for that too. God hears prayers of the one that knows him.

"For salvation is the privilege of pure souls free from fleshly desires." - Clement of Alexandria.

Try to please the Lord by doing only what he wants. And he actually offers you a 'walking area'.

[jallaguri]

@joelieherp What did Alexandria mean by fleshly desires (Not what we think he meant, but what he REALLY meant)? Wasn't he "just" a Christian theologian with his ideas and theories?

[joelieherp]

@jallaguri Fleshly desires are all things you desire which are not eternal. And Clement was one of the most famous elders of the first church.

[jallaguri]

@joelieherp How can we know if God isn't just a "political idea" that people is directed to live after? Are this fence man made by beople who wanted to take control over people? I am very confused. What values are we worshipping if one believe in God? It is hard to worship a role model that no one doesn't completely know everything about. There are sexual lims of our body that we are forced to be ashamed over - was that Gods will too, or is it a human idea to be ashamed? I am confused.

[joelieherp]

@jallaguri If it was a political idea, there was no spiritual power in it. And where you can get proof? Just study the Bible and do what Jesus ordered us to do: Drive out demons, heal the sick and proclam the kingdom of God! You can start with searching youtube for this evangelists if you want to see miracles: Todd Washer, Dan Mohler. It's not the show thing, it's on the streets with regular people, I really recommend. And I did some healings myself too, but I need more faith myself.

[jallaguri]

@joelieherp Reading the Bible is one thing, but understanding what it says is another thing. There has been so many "versions" of the throuth due to different interpretations, translations, what should be taken literally or figuratively. What answers would we get if we traveled back in time and actually talked to Jesus, and those who wrote the Bible? That would be very interesting. How can we REALLY know what the authors of the Bible meant? I don't know about healing. Many are bogus.

[joelieherp]

@jallaguri You will be suprised that the translations are quite accurate! (King James Version). Just study it out and you will see, that's why a lot of theologians are Christians and not Muslims for example.

[jallaguri]

@joelieherp Theology, or doctrine of God, is performed as well, or maybe more intense, in islam than in Christianity. However, the muslims call God Allah. How kan we know that King James version of the bible is the "rightest" one? I feel that if one rely on the Bible one also rely on the translators assumtions, misinterpretations etc.

[joelieherp]

@jallaguri You should study it out, you will be amazed how accurate the translation is. The Old Testament is often compared with the Dead Sea Scrolls for instance. And sorry for what the churches are doing today, most of them are not Biblical. The Holy Spirit gives almost to all who believe the Gift of Tongues, Healing and the authority on Demons, But the christians are not using that power. Just search for it, so you can see it with your own eyes! Good luck man :)

[joelieherp]

It was hard, to get off facebook, not looking at the different temptations like new video's from friend, then going through the temptations on my favorite website list while clicking on the youtube link. Then all the temptations to click on some 'Funny cat' videos while on the youtube frontpage typing in 'John Piper'. After all I hit enter and clicked the first video the Spirit gave me: Prayer. Amen this is good.

[jallaguri]

@joelieherp What is your problem? Do you really have problems with funny cats, or frends on facebook? If you want to watch funny cats, just do it. How hard can it be? If your desire is funny cats in that moment, your heart is already on that funny cat side - and the "harm" is already done. But relax, you WILL have time for John Piper later. No harm done anyways.

[Genechanger]

Praying is just a way that ineffective people can do something completely useless, but feel they are really making a difference.

Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.

[mewtwo34]

@Genechanger I take it your an Atheist or a non christian, cool story bro

[Genechanger]

@mewtwo34 I prefer the term Humanist.

[tercelkisor]

@Genechanger i take it you have never studied the history of humanitarian work. dont you think that 2 hand working can do more than 2 hand trolling christian videos? dont you find it strange that is the ones with clasped hands in prayer that go out and live sacrificially for the world? o wait... you havent studied humanitarian work. your not a bigot at all. seriously.

[Genechanger]

@tercelkisor Actually, Both my wife and I are volunteers for a major international charity that provides support and life saving aid for children all over the world. My wife has been a volunteer for over 36 yrs. I'm only a newcomer. I've only been doing it for 10 yrs, so obviously, we don't know anything about it.

I'm sorry if this doesn't fit in with your prejudiced picture of atheists, but if you check, you will find that most of the major international charities and aid agencies are secular.

[tercelkisor]

@Genechanger i beg to differ. almost all, and i mean that literally, humanitarian efforts were either started by, or taken over by, christ-followers. and i have no prejudiced view. athiests can help people. It results in a massive amount of pride and self worship (as you show), but they can definitely give food to the hungry. i was merely correcting you on a popular athiestic misconception. throughout history, its the praying hands that serve most by far.

[Genechanger]

@tercelkisor 1/2. I would say that the pride and self worship comes more from your direction. After all, us wicked atheists do these things without any expectation of reward of eternal life or punishment if we don't do it.

My description of our activities was in reply to your comment about me not understanding humanitarian work. Actually, we're nothing special. We do it because it's our way of paying back for the fact that having been won the lottery of life by being born where we are. Cont'd.

[Genechanger]

@tercelkisor 2/2. As for prayer, it’s been proved not to work, other than in the minds of the believers.

Even "supposed" miracles at Lourdes, after 153 yrs and millions of pilgrims, only come to a total of 67.

That's not even what could be expected by spontaneous remission, a well known medical phenomenon.

More pilgrims have actually died earlier than they would have otherwise, due to the stress of the journey. So, it looks like Lourdes causes more deaths than cures. Not what I call miracles.

[carolMUSICyLIFE]

please, where can I find this preaching complete?? thank you for uploading this !

[77greengiant]

@carolMUSICyLIFE check desring Gods web page for coplete message

[psychosocialmarc]

Prayer is kinda a like masturbation...it feels good and I'm the only one involved. Masturbation is a better way to go to sleep than saying prayers to a mythical god.

[hildafunk]

God doesnt hear the prayers of the unrightous is something I learned this week. And he probably doesnt "hear" the prayers of the unelect in general.

[believeforeternity]

WAIT until POWER FROM ON HIGH OVERSHADOWS YOU.. AS Christ said, WAIT.. until you are CLOTHED by POWER from on HIGH! ONE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, this is not something WE CHOOSE.. its something LITERAL GOD DOES. NOT just realizing we are fallen... asking GOD TO GIVE US EDEN and a NEW NATURE NOW! YES! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD! ONE must receive the TOTAL NATURE OF CHRIST.. now. GOD will give you THIS. I PROMISE! ITS not about realizing the fallen self, its about getting a NEW ONE! FAST!

[hpsapphire915]

Wow, Great video! Just learned something New, here! Thanks! :D

[prinsalmighty1]

john do not think for god.

he's defenition of pray is this:

if you want to talk to god then you can pray to god.

that is not what you say,you have to use so many words just to make people see that a pray is a conversation with god,that is all there is to it.

PRAY IS A CONVERSATION WITH GOD.

[aringua]

Amen...prayer is simply talking to God

[AaronJDarlington]

lol, did you watch the video?

[aringua]

@AaronJDarlington: yep

[737flyhigh]

amen Jer33:3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not

[xaq111]

prayer = fail, placebo effect ftw!

[kpharbuck]

thank you for this - whoever posted these Piper messages - I really needed these