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 Why do we enlist large groups of people to pray about needs? |
bradfreeman |
I'm curious about our thought process when we start a prayer-chain or ask for large groups of people to pray about a need.
1. Do we hope that, among the crowd, we can find at least 2 or 3 to agree?
2. Do we believe that a passionate prayer mob will somehow pressure God into doing something He doesn't really want to do?
3. Do we believe that we can rake together a small pile of faith from the little each person has and that will get the prayer answered?
What does our thought process say about our view of God?
Does God even want to answer our prayers? Meet our needs? Save our families?
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I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!
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Acts-dicted
Posts: 9027
9/1/15 6:50 am
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| is this |
JimmieDavis |
| A serious question? |
Friendly Face
Posts: 219
9/1/15 7:15 am
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| Re: is this |
bradfreeman |
| JimmieDavis wrote: | | A serious question? |
Thanks Jimmie,
Yes. I'm curious about your perceptions of what moves God. Is He taking a vote on whether or not to do something?
_________________
I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!
My website: www.bradfreeman.com
My blog: http://bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/ |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 9027
9/1/15 7:42 am
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Nature Boy Florida |
Why do we enlist large groups of people to pray about needs?
Why not?
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Whether you like it or not, learn to love it, because its the best thing going today! |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16619
9/1/15 7:54 am
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Link |
The Spirit was poured out when the apostles were in one accord. In Acts 4, the saints prayed together and were filled with the Spirit.
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Acts-perienced Poster
Posts: 11849
9/1/15 9:32 pm
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Cojak |
If nothing else my friend, it helps the one in need. Gives them a little more hope. Have you ever been sinking? Not me, but my wife was drowning and remembers trying to grasp at anything,and she is an angel, as close to God as anyone I know... facing death, You grasp my friend.
I always consider your entries. Most are good. But this one is 'good theoretically' but not worth a------ in a real crisis, to the one in need.
Whether it is worth the effort as you 'hint', the one in need would appreciate a 'where two or three million pray'. It is a human frailty and I have no problem with it. I pray for a subject, I ask for anyone else to agree. 2 or 3 is good for me, but my wife? Who is the picture is a Christian, would prefer as many as possible. Is there a problem with that?
Nah, of course not. When most good guys, Christians are told they have 'terminal' cancer, they do not ask 2 or three, they ask as many as possible. I think that is a normal reaction. 
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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/ |
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9/1/15 10:35 pm
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Eddie Robbins |
| Nature Boy Florida wrote: | Why do we enlist large groups of people to pray about needs?
Why not? |
That's my thought too. If I found out that one of my grandsons had a disease, I'm asking everybody I know and people I don't know to pray. But, I also don't understand how prayer works. When there is a disaster in Thailand, does God need to hear from all of us to answer? Or, maybe one of us who can get through to Him. It is a mystery and I fall into the same category. What does it hurt? |
Acts-pert Poster
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9/2/15 6:16 am
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bigchurchmouse |
| I actually have been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I would like for all of you to add me to your prayer list. I don't understand how it all works but I join the other posters in thinking it certainly can't hurt. Thanks. |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo
Posts: 2857
9/2/15 7:10 am
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| Call for the ELDERS...(plural) |
Aaron Scott |
If one person praying is effective, how much more "if my people" pray?
Further, the Bible tells us to call for the elders (plural) of the church? Why, since one could do the job, theoretically? Because God said so.
I do see your point, but again why not. |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology
Posts: 6032
9/2/15 8:44 am
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| Re: Call for the ELDERS...(plural) |
Cojak |
| Aaron Scott wrote: | If one person praying is effective, how much more "if my people" pray?
Further, the Bible tells us to call for the elders (plural) of the church? Why, since one could do the job, theoretically? Because God said so.
I do see your point, but again why not. |
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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/ |
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9/2/15 8:49 am
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| Re: Why do we enlist large groups of people to pray about needs? |
bradfreeman |
| Tom Sterbens wrote: | I would be concerned that such an absolute determination would engender a measure of pride that removes the significance of the community of faith in prayer and advances a type of Corinthian arrogance in spiritual posturing.
But that's me.
Thanks |
My point in asking the questions is more directed at considering how we perceive God (willing or unwilling) and what we perceive moves God (faith or numbers or both or something else). Your concerns are valid - pride and arrogance are bad. But our perceptions of God are also significant concerns and worthy of some thought.
I'm not suggesting any "absolute determination". I am, however, interested in an accurate perception of our Father's desire to meet our needs, answers our prayers, add all things to us, whether we can get a crowd on board with our prayer or not.
I can certainly see why a group of people with a common problem would be praying as a group. I'm just wondering if that kind of praying is "more" effective than 2 people agreeing and "why".
I would love to hear your thoughts.
_________________
I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!
My website: www.bradfreeman.com
My blog: http://bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/ |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 9027
9/2/15 9:00 am
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Eddie Robbins |
| I'm sticking with....it's a mystery. And just pray. There is no right or wrong formula. God knows what we need before we pray. He's waiting in the prayer. I like Mark 11:24. |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16509
9/2/15 9:01 am
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| Too legalistic... |
spartanfan |
| I can't be limited to only 2 prayer partners when grace allows me to have all I want since all things are lawful! Brad is much too legalistic on this topic - binding himself and trying to burden us down with the letter of the law concerning the number of prayer partners allowed. |
Golf Cart Mafia Underboss
Posts: 3638
9/2/15 9:13 am
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| Re: Too legalistic... |
bradfreeman |
| spartanfan wrote: | | I can't be limited to only 2 prayer partners when grace allows me to have all I want since all things are lawful! Brad is much too legalistic on this topic - binding himself and trying to burden us down with the letter of the law concerning the number of prayer partners allowed. |
You caught me!
_________________
I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!
My website: www.bradfreeman.com
My blog: http://bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/ |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 9027
9/2/15 9:25 am
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bradfreeman |
| Link wrote: | | The Spirit was poured out when the apostles were in one accord. In Acts 4, the saints prayed together and were filled with the Spirit. |
That's true Link.
There are many examples of groups with a common directive or problem praying as a group. My questions are:
1. Does more people equal more effective prayer? If so, why?
2. What are our perceptions of God relative to corporate prayer? Do we feel like He is reluctant, unwilling and difficult to move? Or do we feel like more people create more prayer energy to bust through spiritual resistance and "get a prayer through" or some other perception?
_________________
I'm not saved because I'm good. I'm saved because He's good!
My website: www.bradfreeman.com
My blog: http://bradcfreeman.tumblr.com/
Last edited by bradfreeman on 9/2/15 12:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 9027
9/2/15 9:31 am
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Eddie Robbins |
Some things only come by prayer and fasting. Are we missing the fasting part.
I do know this....when we got word of Pastor Lynn Hancock having stage 4 cancer, we set a date to fast. We fasted and prayed. He has improved ever since and that's been a year or so. God has touched him! Maybe we don't fast enough? |
Acts-pert Poster
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9/2/15 10:01 am
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c6thplayer1 |
James 5:16 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.
One mans "fervent prayer" has just as much influence as a stadium of those praying. |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology
Posts: 6385
9/2/15 10:06 am
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John Jett |
way too much evidence that points to group prayer moving God to even start to list it. I appreciate the question since we should always ask questions and then enjoy the answer to that question as I'm doing now.  I guess we ask everyone to pray because we have some degree of faith that someone out there has a greater degree than we do and we want as much faith brought to bear on the situation as we can get. I'm not above admitting that I know people with more results in their prayers than I have, and I'm not ashamed to ask them when the urgency dictates that I do. |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
Posts: 4955
9/2/15 10:22 am
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georgiapath |
| Eddie Robbins wrote: | Some things only come by prayer and fasting. Are we missing the fasting part.
I do know this....when we got word of Pastor Lynn Hancock having stage 4 cancer, we set a date to fast. We fasted and prayed. He has improved ever since and that's been a year or so. God has touched him! Maybe we don't fast enough? |
Eddie, do you know if he took any kind of treatments?
Thanks |
Acts-dicted
Posts: 7587
9/2/15 11:12 am
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Eddie Robbins |
| georgiapath wrote: | | Eddie Robbins wrote: | Some things only come by prayer and fasting. Are we missing the fasting part.
I do know this....when we got word of Pastor Lynn Hancock having stage 4 cancer, we set a date to fast. We fasted and prayed. He has improved ever since and that's been a year or so. God has touched him! Maybe we don't fast enough? |
Eddie, do you know if he took any kind of treatments?
Thanks |
Yes, he did. But, stage 4 is pretty hard to recover from even with treatments. |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16509
9/2/15 11:28 am
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