I have seen a renewed effort among leftists and activist atheists to try and discredit prayer, and mock those who pray. One of the most recent efforts I read involved an "experiment" like this (paraphrased):
Many Christians explain that God answers prayers in one of the following ways: (1) Yes, (2) No, or (3) Not now. This type of thinking can be applied to anything though. If you pray to a milk jug for a million dollars and you get it, you could say that the milk jug answered your prayer. If you don't get it, you could say that the milk jug said no. If you get it much later, you could say that the milk jug answered your prayer by saying "not now." Rational people understand that because these types of "answers" can be assigned to anything, it shows that God is not real.Similar "tests" have been proposed such as praying to Zeus that flipping fifty coins in a row will produce all "heads" results, and comparing the observations from that test with a similar prayer to Jesus. If we conclude that Zeus is fictitious, we must therefore (to be consistent) conclude that Jesus is also fictitious.
Of course, these tests are completely illegitimate. Let's apply the "milk jug" logic to something else:
If you go to your parents and ask them for a million dollars, they might respond in the same way as the milk jug. If they are extremely affluent, they might say "yes." Probably they will say "no." If perhaps they become affluent later, and give you money in the future, you could say that the answer was "not now." Because these are the same responses that Zeus, God, or a milk jug might give, therefore, your parents are not real. They are most likely an elaborate scheme you came up with in order to explain your existence.More important than identifying flaws in the thinking of people who would tear down your faith, individuals should learn how prayer actually works. Then when the next completely invalid test of prayer appears, it can be recognized. Consider these principles:
1. People sometimes want things that are harmful to them. Any parent of young children has probably had to deal with a child that begs not to have to go to bed, or not to have to eat their vegetables, or that the limits on dessert foods be removed. Even as we age, there are times we do and/or say things that initially seem desirable, but are afterwards regretted. I have known people who regret things from abusing drugs and alcohol or indulging in infidelity, and also people who regret watching "just one more episode" of a binge-worthy series on Netflix. Would a loving parent give their child something they new would lead to pain and regret later?
2. Prayer is not designed as a mechanism to "get stuff" from God. Most people know a person who only seems to be available when they need things. It is difficult to have genuine friendship for someone who only asks for favors, and does not seem to ever appreciate them when they are given. Why would people think this type of relationship is appropriate with God? Jesus taught that people should use prayer as a form of worship. He said, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13) He gave thanks before he called Lazarus to come forth from his tomb. He refused to use prayer as a "test" for God (Matthew 4:1-10), and even after leading a perfect life, when he begged his Father to remove that bitter cup from him, he added " if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42) If not even Jesus could get everything he wanted from God, why should anyone think themselves more deserving?
3. People are fickle, and sometimes ask for conflicting favors. In a moment of determination, a person might give all of their sweets to a friend. In a moment of weakness, they might return to their friend and demand their sweets back. This trope has been used in a number of comedies, and it is funny because everyone can relate to how difficult self-control can be. Whether it is quitting smoking or sticking to a diet or exercise routine, people tend to be inconsistent. Before the world was, humanity rejoiced at the opportunities that mortality would bring. God has made a huge investment giving us a world in which we could be as we are, and where we could learn for ourselves. Of course he would like to rush in and spare his children from tragedy. Of course he does not enjoy the savagery that some of his children perpetrate against others in the forms of shootings or terrorist attacks or bombings or all manner of other cruelty. That having been said, he is not going to undo the state of mortality into which he has spent so much time and energy, and because of which he allowed his only begotten son to suffer and die. That would conflict with our previous request to participate in this mortal experience. In fact, in allowing prayer, he pushes the limits of faith-based mortality. Not only that, but he sends prophets and apostles to beg people to pray more... Persistence and diligence are vital to success with prayer. This leads us to the final principle...
4. God says yes far more than people realize. Jesus taught this: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7-11) Of course, some people might say "why doesn't he heal all the sick?" or "why doesn't he stop cancer?" or "why doesn't he bring back the victims of San Bernardino or Paris or Boston?" These seem like legitimate requests to offer a totally omnipotent being who loves us perfectly. So, would it be acceptable if God brought back all of the victims of these tragedies, healed every injury, and cured cancer permanently, but you had to wait two days before it would happen? Would it be acceptable if you had to wait ten days... to heal everyone, and bring back perfectly every victim of every tragedy ever? Could you wait a month? Is there a period of time that, if you had to wait, you would say "never mind, that's too long... don't heal the sick or bring back the dead or cure anyone..."? If there is a duration that is too long, then that isn't really God saying "no"... is it? And ultimately, this is the point. In the end, God will heal every wound, mend every flaw, remove every defect, and bring back everyone who has ever been lost. To all who have prayed for San Bernardino, or for Israel, or for peace on earth... to all who are praying for a child, a parent, a wife, a husband, a sibling, or a friend... the answer is YES!
Prayer may not be a replacement for helping others, and it is not an excuse for withholding service from those in need... but prayer does have power to augment the abilities of those who seek to help others, and those who are trying to serve those in need. Prayer allows people to access divine power, and ultimately, begin to perceive the relationship of humanity to the throne of Heaven. If you have felt like God is distant... pray. If you have felt like your prayers have gone unanswered... pray some more... If you have felt like your prayers aren't doing enough, pray some more, and then work to make life better. God is indeed a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
