Do prayers actually help?

Recently, there has been a lot of talk decrying the thoughts and prayers offered in the wake of the tragic shooting in San Bernardino, California.  Perhaps the most widely spread is the controversial cover of the NY Daily News which claims "God isn't fixing this."

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.

How not to react to a shooting

The tragic massacre in Connecticut this past week has inflicted horrible pain on the families and friends of those directly involved.  It has also produced shock and anger in Americans everywhere else.  It is difficult to imagine the feelings that I would have if one of my children were to have become a victim of such a tragedy.  Unfortunately it seems that there are a number of people that find ways to react inappropriately with respect to this event.  In thinking about this, the purpose of this post is to identify how not to react to tragedy.

One of the first reactions that spread was that gun control laws would have prevented this.  Of course, these comments almost always come from those that favored gun control laws before the tragedy occurred.  Unfortunately, some people do not see that in expressing their well-meaning desire to prevent gun-related crime, they are being insensitive.  When someone experiences pain, the last thing that they want to hear is the equivalent of "I told you so."  Gun advocates may mean well when they talk about their desire to restrict access to firearms, but claiming that legal restrictions would have saved the lives of victims is disrespectful.

Of course some people in reading this might be saying "that right-wing nut job ward preacher is probably just worried about his guns."  I do not deny that I am a gun owner, and I confess that I find people blaming weapons instead of perpetrators to be incredibly short-sighted.  If laws against murder have not protected people from being murdered, then why would laws against weapons protect people against weapons?  Also, mass killings did not begin with the invention of gunpowder.

On the other side of the political spectrum, there have been individuals that want to blame video games for shootings.  Just as those on the left are quick to find something to blame, so too are those on the right that believe that if only video games had not been invented, perhaps the tragedies that have affected schools and theaters would not have occurred.  Such individuals point out how killing can be glorified in these games.  Of course, the problem is that murder pre-dates video games, and has been glorified in other forms of media and literature (including the Bible) for longer than English has been a language.  Though it is true that violence has been wrongfully glorified in many forms of media, there are many people who enjoy James Bond films or games without feeling the urge to shoot up a school.  The motivations and causes behind those that do feel such urges are likely more complex than any one explanation.

Even among the most religious individuals, there exist some who claim that if only people were more accepting of God in society and in our education systems that he would have protected those who became victims.  As well-meaning as these individuals may be, and as important as it is for individuals and societies to accept God, this is simply another form of "I told you so."  Just as gun control advocates are misguided, so to are religious persons who think that citizens will be guaranteed protection with greater religious piety.  Being a devout Christian can never be considered a 'get out of problems free card' or a path to life on easy street.  Bad things happen to good people all the time. 

How many good deeds do such individuals believe are enough to entitle them to unlimited divine intervention?  Religiously speaking, almost no one has lived well enough to actually deserve protection from all harm or misfortune.  The one person who did live flawlessly, and could claim that he deserved a life free from harm was the one who suffered more than any one else...  That was Jesus Christ, and he in fact suffered because of every one else!  There has never been a greater injustice than this, and it is fundamental to Christian faith.

As well as anyone may mean when they express condolences, regret, anger, or ideas for preventing similar tragedies in the future... none of these things can bring back the victims.  None of these things have power to restore the lives of children to their grief-stricken parents.

In the end, there is only one power that can bring them back.  There is only one power that can put life back into the children that have fallen, and peace in the hearts of those that lost loved ones.  The name of that power is Jesus Christ.

When Martha professed to Jesus that if he had been there, her brother Lazarus would not have died, he replied with perhaps the most powerful declaration that has ever been made:
"...I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." (John 11:25-26)

Jesus Christ defeated death itself when he was resurrected.  He extends his power to every man, woman, and child that has ever lived on the earth.  Additionally, his power can bind husbands to their wives and children to their parents such that family relationships do not need to end at death.  He literally has power and authority to heal every wound and restore everything that may be lost in any calamity.

Particularly for those of us who are indirectly affected by shootings, our role is not to trumpet "I told you so" or any of its equivalents.  Our role is not to find something to blame or come up with a solution to every problem. 

It is so much better to exercise faith and offer prayers to the one that already has a solution to every problem, a plan to overcome any difficulty, and the power to restore everything to its proper place.  It is our role to help those that have been hurt as best we can until they receive every gift that Jesus Christ has prepared for them.