Do prayers exist within time?

Tartar, Prayer has no meaning except to the person saying them. c.i.

I agree with c.i.- Although I do not believe in prayer, I DO think that they have a civilizing value, and can be emotionally comforting to believers.

Phoenix and Tartar, Not only comforting, but it has been shown that prayer helps in healing. I think the 'positive' attitude of the patient has much to do with it. c.i.

c.i.- It DOES have a lot to do with a positive attitude. I remember a study where people's blood was drawn. They were then put into 2 experimental groups. One group was showed Mother Theresa working with the poor, while the other showed pictures of warfare.

The blood was drawn again after the subjects saw the pictures. The ones who had seen Mother Theresa had a significant increase in those properties in the blood that fight disease. The ones who saw the war pictures blood had a lower count of these properties. Those of you who are sticklers for links- I don't have one- Just remember reading about the study!

c.i. "Prayer has no meaning except to the person saying it."

Phoenix "I do not believe in prayer".

At the hour of our death, we can be certain of only one thing......we will go down that road all alone. Of that there can be no doubt.

Can it also be true, at that very moment, there will be some of us that will not quietly whisper, "Please be with me"?

I wonder.

KYN2000- Of course there will be people praying at the moment of their death. As I have said, prayer IS a comfort to those who believe. That some people believe in something does not nescessarily make it a universal truth.

When I die, I will make the final step myself. I am perfectly comfortable with that concept.

As a Quaker I hold people and myself in the light which for me is just that an inner query. I would not call it prayer. However, I do know that at a time in my life when I was in great emotional distress other people said they prayed for me and I liked knowing that and I think it helped me. Maybe just the cosmic unconscious at work but who cares what others do to express their help and caring of other humans in times of emotional shock such as death. It is for the greater good in my opinion when people come together thoughtfulness.

Often I read Emily Dickinson's poetry when maybe other would pray and for me it is uplifiting. Many of Dickinson poems make me feel not alone and that even though I am alone others have been there before me and will be there after me.

Joanne Dorel- Years ago, the expression was, "good vibes". My attitude is that all expression of good wishes are gratefully accepted, even prayer, if that is the bent of the person who sends the good wishes.

All my siblings are christians. I must have shared this information a million times on ABuzz and A2K. None-the-less, they all pray for me. My sister tells us that when mom was alive, and they used to pray, they would always say something about asking Jesus to take care of me and my older brother. c.i.

Yah good vibes that is what I believe in. By-the-way I was editing my reponse while y'all were responding so there is some added stuff.

GoAway lives in Nagdoches I hope she is OK and I am holding her and her family in the light as well at the others in the shuttle debris area.

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Be still and know that I am God.
Psalms 46:10

How do we approach prayer? There's a world of difference isn't there, between "Listen Lord, your servant speaks" and "Speak, Lord your servant listens"? Just as your child's request for an expensive toy is different from his request that you take him on your lap and sing to him. One is a bid for love and sharing; the other is more a demand for a gift.

Receptivity is is crucial to all relationships. We have to be quiet and listen if we want to set the stage for conscious contact. If we don't listen, we don't hear, and if we don't hear, we can't know who the other is and what the other is saying. Perhaps we're afraid that God will remain silent.

Opening up is the only way to prove the matter. Making the connection is the only way to hear the new song.

seaglass, I'm sure what you just said is profound, but can you repeat that in a style that I can understand it? c.i.

Why don't one of you "prayers" answer the original question? It was a good one. About like "how many angels can fit on the head of a pin?" or however it goes.

Thanks Pitter.

Sorry if you did not appreciate my response or felt it was inappropriate.

I have no issue with whatever religious or non-religious stance you may take. But having been raised a staunch Southern Baptist in West Texas I tend to be a fundamentalist in my thinking.

If my meaning was obscure I certainly do apologize, but I do know a sincere prayer is always heard.

Seaglass

seaglass, It's me who has to apologize for not understanding what you said. That's the reason I asked for an explanation, so that I can understand. If that's too much bother, that's okay too. c.i.

My original question was intellectual rather than a spiritual really... My interest is in whether, in the Christian tradition, prayers are limited to time forward, so to speak -- asking for something to occur, creating an expectation for the future. Are they based in linear time? What does the Pope mean when he says he will pray for the astronauts? What is he praying? I have no tradition, but I do "pray," though in fact I don't ask for anything. My "prayers" (if that's what they are) are expressions of gratitude and wonder.

Giddyup! I still say puuuleeez one of you believers answer the the question or is equivocation the answer?

If it's true that prayer only benefits the prayor, than time is also restricted to that individual whether it's meant for the past or the future. Forgive my sins (past), or please god, let me pass this test (future). c.i.