Louisville Process Theology Network

How Prayers Are Answered, I

Aug 30, 2005

Prayer has definitely gotten a bad reputation in recent years. On television and at public events, we hear prayers that sound superficial. It sounds like we are asking God for special favors most of the time. "Bless my family or my country", we implore. It seems we never ask God to bless everyone. Is that really what we want? What would we have God do with regard to others?

There are many problems with prayer today. It turns us off because we hear it abused every day. For some folks, the audience of our prayers has become faceless and inaccessible because they cannot see the workings of God in our information age. Too many of us just do not see the use of it.

One way to understand the purpose of prayer is to back into it. Let's consider what prayer is not about. Rabbi Harold S. Kushner is helpful on this subject. You probably remember him as the author of "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People" and other books.

There would be no illnesses, no need for surgeries, and no death if prayer worked the way most of us want it to work. But, we know those are not realistic expectations.