Louisville Process Theology Network

How Prayers Are Answered, II

Aug 31, 2005

Kushner asks, "Do I really believe in a God who has the power to cure malignancies and influence the outcome of surgeries and will do that only if the right person recites the right words in the right language? Will God let a person die because a stranger prayed in her behalf but got the words wrong? Who among us could worship a God whose implicit message is "I could have made your mother healthy again but you didn't plead and grovel enough?"

We hear many discouraging explanations of why we do not get exactly what we prayed for: You didn't deserve it. You didn't pray hard enough. God knows better than you what is best.

Kushner points out that "The Talmud", which is a compilation of discussions on Jewish beliefs and practices, gives examples of improper prayers well worth remembering. For instance, it is improper to pray for good fortune at the expense of others. We should not pray for others to fulfull obligations that rightly belong to us. A famous Talmudic prayer reminds us, "We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end starvation, for you have already given us the resources with which to feed the entire world."