More Thoughts to Ponder about Prayer
And the extreme ways many sincere people try to make it work
After publishing my article entitled A Few Thoughts to Ponder about Prayer a month ago, several nagging thoughts continue to gnaw at me that I felt the need (or desire) to supplement it with a few more things to ponder. And maybe with a little “harsher” tone, given that it is at the root of so much guilt (when prayers are not answered) and other harm that many incur as described in the above article.
Prayer is defined in Merriam-Webster as “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” It is believers just talking to God. Even though the Bible and most preachers teach that God knows your every thought…even before you do, many authors and preachers present prayer as a way to get God to do just about anything you want.
While it was noted that prayer can have a comforting and other beneficial physiological effect on the person that prays, the theology of prayer is a huge source of money making by many authors. They turn prayer into a special formula which millions of Christians have bought into hook, line, and sinker. It mocks any idea that praying is simply talking to a God, and instead, has made it into magic formulas no different than Hindu and Buddhist chants and mantras, voodoo, or ritualistic legalism. It makes their God into a robot that is programmed to respond to certain special words or specific acts performed by the reader.
While this author sees no evidence that there is a God who cares to listen and most likely, does not even exist, it seems that by definition, prayers should be simple, sincere, and honest, without any attempt to impress or trick God into granting a request, or to make Him think you love Him more than you do. Shouldn’t it be just like a child conversing with their parents?
Over 1200 books on prayer at Amazon indicates a high demand for these books
Here are a few titles, many having sold millions of copies to sincere people eager to learn how to somehow get their God to listen to them by giving them “magic” words and other ploys that are often said to guarantee results. However, a money back guarantee is never offered due to the fact that if it does not work, it is because of a lack of faith or hidden sin in the one praying. You can judge for yourself if many of their themes do not meet the smell test.
Prayer: The 100 Most Powerful Morning Prayers Every Christian Needs to Know (Christian Prayer Book 1) Book 2 can be bought separately.
Prayers That Rout Demons: Prayers for Defeating Demons and Overthrowing the Powers of Darkness Part of a 6-book series
Prosperity Prayers; 200 Deliverance Prayers for Money, Finances, and Favor
Prayers That Activate Blessings: Experience the Protection, Power, & Favor of God for You & Your Loved Ones
Prayers That Bring Healing: Overcome Sickness, Pain, and Disease. God’s Healing is for You! (Prayers for Spiritual Battle)
If you wonder why I have a problem with these books, it is because there has never been one time in the history of the world that has documented an amputee growing a new leg or arm or any alleged miracle that did not have at least one other plausible cause. People are so desperately trying to prove a miracle, that finding lost keys and the easing of headaches are often seen as that proof. Here are a few more titles.
31 Prayers for My Future Husband: Preparing My Heart for Marriage by Praying for Him
31 Prayers for My Future Wife: Preparing My Heart for Marriage by Praying for Her
31 Prayers for My Wife: Seeing God Move in Her Heart
31 Prayers for My Husband: Seeing God Move in His Heart
31 Prayers for My Son: Seeking God’s Perfect Will for Him
31 Prayers for My Daughter: Seeking God’s Perfect Will for Her
Powerful Prayers in the War Room: Learning to Pray like a Powerful Prayer Warrior (Spiritual Battle Plan for Prayer Book 1) There are 4 books in this series.
The Power of Affirmative Prayer (usually defined as claiming it or even demanding it)
Prayers and Protection Magick (sic) to Destroy Witchcraft: Banish Curses, Negative Energy & Psychic Attacks; Break Spells, Evil Soul Ties & Covenants; … Curses, Negative Energy & Psychic Attacks
Prayers That Avail Much: Three Bestselling Works Complete in One Volume, 25th Anniversary Leather Burgundy (Commemorative Leather Edition)
Prayers That Avail Much, 25th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Edition
The Battle Plan for Prayer: From Basic Training to Targeted Strategies
The Prayer of Protection: Living Fearlessly in Dangerous Times
40 Prayers for My Husband: Drawing Near to God for the Man You Love, a 40-Day Prayer Journey, Volume 2 (I wonder if volume one must be read first.)
Prayers To Remember: How to Talk to God and KNOW when He is Listening
Pocket Prayers: 40 Simple Prayers that Bring Peace and Rest
There are hundreds of others that could be listed.
Prayer of Jabez
Let’s look at one in a little detail that has sold over nine million copies and was a New York Times #1 bestseller. The full title of this book is the Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life that is entirely based on two Old Testament verses. Here it is, word for word from the New American Standard Bible: 1 Chronicles 4:9–10: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I gave birth to him in pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would greatly bless me and extend my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm so that it would not hurt me!” And God brought about what he requested. The author explains how his readers (customers) can make this all happen to them. An updated hardback version with 30 additional pages just went on sale July 31, 2021.
He advertises that his book will teach his reading customers “to discover how they can release God’s miraculous power and experience the blessings God longs to give each of us. It is a four-part prayer that brings him an extraordinary measure of divine favor, anointing, and protection. Readers who commit to offering the same prayer on a regular basis will find themselves extravagantly blessed by God, and agents of His miraculous power, in everyday life.”
Is he not claiming that if everyone in the world would buy and follow his teaching, that no one would be poor or would ever become a victim of a crime, and that everyone would be agents of His miraculous power, in everyday life?
Credit should be given to the many Christians who have written criticism of it in reviews. Several books written for the sole purpose of criticizing it are The Mantra of Jabez : A Christian Parody by Douglas M. Jones, The Cult of Jabez… and the falling away of the church in America, by Pastor Steve Hopkins, and The Jabez you Never Knew: Hebraic Keys to Answered Prayers, by Norm Franz. Norm’s book explained the historic perspective of the story of Jabez and criticized its emphasis on rote prayer.
Illogical to the maximum degree
Consider taking any Biblical passage, historical or otherwise, and applying it as an absolute literal promise for today. A couple examples to highlight the utter danger and stupidity of that method are the hundreds of books on prosperity that literally teaches that it is your right and in fact, God’s desire that you be rich. Others teach that you can always be healed from any sickness or protected from all dangers; never lack for food; and hundreds of others teach similar nonsense, ALL BASED ON VERSES DIRECTLY FROM THE BIBLE. Since God made David a King, if you desire to be a King, just buy the book, and follow the Prayer of Jabez. Apparently, you can even have 700 wives and 300 concubines like God allowed the “wisest man on earth,” King Solomon to have.
Caveat emptor! (Let the buyer beware)
Many of them also include a concept called “seed faith.” This basically teaches that if you show God your faith in His “promises” by sending the preacher, author, or TV evangelist money, that God would then be obligated to multiply it…sometimes even by 100-fold. “Seed faith” is also used to get money by promising salvation to the giver’s wayward children, for physical healing, for finding the perfect spouse, or for whatever the author or preacher thinks they have an audience (market) for. It can even make your drunk husband or wife never to drink again or make your gay son as straight as an arrow. I am sorry, but 1 John 5:15: And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him and John 16:24: Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full, are just not true.
Many millions of people are so easily fooled…and conned
This tactic has made many a millionaire preacher and author while causing great harm and distress to many of their “sheep.” Some are just ignorant and victims of bad teachings, while others are clearly fraudulent and should be in prison. Only a small fraction of them have been held accountable, such as Jim Bakker, who is now back on TV after serving his time; Kent Hovind, also an author of several terrible and unscientific books; Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Moonies; Henry Lyons, former President of the National Baptist Convention; L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology; Joseph Smith Jr., of course the founder of the Mormons and author of the Book of Mormon, to name just a few.
OK. Just a few more. We should not ignore the scandals of the following men, most who were authors of best-selling books or who had major TV programs all teaching about insane ways of how to find and use God. Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, Bill Gothard, Shoko Asahara, Tony Alamo, Bob Coy, Fred Phelps, Dave Reynolds, Doug Phillips, Jimmy Swaggart, Mike Hintz, Robert Tilton, Rory Coyle, Joshua Duggar, and Mark Driscoll. Hundreds more could easily be added to this list, but for highlights of these 15, you can see them here.
Regardless of whether these “Shepherds” are just ignorant or criminal, they are doing a lot of harm to those trying to desperately understand how to reach God and obtain help, guidance, or blessings which they think are obtainable if they only knew how to do it the right way.
If you missed part 1 of this article it is right here.
Many facts about Joseph Smith and the Mormons were recently highlighted in Oh How Easy it is to Create a God.
