I am not a religious person and never pray to a Deity but instead think Positive Thoughts for the benefit of those with serious health issues or problems. Anyone else do this?
I have my own way of praying but when someone asks for prayers I don't tell them that...I just say "okay".
Positive thoughts for others is prayer really We all have our way of sending out those positive vibes and the more people doing so, the more powerful the message
I also believe in positive thoughts. My mother in law used to say that there is a reaction for every action and we always receive what we send. With prayers, we may have our own ways but the objective is pretty much the same - talking to God. Wishing someone of good fortune is a good way of spreading positive vibrations.
Concentrate. Evaluate. Seek to understand. Investigate alternatives and unknowns. Doubt authoritative pronouncements. Evaluate again. Praying for help, whether intended for another, or oneself, is akin to begging. No help for the beggar. Aid the other in need as well as you can, aid yourself as need be also, but accept as inevitable that praying to God to allow you to remain alive, for example, is shaming yourself in His Eyes.
I believe in God, so I believe in asking God for help. It works like that in real life. If you want a raise, or time off from your job, you ask your boss or supervisor. Just thinking about it gets you nothing.
II don't believe in god. When people are ill I wish them well but I know this does nothing to heal them, just let's them know you care. I do believe there is power in positive thoughts in that a sick person with positive thoughts about themselves will heal faster.
@Ike Willis and @Sheldon Scott I've seen and heard of 'group' positive thoughts working to help someone, its more than a coincidence The power of positive thought does exist
As a Christian, I do believe in the power of prayer. As a human being however, I don't believe that it is a power that is entirely in my hands. I can ask, but the answer is often going to be "no," and the "no" isn't likely to be audible, so it might seem very much like no one is listening. When someone asks me for prayer, I won't say that I am going to do that unless I am. In the past, there were many times when telling someone that I'll pray for them was just a thing to say and, as often as not, I never did get around to making that prayer. Realizing this one day, I have made a point of never again making that an empty promise so if I say that I am going to pray for someone, I'll generally do it right then, to be sure that I don't forget. I can fully understand why someone might come to believe that no one is listening to their prayers because it does seem that way sometimes. I know that prayer is not an incantation. Neither is it like rubbing a lamp and getting three wishes. Nor do I think it's a crap shoot. Perhaps the power behind a prayer has something to do with the faith of the person doing the praying, or the kind of life that they are living. As a great religious leader once said, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you find you get what you need." Okay, maybe not exactly a great spiritual leader, but you get the idea. I don't know. It's a sensitive subject for me because I was a very new Christian when my mother was hospitalized with a stroke. Of course, I prayed that she would be healed, and I did feel a strong sense of assurance that it was all taken care of. She died three days later.
I feel that even if you don't pray for someone when asked like on a forum it might make the person feel bad. When Yvonne asked for prayers for me when my mom died, all the replies lifted my spirits...they weren't going to bring my mom back to life but just that someone took the time to say something meant a lot...it didn't have to be a prayer. That's just how I feel about these things...it's not so much about religion as it is about support. Even at my most religious catholic time in my life, I never thought that praying would solve your problem. If that were true, a lot less people would be dying.
I do generally pray for those when I say I will. If the requestor cares enough to make the request, I feel the least I can do is honor it. However, I hear where you are coming from. It is hard to remember things sometimes when we don't have a personal stake in the matter or know much about the person at all. My belief is not very strong either,,So, I am not sure how much good it does, but I try.
Yep, I can see that Chrissy and I'm sure people don't say it lightly either, its from the heart I'm pretty good at remembering to do this as I always do last thing before sleep Its funny sometimes because I'm so tired and I mutter away my prayer One night, I did say 'I'm so tired - I must sleep, but you know who I mean - look after them and put yer arms around them for comfort' ... I laughed at meself as I recalled that the next morning
I just think of them when I'm writing my response. Just like I think of every poster when I reply....in this case I would feel their pain....like with Lara's mom. It made me cry...and I spent a lot of time thinking about her in that post.