₦airaland Forum

tunnytox:
I am wondering if anybody have watch a program called Gangland on Crime and Investigation channel? its usually on at 11.00pm every Saturday night. If you see the kind of atrocities that some of these gang members commit you'll find it difficult to have sympathy for any convicted criminal. However, it is also unfortunate that in some cases there has been people wrongly convicted due to pressure on the police to solve a crime and that's the reason why I believe that in all cases there should be no doubt that the accused actually commit the crime before an execution can take place to avoid executing an innocent person.

Infact I could kiss you right now for this answer  but my husband go vex lol.

You are 100000% right. I watch Gangland frequently in addition to 'Locked Up' (on TruTv I think). One night I stayed up till after 3am just watching marathon episodes . . . men . . . the evil that man is capable of has no bounds. I join you in recommending these shows to knee-jerk sympathizers of convicted killers 'riding on the emotional wave of an execution' (as buzugee nicely put it). If he was convicted by a mostly black jury then I see little cause for playing the race card.

I also agree 100% that the death penalty should only be applied where there no doubt (not just reasonable self) whatsoever. There is quite possibly no greater injustice than to imprison & execute an innocent man.

I happen to frequently substitute Comedy Central for TBN/Daystar ('christian' stations for those not familiar) whenever I need a good laugh and I've been seeing Glenn Beck appearing more and more on the networks. Either speaking at a pro-Isreal event or 'evangelical' gathering or something, including rubbing shoulders and sharing stages with mainstream evangelical leaders like John Hagee. Most times he speaks as though a preacher, even quoting scriptures and invoking the name of God liberally . . .

   so, is he now a 'pastor'?

ud4u:
My brother has been in Nigeria for two weeks now just to correct spelling error that was made on his passport, but I tell you that for two weeks now it has not been achieved.

First of all he was directed to Abuja from Lagos office but on geeting there, after
¹ the agent has collected 35,000 thousand naira for the job, he was told that some of the signatries were not around and that took him about three days to get that done.
² After that it was discovered that the machine was broken down and they started working on the machine which lasted for about a week.
³ Now the machine has been put in place and the problem now is that those in printing section are not present at the office.

⁴ The most annoying part of the issue is that my brother has gone twice to change his travelling schedules with 7,500 thousand naira each, and he has been absence from duty for two weeks, you know that over there, they are paid in hours.

[size=16pt]To crown it all my brother said at his presence someone paid 200,000 thousand naira and his own was done that very day[/size].

Chei !!! what a country

I think they're telling him all these stories/excuses until he gets the hint that they want him to bribe them. All this drama just to correct a typo There has to be an easier way . . . hopefully someone will drop a comment that is helpful.

coogar:
shouldn't the mods move this to the politics section where people can see it?
this is not a religious matter - this is national security and should be in politics section.

Seems the OP was going for a religious slant but you're right it'll be more appreciated in the politics section.
Moved.

Hi oga pagan9ja,
   I moved your post to the islam section as it was a muslim/islam-related topic. It does appear that the mod in the muslim section saw enough cause to delete the topic (I actually didn't read thru everything before moving it).

There's a complaint thread over there where you can get his attention and logde your complaint.
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-288134.0.html

Nor vex too much for him ehn thank you.

Duplicate thread. Pls continue here:
Is There Any Bible Ground Whereby A Man Can Divorce His Wife And Marry Another? https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-765380.0.html

Hi Juo, I modified your title to be more descriptive. Thanks.

@Topic, I'd like to hear the response of NL muslims on this . . .

^You guys are still not giving me anything to go on. Everyone is free to "bash" whatever or whoever they want as long as they're not breaking the rules. The fact Jo you feel frosbel is preaching a false gospel is not grounds for chastisement.

Globexl, I have honestly not seen frosbel breaking any rules recently. Please post links to a thread whenever this happens in the 'complaint thread' so we can take proper action. Thanks.

Lol. Who dug up this 2yr old topic?

Brother Jenwitemi lol. Go siddon jor 

Unfortunately as I've found out, one man's 'bashing' is another man's 'freedom of speech'. It is not our job to muzzle speech just because you/we don't like what they're saying.

As long as forum rules are not broken. Those complaining rules are not enforced, I have not seen any complaints recently from any of you. abeg hold your peace if you have not reported on the mod thread or via the link. Mods are not omnipresent & cannot see everything happening on every single thread.

Joagbaje, question. Do/Can you personally speak in tongues whenever you want? Do you sometimes have the interpretation of those tongues? thanks.

Joagbaje:
We may not have a say in a divorce case until we hear from both parties. There are grounds on which God allow divorce.

I keep waiting for a time when you'll call one of these pastors out for what they are . . . don't let me wait in vain oh sir Joe.

Image123:
The so called pastor has heard from himself, not even the devil. Did he take marriage vows? Where are those that swear to their own hurt and change not? An endangered species. What did he do all this while when the wife was away, what took her away, is he even saying the truth? And one of his disciples/sympathizers, a divorcee, is the one he wants to marry. Why do people love to deceive themselves?

Spot on.

Image123:
Also to add especially on the cases of the couple looking for children, and the family with accident. I'll love to present a one answer fit all(many would) but each specific case has its specifics in answer, advice, comfort, direction etc.
God is faithful, first note. Second is that we live in this world and may not be totally immune to what happens in the world. God has told us that we will have tribulation in the world. He has promised us a better place where there's no pain or sorrow, which we await. He's provided us with a sort of by-pass in which we can experience joy unspeakable, peace above understanding, and perfect strength in weakness. These are out of this world features that we can enjoy as children of God. Knowing that all things work together for our good and that through all things we're more than conquerors, understanding, and perfect strength in weakness. These are out of this world features that we can enjoy as children of God. Knowing that all things work together for our good and that through all things we're more than conquerors,

Amen my snr brother. Godbless for this nice summation.

redsun:
I can't believe Jesoul is talking like this,she seems so highly opinionated and rigid in politics,yet she is fragile to reality.I don't mean to offend her but just comparing and contrasting.

What you want is what you get and what you get is what you give and vice versa.

No offense taken brother. In matters of faith and spirituality and God, I think that it is particularly important to be 'fragile' of sorts for 3 reasons: No one is completely perfect or has all the answers and you must be willing to give up the illusion that one knows before you can learn and get better. Secondly, that others fellow christians might see and identify and be encouraged should they be in a similar situation. And thirdly, because Jesus Himself showed us his 'fragile' side. He cried, got angry, showed compassion, was tempted like we all are, and in the garden even prayed a prayer that God did not answer, and when He rose, he told the disciple "touch my scars" . . . He was a wounded healer not afraid to identify with the lowly people, may I never get so strong that I can no longer do that.

  Having a unmalleable approach to faith (save power of the Cross and God) to me is not a sign of 'strength' . . . Now politics, that's a whole 'nother can of worms 

[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=760817.msg9162080#msg9162080 date=1316203975]@jesoul

why dem go murder me so that God can save others? I be Jesus?
God is omnipotent and he can save thousands of lives without the death of dear pres-elect [/quote]Abi oh. What would Tayo & I do without the fiery Liberal to keep us happy? 

[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=760817.msg9162052#msg9162052 date=1316203475]All my life, I have wondered why some prayers are not answered. I have read of many conclusions here, good attempt. But it doesn't answer my question.(actually jesoul's question adopted by me)
you didn't ask right? Says who? What d'you mean, ask right?
a married woman without a child asking for a child, is it not a right prayer? Abi she suppose do ceremony before the prayer?

Ask and it shall be given. Was there any fine prints there? Any hidden conditions?
A student praying to pass his/her exams after studying very hard, how else una wan make she twist her mouth for the prayer?some even add fasting join am. We are human, we can never be perfect, so the idea of past sins or not living right are hard to swallow. Now obviously xtians must live like xtians. I don't expect to fornicate and come here to scream unanswered prayers. I'm talking of true xtians who live in a Christlike manner having unanswered prayers.

I know of a friend in medical school, who laboured for over 7yrs, even repeated one year, I can attest that this guy is clean, no partying, no girlfriend, no alcohol, no smoking etc name it. I'm sure he was a virgin. After almost a decade struggling in med shool, he finally finished his exams, passed, and died. DIED!!!!.
I know of a girl, good xtian girl, lost her parents while strugling in medical school, struggled to graduate, finally graduated, started her internship, you guessed right, and died. Good xtian girl from Edo state.

I've come to the (sometimes painful/sad/but peaceful) conclusion that I may never know how God decides what prayers to answer. I do my bit--> pray. Then Leave matter to God. I follow the scripture " be anxious for nothing, but in all things, through prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God" I may never know how he operates in choosing which prayer to answer. But I have to pray still. This I know
He is God. Has been, and forever will be( wether you like am or not)
He loves me, has always, will always( wether I feel am or not)
He cares( wether I gree or not)
He has plans for me( wether I see am or not)
as long as I remain faithful, in the long run, I will smile and I will understand.

For now it hurts. So I try to get used to it( how do I get used to frustration).
Pray without ceasing, don't let an unanswered prayer stop you from praying again.( failing an exam didn't stop me from reading fo the next afterall)
keep knocking on the door. Pray until something happens( either you die or your request is granted or something bigger than your request happens and you damn your initial request)

God is real. And Every knee shall bow. Those who are using the frustration of Gods children to mock God will one day bow before the throne of God. Wether you like am or not.
QED.[/quote]Infact Prez, this is hands down the best post I have ever read from you especially the the bolded part, honestly, you have hit all the right chords and struck all the right notes that were stirring in my heart. May God answer all your unanswered prayers  With this beautiful post I sign off.

Sholeyb:
There are several reasons why God may not answer our prayers, however his WORD says that when we ask in HIS will, then it will  be done(paraphrasing). The question is, what is the will of God for us, we may pray and be so certain that it is the will of God but it may not be, for the bible says he has predestined our lives and recorded it in his book , I feel when you don't get a response from God, ask him whether it is HIS will and whether to stop praying about it. Remember Paul, who said God told him that HE would not remove his thorn, but that HIS grace is sufficient for him.Notice God did not give Paul a reason why HE would not remove the thorn, but rather to trust HIM.

couldn't resist . . . so to ask God for an answer as to why He's not answering your prayer? j/k. I do get you though. Thanks.


@ALL, and especially for those opining if a prayer doesn't get answered it is probably not God's will . . . what do you do with

Lk 18:1-8
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up [“lose heart,” NASB]. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about [“did not respect,” NASB] men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ “ 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Jesus is teaching not to grow weary in prayer, even until His return! This is another angle to the story. Perhaps there is plenty to take here about the kind of prayer we should be praying and how persistent we should be in the prayers.

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nlMediator:
The idea that God has 3 or 4 different answers to prayer – yes, no, wait, silence – is not entirely accurate. God has only one answer to prayer and that is Yes. I Jn. 5.14 says that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us and if he hears us, we have everything we asked of Him. Problem is that what people call prayer sometimes is no prayer because it is against His Will – general or specific. In such cases, God does not even hear what you’re saying – it’s like you’re speaking French to a non-French speaker. The issue of No or Wait does not arise since he doesn’t even hear what you’re saying. The key is to key in into God’s Will, not only by studying the Bible (since the specific matter may not be written there) but by developing a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit and also using the wisdom God has given to every human being.

Hmm . . . how do you reconcile this to the parable of the persistent widow who incessantly put her request forward and Jesus told us to be like her when praying to God?

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[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=760817.msg9161948#msg9161948 date=1316201863]hmmmn, I really don't buy this last point.    I believe God can catch the robbers in other ways without my murder. If this happens to me, I'll regard it as an unanswered prayer. Hoha , as a matter of fact, when I get to the other side, someone's gonna have to answer some questions which kind life[/quote]Lol. This boy. You're not serious. lol. I do believe that God uses tragic circumstances to bring about good. And remember, the death of a saint can sometimes be a blessing to that particular person (remember Hezekiah?) and within the will of God - be it through an accident or otherwise.

[quote author=m_nwankwo link=topic=760817.msg9161125#msg9161125 date=1316192388]To pray simply means to open ones spirit to the power of God. It is a communion between God the creator and the "breath of life" that is us. Thus the basic ingredient in a prayer is that a connection is established with the power of God. Once that connection is established, then the praying one will be imbued with all that he or she needs to recognize and live according to the laws of God. It is not difficult to establish this connection as some might think. Love for all that is in existence in tandem with purity in our entire being will allow our spirits to once again gain connection with the pulsating power of God that vibrates within and outside of creation.

Once we consciously or unconsciously (as it happens with most people) gain connection to the power of God, then we begin to sense that there is more to prayer than asking God to grant some of our mundane desires, many of which are borne out of selfishness, ignorance or both. Gradually, a new concept of prayer emerges and this concept of prayer is inextricably linked with worship. By worship, I mean when a human spirit is in perpetual connection with God such that such a spirit is granted the power to live only according to the will of God. This act of living according to the laws of God then imbues the spirit with the ability to attract from out of the powers of God what such a spirit needs for his continual development and purification. More importantly, the spirit becomes aware that his present earthly existence is just a snapshot of his entire existence and that billions or trillions of intermingling threads of fate in and around him have there origin in his multifarious past existence both on earth and in other physically invincible planes of God. He also learns that the laws of God are inexorable and that he must reap the consequences of his activities whether they be good or evil. It is only in tasting the fruit of his seeds can he recognize what seeds are bitter and those that are sweet. Of course the power of God which he is now connected with will give him the strength to experience both the bitter and sweet seeds with gratitude. "A gem cannot be polished without friction nor man perfected without trials" but all the friction and trials are brought about by man himself.

God answers prayers or rejects prayers through his laws. If a prayer is not in accordance with his laws, then such a prayer will not even find homogeneity with the power of God, not to talk of being granted. Many of our prayers never make it to the throne of God because they lack love and purity. Thus strange as it may sound, God is not even "aware" of such prayer. Thus the first step to is to ask what is the will of God in whatever circumstances and if we open our spirit we will be shown what his will is.

As long as we are not guided by the power of God, we are bound to err even with very good intentions. Guidance by the power of God permits us to know his will and act accordingly. If one does not recognize the will of God, he will take a wrong path no matter how good are his intentions. And he who is open to this guidance will bear an inner peace irrespective of his earthly circumstances. Thus whether healthy or sick, rich or poor, etc he bears peace within himself for his spirit is conscious of the what, how and why of all his circumstances. Although sometimes he or she may be beset with frustrations, doubts or similar things due to the density of his physical body, the connection with God will imbue him or her with the strength to dispel the shadows. Again for a spiritually awakened, our only prayer will be that God grants us the power to live only according to his will. And once we receive this power we must use it and if we use it, then, miracles upon miracles will follow us. Yet for many of us, the evil we have done in the past are much that before the new life begins to manifest, the consequences of our old sinful past has to be confronted. It is this confrontation that appear to the seekers as trials, bad things but these apparently bad things are necessary for our spiritual transformation into the new life. Sadly though, many of us lack perseverance and weaken to soon. But with calm confidence in the omnipotence of God, we will be able to confront the consequences of our past activities , close the circle and begin our ascent to the luminous gardens of God where only love and purity reigns. Best Wishes.[/quote]m_nwankwo, thank you as usual for a thought-provoking piece. In your view, do you ask/pray for regular everyday things? Family? job? friends? issues? etc . . . just trying to put in tangible context some of the points in your post. Thanks!

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Swift SMS:
My typical reaction when God doesn't answer my prayers is to throw tantrums and get all emotional. I go from disappointed to frustrated, from frustrated to angry, from anger to giving Him the silent treatment, from the silent treatment I go back on my knees to Him .

I often wonder what He thinks of me when I do all this . But am gradually learning how to pray ''Your Will and Not Mine Be Done'' when I ask for anything or take anything to Him in prayer I've come to realize I am more at peace within me and our relationship is getting better when I pray this way.

I am brutally honest with Him on everything that matters to me, so now when I feel angry with Him I tell him, if I don't like His delay or silence I let Him know but at the end of it all I am like have your way in my life, am not going anywhere whether you answer or not. Because a lack of answers to my prayers doesn't stop Him from being who he is God Almighty, the beginning and the end.

this is so funny, and I think so true of some of us. I am glad that we all recognize the need to repent and fall back on our knees and simply recognize His sovereignty over all as answer enough for any prayer. Godbless sister.

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lagerwhenindoubt:
@Jesoul. I really respect your candor and honesty. "GOD" does answer but not to prayer. He listens to prayers (he always has) but he is moved by FAITH (He always has). I have tried in my many discontents with God until I realized that the answer lies within you. God has done all he needs to do. It is all up to you to do what you need to do. demonstrate FAITH (not little or great, just FAITH)

I may not sound scriptural but i grant you this, my prepositions are supported by God himself
1: God has imbued every human with an innate ability to influence reality (We are created in his image are we not)
2: God has consistently demonstrated this ability and laid the foundations through several verse in the Bible (very clever at making mystery)

Contrary to what many Men Of God teach today, you do not practice Faith (you practice growing in the word and living it through the grace of the Holy Spirit). FAITH is within the genes of man Evil and Good - you simply switch it on. The Act of Prayer outside Worship IMHO is not unlike a man who plants corn and looks at the skies hoping for rain.

Jesus did not pray to perform Miracles, He simply performed - (A lesson for Nairaland Christians) - When you begin to get high on the message, you loss sight of the lesson.

You already have FAITH, It is not a hard thing like you have been sold. It is a gift that you do not know you have. girl simply switch it on - throw away scriptural errors and work with demonstrated experiences of FAITH in the Bible. Remember FAITH drives PURPOSE which manifests ACTION. I have learned to consistently apply FAITH to my lesser challenging needs in life and I realize one Truth. You are only as strong as what you believe in.

Excellent point sir. Thanks for that reminder. Indeed, it is one of the most convincing for a person in doubt, notwithstanding our own personal experiences of God's faithfulness. About 'demonstrating faith', might I challenge you a bit more on that?

Wordtalk's initial example of a righteous but childless couple . . . how could people in their position demonstrate or apply faith? or did you mean it regarding my own instance of praying for direction? Thanks.

globexl:
Take a look at your neighborhood.
From Ikeja Bus stop via Orishe str. to Allen Junction, iI have counted more than 50 churches or prayer houses each blasting their deafening prayers day in day out. The same is true in every neghborhood throughout Nigeria for the past 2 decades or so. Yet, In the same vein, we see corresponding explosion in poverty, disease and every social vice. As I hinted before, are these prayers going to the wrong number or is no one home to take the calls?

This is part of what Nuclearboy hinted at (I think) when he talked about people we merely fling words at heaven with all the wrong motives and idea about what prayer is supposed to be.

Perhaps we should define "prayer" as each of us understands it.

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JamesDoe:
Nigerians pray for wealth and God gives us wealth (oil, agric, natural commodities, people) perhaps we should have prayed for wise and good leaders.

Man/woman is interchangeable below:
A man prays for money and instead God gives him a job.

A man prays for happiness and God gives him a good wife.

A man prays long life and God gives him good children.

Man prays for a son but instead he gets 5 daughters (who are as good as sons)

A man prays to be spared by armed robbers, he is killed in a bad way but instead his death makes all the newspapers and the police find and catch the armed robbers. Saving tens of lives.

God works in mysterious ways and sometime I don't understand him.

Some good food for thought.

So many fantastic entries, I'm thankful for each person that has commented. Though some viewpoints are different, I am definitely taking plenty of substance from each one. Thank you!

musKeeto:
C.S. Lewis,  had quite a bit to say about unanswered prayer.  He wrote, “I must often be glad that certain past prayers of my own were not granted.” (from Christian Reflections: Petitionary Prayer, 1953)

C. S. Lewis actually did a lot of reflecting on prayer.  He wrote a whole book on it that was published after his death, called Prayer: Letters to Malcolm.  He grappled with the mystery of why some prayers are answered quickly and others are seemingly met with stone cold silence when he wrote “A Grief Observed” the reflections that kept him going as he dealt with the tragic loss of his wife Joy.

Here’s some more of what he had to say in an essay titled The Efficacy of Prayer, (1959)
“Prayer is request.  The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or may not be granted.  And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them.”

I would add that He grants them sometimes in a way we didn’t expect or at a time when He is able to solve a lot more problems for a lot more people than just my request.

Bottom line: The universe is an intricate and complicated place to run and I am glad I am not in charge. Remember the movie Bruce Almighty with Jim Carey when he starts getting the lists of prayers from people who are sending their requests up to God.  Remember when he decides to turn them into post-it notes. (Picture a room where every square inch is covered in yellow post it notes.)

After reading many different opinions, one thing is very clear.

The way a person tries to explain unanswered prayer tells you a lot about their idea of God, and how He interacts with the world, and us in particular.

Is God …  Disinterested, Mechanical, Demanding, Tyrannical, Unbending, and Uncaring, or Good, Wise, Merciful, Patient, and Loving in all His ways.

C. S. Lewis points us also in another direction when he writes about unanswered prayer.

“In Gethsemane, the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him.  It did not.  After that the idea that prayer is recommended to us as a sort of infallible gimmick may be dismissed.”

Even Jesus, in perhaps his greatest hour of need and intercession, had to deal with his prayers not being answered the way he hoped.

Phillip Yancey tackles this whole issue head-on in his very honest book – Prayer: Does it make any difference?  Let me conclude with some of his thoughts.

   The “unanswered prayer” for Jesus occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane when, as Luther put it, “God struggled with God.” While Jesus lay prostrate on the ground, sweat falling from him like drops of blood, his prayers took on an uncharacteristic tone of pleading. He “offered up prayer and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death,” the Letter to the Hebrews says, but of course Jesus knew he would not be saved from death.
   When Jesus prayed to the one who could save him from death, he did not get that salvation; he got instead the salvation of the world.


https://togethercanada./2011/02/07/c-s-lewis-on-unanswered-prayer/

I want to thank the poster. For some months, I've put away my Bible and tried to walk without God. I just got to a point where I really got fed up with the way God works and all. Hopefully, I can get back to that place where I was once. Indeed, in every situation we find ourselves, we aren't always the first to be faced with such circumstances. Hopefully, God will give each and everyone of us strength to trust that He holds us even in the dark times

This is beautiful. Thank you so much, so much for posting this brother. I will try to check out the book. And I pray for you that God will lead and guide you in His ways even as you continue to trust and believe in Him. Amen.

Joagbaje:
Whatever you're praying for had been given in christ, how strong is your faith in christ to revive it. There are things we can't recieve until our faith matures to lay hold on them. The question is about our RECIEVING .

So a couple that is unable to have children after years of prayer . . . its because their faith is not strong enough?

   Anyone want to take on globexl's post?

. . . and Enigma, difficult but beautiful poem . . . *disentangle peace from pain* beautiful.

wordtalk:
^^
But you expressed a disagreement with his expansion of (2). I think there's more than the 3 possible answers that pres_elect gave. I suggest a fourth:

1. Yes
2. No/denial
3. Wait - be patient
4. Silence - when God says absolutely nothing.

While God's sovereignty and our relationship with Him are not at all in question in all cases, in reality we do not always know what reason there is in a no/denial situation. We may try to think that we have the assurance that there is a reason, but in all honesty what "reason" can we be assured of behind those denials, such as in the examples in my previous comment?

On the whole, denial is painful - no gainsaying that, unless the one who disagrees has himself never experienced deep denial ever in life. I could even make bold to say that almost every denial is indeed painful, and there are experiences in life that we can't even ask "what else?" Questions of "why" are quite legitimate (even though many Christians have been brought up traditionally to never ask such questions, as they fear it borders on 'challenging' God or even blaspheming).

I missed this perfect summation from WT. Exactly! exactly. And the last bolded bit, very true.

manmustwac:
@poster
Am sincerely sorry for you I remember that over a year ago you said in a thread that you had been waiting for god to answer your prayer for something that you had been praying for, for the past 3 months. So up till now god hasn't answered your prayers? Am curious to know but you don't have to answer my question What was it that you were praying for?

Ah! MMW please don't feel sorry for me at all sir! I am quite possibly the most blessed person on the face of the earth. I have not want of anything my heart has desired that I need aside this - and in the big picture it is but a small portion. Ah! if you only knew dude how good God has done me. If I start to say all the blessings I may use up all of Seun's bandwidth lol. And I mean so honestly.

  I am glad non-christians are on this thread. So you guys can get a peek at some of the struggles we go through, so you can know we're still just regular human beings just you.

I don't recall the thread. It could very well be the same thing. As I remarked to WT, I haven't been asking for a thing or blessing (as blessed as I am, what is there to ask for?) - I've been asking for guidance and direction on a particular issue.

Wonderful contributions from everyone, both believers and otherwise.[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=760817.msg9156674#msg9156674 date=1316143832]God answers all prayers. His answer varies. 3 categories:
1. Yes child, here it is
2. No child, I have a better plan
3. Wait child, not now.

How do I know if it's NO or WAIT? I never know.
My response? Frustration, abandonment, insecurity. Have I sinned badly? Did I say wrong prayers? I never know. But let me address some issues here:

1. Prayers are important. Yes, God know all we need even before we pray but he still insists that we must ask. Prayers is like tellin God that you depend on his help to solve a problem. Also that communication with God increases intimacy with HIM.
2. Unlike most Xtians, unanswered prayers don't make me stronger.(lol). They make me weak, I loose faith, get frustrated, blame God, once I almost said bad things about God( I've beenasking for forgiveness since then, the guilt is so heavy on me, and any bad thing that happens to me now I easily trace it to the bad words I used for God)

What do I do? No idea. Fortunately, I have no other God. So after all the cursing, I'll come back to my knees. Lol.

I hope I helped answer our question( I don't think I helped though )

Have a great day [/quote]On the contrary, you have. Just to know (even as I already do) that other christians sometimes struggle on these points - but yet still find the faith to rest and trust in God anyways is . . . a blessing. I think more than anything, we can help each other deal with the emotions as you & I mentioned that we go through.

On another side, you said the answer is either ¹ Yes ² No ³ Wait . . . I'm saying in the title that there is a 4th . . . SILENCE, no response at all, which I think is the hardest of all.

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wordtalk:
President nuclearboy, I think it is only fair to say that we don't always know every outcome or every reason for unanswered prayers (or rather, 'denials') - and there are many instances in life to bear that point out so well. David had a relationship with God, but his fasting and prayers to save his child's life was 'denied' (2 Sam. 12:13-19). Some may argue that a reason was indeed given, such that God denied David's prayers on account of the latter's sin. But it is obvious that his sin was "put away", as Nathan said. Etc., etc., etc.

What happens then today in the situations where some parents lose their newborn kids - where sin or blasphemy is not even in view? I'm talking about Christian parents/couples. I know some deaths that have occured in the lives of very committed and exemplary Christian couples - and nobody to this day knows any 'reason' for the deaths of their young kids.

In other circumstances, some exemplary Christian couples have fasted and prayed for something they so longed for: children. They've been to their GPs and taken all the necessary tests, with results that there's nothing wrong with them to prevent their bearing children. Yet, for all those long years of fasting and praying (with FAITH), plus medical help. . . they still have no children. What do you say to such exemplary Christian couples? That God has a "reason"? And what "reason" is that supposed to be?

The bottom line is that we do not know nor understand the many mysteries of our faith and relationship with God. There are certain situations where we can absolutely be sure that our prayers are unanswered - not 'yes', not 'wait', but a definite NO. Not because it involves sin (some people face unfavourable situations without factoring in sin' - John 9:2-3) , and not because the prayers lacked faith or spiritual knowledge. It would be harum-scarum and slapdash to argue that every prayer is answered, or that we would know the 'reason(s)' for those which are 'denied'. Some we know, others we absolutely have no clue and should not even try to be clever about them. 'We know in part. . . we see through a glass, darkly' (1 Cor. 13:9 &12).

Wordtalk thank you very much for this.

I'd like to give a slightly different angle for all our consideration. Thus far we've mainly been talking about asking God for 'things' . . . personally, I've been asking for 'direction' and 'guidance' on a particular issue - and got no answer. So I just wanted to inject into the conversation another aspect of prayer that is not exactly asking for a 'thing'.

globexl:
Its always a win-win situation for god. If we get the things we pray fro we thank him, if we dont get it, we justify his refusal and still thank him.
A fatal accident occurs, five people die and one survives. The survivor and is family sing praises to god for his survival. The family of the dead weep, mourn, blame the devil , say only god knows best and then thanks god for all his mercies.
If at the end, god will do his will(which may not always be at our advantage), then what is the relevance of prayer?
Let thy will be done should be the only valid prayer.

Infact you have raised some fantastic points for sober consideration. I'd like to see some of the christian/religious folks in the house address this.

I've been praying about an issue for years and got nothing but silence. I'd pray for something else and bam, God would respond with unmistakable clarity. It's quite remarkable honestly. I've run the gamut of emotions from solid faith to frustration to disappointment to resignation to "God are you playing with me?" (lol) back to faith.

I still don't have an answer. Except for that sometimes you don't need to know the destination before you can start walking. But beyond that, I am reminded that He is God. He is God . . . does He really need to give us any other answer besides that? I am reminded to not let emotions overrule experience. And that what we've come to know as truth does not change with season or time or circumstance or a lack of answers.

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I came across this fantastic article on the subject of which I've posted the conclusion. Its definitely worth the long read on the website. http://tcpiii.tripod.com/ps77.htm

When God Doesn't Answer
A Sermon by Coty Pinckney on Psalm 77. Community Bible Church, Williamstown, MA 8/11/96

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION

Let's step back and talk about ourselves. These emotions, these feelings of being abandoned by God, of God not answering our prayers, will come. If you haven't experienced them, I can promise you that you will at some point in your life, probably at multiple points in your life. God tells us in Isaiah 55, "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts," and it is for that very reason that we cannot fathom, we cannot understand the way God works, the mysterious way in which God works in our lives. Because God is so far above us, so much greater than us, he is mysterious to us. Was God there for this Psalmist? Yes! All night long while he was crying out, God was there, God was there! But for his own sovereign purposes, God chose not to remove that sense of fear, that emotion from the Psalmist. Perhaps the Psalmist needed to learn to trust God when the circumstances didn't warrant that trust.

God's way is frequently through the sea, through the difficulties that refine us, that cause us to trust him. We see that in many Bible characters: in David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, Paul, Elijah, in Jesus himself.

How will you respond the next time? The Christian who has learned to trust God in all circumstances will not be led astray by a promise of health, of wealth, and security once you go through some religious experience. Our relationship to God like our relationships to our husbands and wives, is not one of going through a ceremony and then living happily ever after. But like marriage our relationship to God will have its ups and downs, it will have its low points and its high points. God is always there, despite our feelings; that's what we can depend on. We need to hold onto his past deeds. But the emotions will come -- sometimes caused by what we ate for dinner, sometimes caused by the personal tragedies that accompany life in this world. The emotions will come. This Psalm is telling us that we need not be governed by those emotions. When we are faced with this, we need to recollect the solid rock of God's faithfulness, and to know that even when we don't sense his presence, even when we don't feel his love, he is there.

Please religious folk, don't patronize the idea of the topic with catch-phrases, clichés and talking points of "God always answers etc etc".

Obviously God does NOT always answer when you pray (just flip through the book of Psalms for some examples). I'd like to know how people have dealt with it. What lessons did you learn? Did it eventually work out for your good? or was it bad? Were you frustrated? Disappointed? Angry? Did you approach it as a test of your faith? If so, how do you think you fared? What is your advice to people who may be in a such a situation?

Please do share. Thanks!

Sad & unfortunate but expected statistic. Rich get richer, and poor get poorer.

And oh . . . as for the 'tea partiers' screaming "yeah" to let the uninsured guy die . . . if you listen carefully to the video, it was only 2 people who screamed 'yeah' and everyone else seemed to collectively grunt their displeasure and disagreement at those two people. Listen to the clip people. And later on John King's show, one tea party leader (forget her name now) in the strongest of terms condemned the outburst.

So its not fair or even accurate for that matter to attribute such a position to ALL tea party members.

Cheerios

Anytime I hear a soundbite on TV or radio or whatever, my wise husband always reminds that we should wait to listen to the whole clip because media houses are notorious for cutting & clipping soundbites in order to elicit sensational responses . . .

What was the totality of what Ron Paul said? lets have a listen:

[flash=500,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Ur3DGjTuY?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="345" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>[/flash]

Listening to EVERYTHING he had to say, I find no cause for all the brouhaha. The media and highlight reelers forgot to include the part where he said he has never and would never turn anyone away who needed help - churches, organizations, private donors, our neighbors would step in - instead of depending on the government, which quickly turns into a bureaucracy, enter special-interests, enter insurance companies, enter drug companies etc etc. This is true and is part reason why insurance premiums keep going up year after year.

Look, the American way is freedom to do whatever the heck you want - and deal with the consequences. Anyone who doesn't like it can move to North Korea .

I'd like to know what was the average age of the 'adults' surveyed? and where was the survey conducted?

You would get very different results if you surveyed 'adults' working in a hospital vs those working in the mall or a coffee shop.

YAY! I didn't think there were any NFL fans around
A-40 darling how have you been all summer? How body? life? family? etc etc I hope you have been splendid dear and doing well.

[quote author=A-40 link=topic=170354.msg9129765#msg9129765 date=1315827717]My butt still hurts from the pounding the Ravens gave my Steelers! Chei! But no problem na where una fit beat us be this! We would see come playoff time. GB vs Steelers for the Superbowl Finals! We want our spot back [/quote]Still dreaming I see   Steelers are not hearing SB this yr jare.

I stayed up till midnite last night, just long enough to see Tony Romo fumble on the goal line & then throw an INT with 49 secs to go. I promptly turned off the tv and went to bed. Dallas fans, NOTHING has changed , Romo is still spineless during crunch time. Better rid yourselves before na heartache after heartache you go taste all season.

SAFO:
Here I am

Texans are going to make the playoffs for the first time in history.

Wade Phillips' new 3-4 defense will have a quick turnaround. More pressure and more blitz packages will hide the flaws in the secondary.

The offense is top 3 in the league. Arian Foster will prove last year wasn't a fluke.

Andre Johnson is still a beast.

GO TEXANS!!!

A-40 let us join hands in prayer with SAFO, perhaps this might come true 

LagosShia:
your point that God has blessed us with intellect and we must use it is seconded.

i am totally in support of that.it is not that i am unable to answer or my religion,Islam has not given good answers to difficult questions.Islam has given answers to everything.rather,i refrained from answering on the particular subject you raised because i do not want to play God and the decision rests in the hand of God.i can only make explanations to understand the intricacies involved and what to do and not to do in order to please God and attain salvation.but judgement rests with God. i cannot sentence anyone to hell fire or reward anyone with paradise because that is above me or any human being for that matter.

I have always suspected that there is a wise man underneath that ID This is wisdom fit for all of us to heed. Thanks!

MyJoe:
He he. I wanna learn how to crawl the web and burst people too. Any tips, JeSoul?

Haha Its actually pretty easy, thanks to the power of Google. From the formatting and language of the post I suspected it was a copy job, merely selecting a phrase and searching on google yeilded multiple websites with the same article.

Ex. this phrase alone from the post "Another question which must be dealt with is the fate of those who came before the claim that God became incarnate and sacrificed himself"   yeilds this list in google, and hence the whole article http://www.google.com/search?q=Another+question+which+must+be+dealt+with+is+the+fate+of+those+who+came+before+the+claim+that+God+became+incarnate+and+sacrificed+himself+&btnG=Search&source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS317&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=

^lol@ Enigma, Nuke & Sagamite.

I have a know of someone named "Gugulami", she's from Kenya I think, or one of the neighboring east/southeastern african countries.