quote 2 from david wolpe

p. 25: "throughout my various illnesses, i prayed. my prayer was not answered because i lived; my prayer was answered because i felt better able to cope with my sickness. each time i go for my regular tests, the CT or PET scans or an MRI, each time i am moved into the metal tube that will give an image of sickness or health, i pray. i do not pray because i believe God will give me a clear scan. i pray because i am not alone, and from gratitude that having been near death i am still in life. i pray not for magic but for closeness, not for miracles but for love."

i really like his thoughts here. the assurance of not being alone is a great gift, maybe even the ultimate goal of prayer. at the same time, i think of the text that describes God as knowing how to give good gifts to those who ask. that sounds concrete and empirical to me. i resist, maybe too much, the comments by authors such as wolpe that seem to 'explain away' the tangible when it comes to answering prayer.

quote 1 from David Wolpe, Why Faith Matters

p. 140 - "you cannot measure the effect of prayer the way you measure the effect of sunlight. nor is it like a slot machine, where sometimes you hit the jackpot and other times the investment is simply wasted. God may be supplicated but not coerced. the human task is not to tote up results, but to engage in this mysterious and beautiful discipline of the soul."

my reactions: the slot machine metaphor is an effective one, but i don't like how it is used. most people's experience with prayer is closer to winstar casino than it is to a secluded grotto, and that reaction should not be demeaned. as for coercion, abraham and gideon come to mind as OT figures who negotiated with God. finally, i agree with the mystery and beauty of prayer, but what does one do with ask/seek/knock?

those are my thoughts. what about yours?

a question rick warren wants to ask God

He also wants to know how prayer works - why God answers some prayers right away and not others. "The truth is, that the vast majority of our prayers, we don't see those kinds of miracles."

from http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/12/rick_warrens_da.html

Does this spark any thoughts, either on the quote or the one who made it?