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.