Proving Prayer Works
Alright Christians - time to put-up or shut-up !
Christian - do you have any interest in actually proving that God answers prayer, or are you content to just make this weak, unsubstantiated claim over and over again?
Allow me to suggest a prayer experiment:
The next sunny, warm Sunday morning, while at church, take a group of the church kids outside onto the church grounds. I suggest younger kids, say, ages 5 to 10.
The next sunny, warm Sunday morning, while at church, take a group of the church kids outside onto the church grounds. I suggest younger kids, say, ages 5 to 10.
I would also suggest that you ask their parents to participate in this prayer experiment.
Have the children, perhaps 6-10 in number, gather in a circle holding hands. Then have the parents form another circle in the same manner around the circle of children.
.
Next, Mr. or Ms. Adult Christian, while you are holding an average size red brick in your hands - enter the circle of kids, and stand right in the center, then offer to the kids and parents that have assembled, these instructions to follow during the experiment:
1 - Everyone (children and adults) are to close their eyes and bow their heads (they very likely have had a lot of practice at this).
2 - Everyone is to begin to pray that God will protect all of the children and adults in the circle from any physical harm during this experiment. Note - At this point you may see a few of the adults open their eyes and look around with a concerned expression. Your response to them should be short and simple - "Oh ye of little faith" and ask them to keep their eyes closed.
3 - Instruct them that they can pray once, pray several times, or pray continuously during this experiment, which should last no more than a few seconds to a couple minutes. For what it's worth, I highly recommend continuous prayer during this experiment.
1 - Everyone (children and adults) are to close their eyes and bow their heads (they very likely have had a lot of practice at this).
2 - Everyone is to begin to pray that God will protect all of the children and adults in the circle from any physical harm during this experiment. Note - At this point you may see a few of the adults open their eyes and look around with a concerned expression. Your response to them should be short and simple - "Oh ye of little faith" and ask them to keep their eyes closed.
3 - Instruct them that they can pray once, pray several times, or pray continuously during this experiment, which should last no more than a few seconds to a couple minutes. For what it's worth, I highly recommend continuous prayer during this experiment.
4 - After 30 seconds of prayer time, you, Mr. or Ms. Christian, while standing in the circle, the red brick held low in front of you in both hands, knees slightly bent, with your eyes closed and without any warning to the assembled children and adults - launch the brick, "granny style", high into the air, trying to throw it in a straight up-words motion.
5 - At that point, once the brick has left your hands, you may open your eyes so you can observe God answering prayer.
6 - Regardless of the outcome of this initial launch of the red brick, I suggest, if time permits, that you repeat step 4 & 5 perhaps 8-10 more times, to add consistency and credibility to the results. Remember, if God doesn't grant the prayer petition on the 1st launch of the brick, this doesn't mean that he will withhold intervention on the 2nd, or the 3rd, or the 4th launch . . .
5 - At that point, once the brick has left your hands, you may open your eyes so you can observe God answering prayer.
6 - Regardless of the outcome of this initial launch of the red brick, I suggest, if time permits, that you repeat step 4 & 5 perhaps 8-10 more times, to add consistency and credibility to the results. Remember, if God doesn't grant the prayer petition on the 1st launch of the brick, this doesn't mean that he will withhold intervention on the 2nd, or the 3rd, or the 4th launch . . .
Possible outcomes:
Outcome #1 - As a result of the prayers for protection, the brick hangs suspended in the air above all of the participants. This is known as Temporary Local Gravitational Suspension, or T. L. G. S. If this happens, no further experimentation is needed, though, if you have access to another red brick you may continue.
Outcome #2 - As a result of the prayers for protection, the brick falls harmlessly to the ground, over and over and over, and over again, never once striking any of the assembled.
Outcome #3 - In spite of the prayers for protection, the brick falls on numerous children or adults during the course of this experiment, causing numerous injuries, some injuries severe enough to require hospitalization and surgery.
Outcome #3 - In spite of the prayers for protection, the brick falls on numerous children or adults during the course of this experiment, causing numerous injuries, some injuries severe enough to require hospitalization and surgery.
Possible Conclusions based on the outcomes:
While this experiment is far from "scientific", the results should be enough to convince:
1 - doubters and believers to conclude that God does indeed answer "some" prayers.
2 - believers and doubters to conclude that praying doesn't do shit.
Possible objections to this method of experimentation:
1 - "To dangerous" - sorry, but that's not my problem. It's only "dangerous" if God can't or won't do what the bible says he will do - or - what Christians have been claiming he does on a regular basis, so, it's a win-win for everyone.
2 - Matthew 4:7 "Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” This is not "testing" God. This is giving God an opportunity to show that he indeed does what the bible says he does, and does what Christians have been claiming he does, so, it's a win-win for everyone.
~ ~ ~
Just imagine the personal testimony that the assembled adults and children will be able to share throughout their lives - the testimony of how God MIRACULOUSLY answered their prayers for protection, and how no matter how many times the brick was blindly launched into the air, high above the circle of children and parents, and no matter how many times it came crashing back to earth, it never once struck a praying Christian.
~ ~ ~
Now, honestly, HONESTLY, we all know that not a single Christian will actually conduct or participate in such an experiment. Not a single parent would allow this experiment to occur - why - simple, they all know from personal experience that God does not answer prayers. God always has an "out", and that "out" is this - ". . . not my will, but yours be done". Christians know that God has never done what they have asked him to do. He could have, but he never has, so they let God know that they are OK with God completely ignoring their plea's and allowing them to carry on with their suffering.
Every Christian knows beyond a doubt that if this experiment were conducted, God would completely ignore the participants prayers and would allow chance and gravity to wreak havoc on the skulls of the little children and / or their parents.
If only Christians could be honest enough to admit this.
bob
r.u.reasonable@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment