I pray because it works. (On Missing Legs)

Last updated on: September 8, 2019 at 5:05 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

I pray because it works. (On Missing Legs) 2019-09-08T17:05:21-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Prayer probably works, even if you are an atheist.

Prayer almost certainly helps the person who prays. Studies on the external effects of prayer are mixed. This is just what one would expect if Christianity were true.

First, God is love and answers the prayers of all His children, even the heart cry of an atheist, when this is best. However, the cosmos is very complicated and interconnected, so one action often impacts billions of future events. As a result, Christians know many requests cannot be answered as we wish.

I was once asked why one sees no healings of amputations. Of course, the question is why no recent reports of healings of amputations. There are many well documented miracles, or at least plausible miracles. It is important to recall that even when there is no natural explanation for a miracle, as with some at Lourdes, a person who is very skeptical can always wait, assuming there will be a natural explanation, even if none comes for centuries. A committed anti-theist can (rationally) live in hope of a solution if his anti-theism has other grounds for denying the supernatural than the existence of miracles.

The notion that a healed “amputation” would change minds is implausible. A good anti-theist would postulate an unknown (and very rare!) natural mechanism for such growth since things such as this happen in other species naturally.

Why would healings of amputations be very rare?

Who knows for sure? Here is a suggestion:

The greater the miracle, the greater the implications. The more visible the miracle, the greater the human implications. God acts for what is best in all cases and the greater the chain of events, especially when impacting free will agents (like humans) the less likely the “miracle will be best.” The creation of matter, or the changing of one form of matter to another, has staggering implications. Imagine the results of changing water to wine! Now contemplate creating wine from nothing and the eternal implications of such an act. Telling a cell to behave as it should is different than creating new cells. Could God heal anything? No. God can only heal what would be best to heal in the light of eternity and all the implications.

I am not arguing the loss of a limb is good: it is bad, horrible. We should pray for healing with faith believing that if a healing is best, then any condition can be healed. Still a miracle of creation would be rare, even more rare perhaps than someone being raised from the dead. In modern times, thanks to natural help available, the likelihood of a miracle being better than the status quo is even less.

Perhaps.

Second, Christianity postulates a good God with eternity future to make things as just as they can be in a cosmos with free will. We choose badly and God works carefully, slowly, to make the best possible outcome happen out of those choices. Evil is still evil, but good will come . . . Slowly, carefully, over eternity until beauty brings justice to ugliness and goodness gives meaning to evil actions.

Finally, we do not pray as a transaction, but as a conversation with a person. Conversations are good for our relationship with Eternal Love. If I wish to love my wife, then my conversation with her may have “transactional” elements: please help me with the dishes. However, fundamentally I want Hope to choose and flourish. Our conversations are building a relationship. A “no” from Hope, in that context, is as good as a “yes.”

She chooses. I learn her nature. We grow together.

Thank God for prayers.

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Apologetics

Culture

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

September 7, 2019

Prosper and Repent (Richard III)

Next Post

September 9, 2019 The Holy Cross!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the sign of the new covenant given in Ezekiel's vision?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A new heart and new spirit Gold in the Temple Rebuilt walls Fiery chariots

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »