My questions...your answers
Do signs exist?
Published on March 25, 2007 By Question of the Day In Religion
I found a book on clearance at the Christian store and it was just what I was looking for - for less than $2.50! The title is The Everyday Guide to Prayers. It has a month long daily guide with two components for each day. First there's 'What to Pray' and then 'How to pray.' I've been reading and applying it for the past four or five days. It's really helped me to understand what I'm 'supposed' to be doing. Anyway here's what happened today:

While my husband was out doing the grocery shopping I started in on my daily prayer practice. I read my book and then got down to business. Every Wednesday we receive a prayer sheet at Church so I've been trying to incorporate it as often as I can, though I'll admit that I've only gotten to it twice this week. So I was working through the list earnlestly praying on behalf of all the people and situations listed. One of the things listed is praying for the salvation of unsaved friends and family. My husband is unsaved so I was saying a special prayer for him.

As soon as I moved on down my prayer sheet my phone started to ring. I answered it and it was my husband saying, "Oh, I'm sorry I just missed your call I couldn't get to my phone before it stopped ringing."

Was this just coincidence or a sign that God is hearing my prayers? Do you believe in signs? Should I?

Comments
on Mar 25, 2007
hahahaha I think the phone is God's and the devil's most common modern instrument today like bread and fishes were in the bible. I've seen it used by both.

Yes, I believe that God gives us signs and clues everyday. If we're walking in the spirit we see him and his hand in everything. You can call it coincidence only so much.

I also had a phone experience. After I sent up a quick prayer to God asking for direction whether or not we should move while my husband called the realtor from his office phone, I dialed my mom's number for further advice. I got the U-Haul Company. At first I just thought I dialed the wrong number. I dialed again. I again got the U-Haul Company. Who doesn't know their mom's phone number. I called her every day. What was happening? I knew then that God just sent me an answer. We moved and both houses were signed and sealed two months later. Unheard of in a buyer's market.

I had no idea that four and a half years later my husband would be called into the ministry in our new location in a brand new church plant. If we were told, we would have laughed.

Yup, I think you may have got a phone call from God. He's letting you know, he's listening. Keep walking in the spirit. He's got lots to talk to you about.



on Mar 25, 2007
Superstition is a set of behaviors that are related to magical thinking, whereby the practitioner believes that the future, or the outcome of certain events, can be influenced by certain specified behaviors...


  
on Mar 26, 2007
Sounds like an interesting book!

I definitely believe in getting immediate answers for prayers. I have my own story to share. A few weeks ago I was feeling really alone and I was praying about it, asking for comfort. No sooner did I say "Amen" than my phone rang. It was a couple of friends from church. We had a wonderful conversation and I felt so much better afterwards.

A few weeks later one of the girls was telling me about her experience on that day. She said they were planning to call me later that day, but suddenly she felt a strong feeling that she needed to call me right THEN! So they did.

So right when I was asking for help, they were being told to help me.
on Mar 26, 2007
Then again...God may be upgrading to email and text messages...hey, everyone else is doing it.

"Dis is God, got ur msg. Wil do my bst. Keep on pryn' ! "



~Zoo
on Mar 26, 2007
"Dis is God, got ur msg. Wil do my bst. Keep on pryn' ! "


  
on Mar 26, 2007
And here I was always under the impression that in the Christian veiwpoint, God's always glad to hear from ya, no matter what method, technique, or words you use.


while that's true LW for the most part, it's always good to get a little help from your friends isn't it? Sometimes being encouraged in a certain way is just the boost we need to get us started.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in Matt 6. Of course that's a great model for prayer but there are also many prayers in scripture that can be used as models. Hopefully this book she's using points to or uses those as good examples.

on Mar 26, 2007
Are you saying there is an IMPROPER way to communicat with God,


Nope not at all. Maybe for a lot of people prayer comes natural, but for me it doesn't. On my first Wednesday at church I got a prayer sheet and I wasn't altogether sure what to do with it so I went in search of some tools to help me learn. The book I wrote of is one of the tools and obviously practice is another.

This is what the book says regarding your question:

"You notice for every day two headings - the one What to Pray; the other, How to Pray. If the subjects were only given, one might fall into the routine of mentioning names and things before God, and the work become[s] a burden. The hints under the heading, How to Pray are meant to remind [you] of the spiritual nature of the work and the need of divine help..."

I don't think that there's an improper (to use your word) way to pray, I just think that there are ways that my prayers can be more meaningful and effective.

If ya want to cook a really good meal but aren't a chef do you just go into the kitchen throw some stuff together in a pan and then just pop it in the oven and hope for the best? Nope, you'll probably consult another person or a cookbook. I'm not a chef - just a person looking for some good recipes.