No One Questions. . .

It has been demonstrated again and again that the placebo effect can make people get better. Research has shown the placebo effect is enough to cure cancer. If a trusted doctor gives you medicine, odds are it will make you feel better (it may even make you get better) even if the medicine is only a sugar pill.

If the doctor truly believes, truly cares, and can see us for who we are, we can sense that. It doesn't matter what she says; it matters what else we pick up in our interactions with her. The words don't cure us our beliefs do.

Several times Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded that Jesus told people "their faith has made them well." James told his readers when they prayed they had to "ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

Do we pray expecting God to heal? We may believe he can but are we convicted that he will? I for one am not because in my experience and observation he never has. I imagine you have heard the preacher's story of the man who prayed that it not rain and took an umbrella or the opposite he prayed that it would rain and left the umbrella at home. Most public prayers are by rote and because it is time for a prayers. Prayer appears to be the only area in which growth is not expected. The manner in which an individual prays as a child is accepted when they are adult.

When people attempt to refute my assertions about prayer their examples always come from the Old Testament. Apparently we have no New Testament examples of God answering prayer. But no one questions that. People make comments such as "prayer works" or "prayer is powerful" but do not offer examples supporting their words. But no one questions that.

Apparently I have never met a righteous man or at least never heard one recite a prayer because I have never experienced nor observed a prayer that did anything close to James' assurance "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it (a demon) out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Christians claim Jesus was perfect but they do not believe him. If they are correct Jesus lied and was hardly perfect.

I believe Jesus was being literal and no I do not have faith enough to move mountains. But I wonder what people would think if I did.

Muslims pray. Christians pray. Neither experiences results and no one questions that.