Prayer: Doing Nothing While Pretending to Do Something
Let me start off by defining what exactly I mean by prayer and what I do not mean. Some people use prayer as sort of a “good luck” sentiment to others that the care about. I don’t have an issue with knowing that you can’t help someone, but wishing them good luck or wishing them the best. If that is what someone means by prayer, that have fun.
On the other hand, if you see prayer as a twitter to God and expect that the Creator of the Universe is going to change to conditions here on Earth and help your friend (against his divine plan), than I have a problem. People who engage in this type of prayer actually think they are doing something to help others when they are in fact not.
Instead of actually trying to help others in some Earthy, tangible, and real way, they are pretending to help someone in a “spiritual” make believe way. They then feel like they did their part and are done. What happens next is in the hands of God. If things get better for their friend due to the hard work and efforts of others, they quickly claim credit for the success with claims that their prayers were answered. But if nothing improves or gets worse, they shrug their shoulders and declare that it must have been God’s will or that God has a “better” plan in mind.
Personally, I just wish that these types of Christians who really do believe that an all-powerful deity has their back would just get off their back and help others themselves instead of just praying and calling it a day. On second thought, I will just pray to Zeus, King of the Gods, that Christians stop this type of praying and start helping their fellow human beings themselves.
