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Philosophy/religion

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Was this an answer to prayer?

13 replies

Georgeismydog · 11/01/2025 09:36

Over the last few months I've had quite a few MH problems and have one friend who is a Christian. I always struggle to get an appointment with the Dr but I managed to get one the following day, my friend said it was an answer to prayer. This has left me asking questions

OP posts:
StillAtTheRestaurant · 11/01/2025 09:43

Of course not, it was just a lucky coincidence.

backwayentrance · 11/01/2025 09:44

This has left me asking questions

like what?

RupertCampbellBlacksEgo · 11/01/2025 09:44

No.

Skye99 · 11/01/2025 11:25

It might be or it might not.

But (assuming you’re not a Christian), if you want to know the truth about reality - such as is there a God? does he want a relationship with me? is Christianity true? - and you start looking for what is true and ask God to help you, meaning to follow him if Christianity is true, you will see an answer to that.

I asked him to show me if he was real once without meaning to follow him if he did, and again years later meaning to follow him if he did. It was the second time that he helped me find the truth.

The first time I did keep coming across the same passage when I looked at the Bible, though. It was Isaiah 6:9-10, which is quoted in the NT 6 times.

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.”
(Matthew 13:14.15)

I had no knowledge of the Bible at the time, so it’s unlikely I would have kept finding the same passage in various places by accident.

I just thought this was strange at the time. But looking back, I can see that the passage did describe me at the time.

I didn’t mean business with God, so to speak, if I found him. I wasn’t intending to make Jesus the Lord of my life if Christianity was true. If God had shown me what was true, he would have been doing it just to satisfy my curiosity, as if he was at my beck and call.

When I did really want to know, later in my life, he gave me people and information to help me.

I can recommend John Stott’s book Basic Christianity. It has a prayer which I used when I was seriously looking.

LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms · 11/01/2025 13:30

This resonates with me too.

I prayed a similar prayer (to reveal the truth about Himself to me & that I would follow Him) and He revealed Himself to me in an outstanding way. My initial reaction was abject terror as the realisation dawned on me that following Him would change everything.

It took me a few years but His relentless pursuit wore me down until I surrendered, repented and received Christ…and then began the wonderful journey of following Him.

Anyway reading your post reminded me of the verse which says
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13

Skye99 · 11/01/2025 17:16

@LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms Strangely enough, when I started going to church as part of looking into Christianity (some time after I asked God to show me if it was true), someone gave me that verse and it meant a lot to me. She wrote it in silver ink on a blue postcard and I put it in my bedroom.

That verse was true of me.

It took me three years looking into Christianity – I had lots of questions and objections – but eventually I decided there were good grounds for thinking it was true and went for it.

LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms · 11/01/2025 18:01

Skye99 · 11/01/2025 17:16

@LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms Strangely enough, when I started going to church as part of looking into Christianity (some time after I asked God to show me if it was true), someone gave me that verse and it meant a lot to me. She wrote it in silver ink on a blue postcard and I put it in my bedroom.

That verse was true of me.

It took me three years looking into Christianity – I had lots of questions and objections – but eventually I decided there were good grounds for thinking it was true and went for it.

Lovely to hear this part of your story.
Thank you for sharing it here, so encouraging.

Georgeismydog · 13/01/2025 10:40

Our works Chaplin has just come into the office.... another coincidence?

OP posts:
Redflagsabounded · 16/01/2025 16:13

Well, presumably it's part of his job as work chaplain to come into the office, so no. No more than the accountant turning up the day after you'd been sorting out your bank account.

whaddayawannado · 16/01/2025 16:27

My mum was told she was dying of cancer because she wasn't praying hard enough, and if she really 'believed' she would be cured, then she would be.

How her so-called 'friend' thought that was an appropriate thing to say to a terminally ill woman, I don't know.

LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms · 16/01/2025 16:31

whaddayawannado · 16/01/2025 16:27

My mum was told she was dying of cancer because she wasn't praying hard enough, and if she really 'believed' she would be cured, then she would be.

How her so-called 'friend' thought that was an appropriate thing to say to a terminally ill woman, I don't know.

That’s horrendous. I don’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. So sad that someone said such a terrible thing to your mum.

Skye99 · 16/01/2025 22:39

whaddayawannado · 16/01/2025 16:27

My mum was told she was dying of cancer because she wasn't praying hard enough, and if she really 'believed' she would be cured, then she would be.

How her so-called 'friend' thought that was an appropriate thing to say to a terminally ill woman, I don't know.

I quite agree with you.

whaddayawannado · 17/01/2025 13:54

LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms · 16/01/2025 16:31

That’s horrendous. I don’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. So sad that someone said such a terrible thing to your mum.

Thank you for your kind words.

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