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From: psb@eesun1.eece.ksu.edu (Phil Buckland)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Prayer and Paradoxes
Message-ID: <Dec.24.03.51.05.1990.16083@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 24 Dec 90 08:51:07 GMT
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[Andy Lumsdaine asked several questions about prayer, including
1)  What is the actual mechanism by which God hears our prayers?

	The NT is clear in making the Holy Spirit (who indwells all
	Christians) the agency by which this occurs (since He intercedes
	for us with groanings too deep for words).  Whether such a
	spiritual conduit is bound to physical means is unknown to
	me, but I would suspect that such means are not necessary.

>2)  Does God answer our prayers before we pray them?

	God 'uses' the righteous and the unrighteous to accomplish
	His purposes.  His prime purpose involves the desire to see *all*
	saved (including me and you :-).  That such an insight as you
	have here is startling is understandable, but it is more due to
	its unexpectedness than its reality.

>I don't expect any quick or easy answers to any of this.  But, I would
>like to discuss some of these issues with other Christians so that, in
>any case, my understanding and appreciation of God can increase.

	This reply may not be any more illuminating.  As one standing
	outside your experience, I don't find what you relate to be
	surprising, but were I to experience it myself, I probably would
	be surprised.

>Regards,
>Andrew


We read the world wrong		| Phil Buckland
and say that it deceives us.	| psb@eece.ksu.edu
Tagore, from Stray Birds	|