Do you "hedge your bets" with prayers?

Question

Do you tend to pray for more realistic and likely outcomes, or do you pray for things that would require your god to unleash some real supernatural divine intervention to hit a long shot?

For instance, do you pray for hurricane Gustave to do less damage and kill less people, or do you pray for it to just dissipate and not even blow the empty prophylactic wrappers out of the French Quarter?

Answer 1

This question was a 10, but the "empty wrappers" brought it up to 11.

Seriously, that was the last time I prayed.  My sister called me to pray for her son's lost retainer.  That same day, there was an earthquake in Eastern Europe with over 1000 dead.  So I said, before I pray for something as trite as a retainer, I'm going to just pray for the people who need it more.  So I tried to pray for the families of every single dead person.  I meant it too.  I got up to about 200.  I was outside, in a rented hot tub at like 3 am, still praying.  And I realized that it was fantastically pointless.

Answer 2

then there's the folk who pray the hurricane won't hit, but don't have the faith to stand on the beliefs and evacuate anyway  ;)

Answer 3

Neither, I pray as a way of communicating with my gods and my ancestors. I very rarely pray for anything that large, because I do not know how things are supposed to go, but in the off-chance that I do, I pray for safety and survival for those involved, to do anything else, I think, would be hubris.

Like George Carlin said--What's the point in having a great cosmic plan if any ****** with a $2.00 prayer book can **** up your plan?

Answer 4

I have nothing against praying for miracles.  The Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a strong prayer for obtaining them.  You can read about Rosary miracles on the middle of this webpage:

http://overcomeproblems.com/about_the_ro...

The fifteen promises of Mary to Christians who recite the rosary:

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against h**l, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.

9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit high degree of glory in Heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.

12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

God bless!

Fred

Answer 5

I pray that God would dissipate Gustav, but also pray that God would protect the people, that no lives would be lost, and no flooding would occur

Answer 6

I pray there won't be a lot of people partying on the beach.

I grew up in a city that got lots of hurricanes, some large, most minor. That's what people like to do---have a hurricane party. Stuuuupid

Answer 7

I don't pray the hurricane does anything.  It will do what the forces of it will.  Instead of wasting time praying, I start calling folks and telling them to move out of the way!