Prayers or Cookies?

[Dusty52]

We are encouraged to pray for others but is your concern limited to just praying for them?
A million people could be praying for me right now but I wouldn't know, but if someone knocked on my door and gave me a plate of cookies then that's just fine
Prayers are not quantifiable
Cookies are!

[Aprhys]

I would rather have cookies over prayers.

[Juliet]

I definitely have felt this way.

But...what is amazing to me is how powerful prayer can be; I mean a prayer with real intent. I know first hand without a doubt that Satan hates those prayers more than anything. How many times have his plans been thwarted because of a single prayer? Many.

Corrie Ten Boom, while working to save the lives of the Jews during the Third Reich, was called in to talk to her pastor. He told her that one of the men in their underground was a double agent. He suggested killing him. Corrie said that she can't recommend that, because it was the enemy's way of operating. Instead she suggested everyone pray and fast for him to have a change of heart.

Well, in time, the man did have a change of heart and did not report them but became a great assistance to them.

I once had my whole life turned upside down and upon wondering, 'why me???' The Holy Spirit made it known that Satan was attacking me because of my prayers. I had been praying very sincerely that 'God would please bless every child of God by name'. The Holy Spirit showed me my prayers were helping deliver people who needed help that the angels didn't have permission to help before because no one would pray for them. So, Satan was so angry with me that that is why he attacked me.

Anyway, don't understate the power of doing physical service for others. We are physical beings in a physical world and we have to be there for each other in person when we need help.

But a sincere prayer has it's place.

[Dusty52]

I definitely have felt this way.

But...what is amazing to me is how powerful prayer can be; I mean a prayer with real intent. I know first hand without a doubt that Satan hates those prayers more than anything. How many times have his plans been thwarted because of a single prayer? Many.

Corrie Ten Boom, while working to save the lives of the Jews during the Third Reich, was called in to talk to her pastor. He told her that one of the men in their underground was a double agent. He suggested killing him. Corrie said that she can't recommend that, because it was the enemy's way of operating. Instead she suggested everyone pray and fast for him to have a change of heart.

Well, in time, the man did have a change of heart and did not report them but became a great assistance to them.

I once had my whole life turned upside down and upon wondering, 'why me???' The Holy Spirit made it known that Satan was attacking me because of my prayers. I had been praying very sincerely that 'God would please bless every child of God by name'. The Holy Spirit showed me my prayers were helping deliver people who needed help that the angels didn't have permission to help before because no one would pray for them. So, Satan was so angry with me that that is why he attacked me.

Anyway, don't understate the power of doing physical service for others. We are physical beings in a physical world and we have to be there for each other in person when we need help.

But a sincere prayer has it's place.

Juliet
You post profound words
I think both prayer and cookies have a place in the grand scheme of things, prayers are words, these words need to be backed up with deeds, always remembering actions speak louder than words!:)

[Robin Hood]

We are encouraged to pray for others but is your concern limited to just praying for them?
A million people could be praying for me right now but I wouldn't know, but if someone knocked on my door and gave me a plate of cookies then that's just fine
Prayers are not quantifiable
Cookies are!

But cookies aren't good for you.

[David13]

Do you really think the problem of my life is ... a shortage of cookies?

Nonsense. A cultural nonsense.

I have at least 10 types of cookies in the house which I bought and still haven't eaten after years.

Also, cake, pie and dozens of candies.

So, I'll take prayers, thank you.
dc

[Robin Hood]

Do you really think the problem of my life is ... a shortage of cookies?

Nonsense. A cultural nonsense.

I have at least 10 types of cookies in the house which I bought and still haven't eaten after years.

Also, cake, pie and dozens of candies.

So, I'll take prayers, thank you.
dc

Keep in mind that Dusty52 is simply baiting us with most of the silly questions he comes up with.

[Lexew1899]

If they have severe diabetes, giving someone an entire plate full of sugary cookies might be a form of attempted murder.

[Dusty52]

Good point

[brianj]

Both are critically important. If we don't pray then God won't answer those prayers. But, of course, he often uses mortals to answer those prayers and this can only happen if people are willing to listen for and follow promptings.

Today, more than once, I prayed for a conversation. I have prayed that someone would give me some personal attention, that I could have a face to face conversation, and maybe even a hug. If someone brought me cookies and was willing to come inside for a little bit, it would have been a wonderful answer to those prayers. Unfortunately, as usual, these prayers were not answered. This always leaves me wondering if I just don't matter enough to have someone care enough to spend a little time with me or if God won't answer my prayers when I am so lonely I would give almost anything for a little companionship.

[Juliet]

Both are critically important. If we don't pray then God won't answer those prayers. But, of course, he often uses mortals to answer those prayers and this can only happen if people are willing to listen for and follow promptings.

Today, more than once, I prayed for a conversation. I have prayed that someone would give me some personal attention, that I could have a face to face conversation, and maybe even a hug. If someone brought me cookies and was willing to come inside for a little bit, it would have been a wonderful answer to those prayers. Unfortunately, as usual, these prayers were not answered. This always leaves me wondering if I just don't matter enough to have someone care enough to spend a little time with me or if God won't answer my prayers when I am so lonely I would give almost anything for a little companionship.

I am so sorry, it must be very painful. We do enjoy your conversation here on the forum. I agree both prayer and action are critical. When I was new to the ward, the Relief Society threw me a baby shower. It was nice because I was new and they were doing it to help me feel valued. But I struggled to feel at home with it. Sometimes receiving people's love is harder than giving it. Why is that I wonder. Maybe because no one wants to be a project. I had depression at age 20, and I had a hard time connecting with people. So, I went to a nursing home to volunteer because I at least wouldn't feel unwanted there. I was very nervous, but when I went and talked with people and helped the nurses get them for dinner, wow, I felt this warmth inside like I really mattered. Later on I ended up getting my CNA and working there. If I hadn't volunteered, I would never have thought to take a CNA class and get the job which was badly needed as a newlywed. I was blessed so much more for trying to serve others and it healed my feelings of depression also.

[Alaris]

In my first marriage my wife was really bad about money and faith. We were in some serious credit card debt, and I knelt with her and asked God in faith to help us. My intent was to show my then wife God's power if we but have faith in him, and as I recall I said as much in the prayer.

The next day her parents called as they received an inheritance (that we had zero knowledge of) and were calling all their kids to help them get out of debt. They paid off all our credit card bills.

Sadly none of this helped her with either her money issues or faith issues.

I'll take prayers, but my (now) wife's cookies are amazing!

[brianj]

My stake is having its first ever stake conference this weekend, seven months after being organized. The first talk of the general session this evening included an anecdote relevant to this conversation.

A woman, the speaker's mother, was folding laundry and received a strong prompting to call someone. She did so and that woman answered the phone but was dismissive during the short phone call. A few days later this woman knocked on the door and asked the caller why she called. "I just felt like I should," the mother said.
The other woman insisted, "No, I need to know why you called me."
"Come in," the caller said. Once they sat she said, "I was folding laundry and felt a strong impression to call you right then so I did."
The woman broke down crying. When she regained control of herself she said that she had been experiencing a lot of depression lately and it had been getting worse. She knelt down and said a prayer, saying that unless a miracle occurs her husband will find her dead when he comes home from work. She was in the process of her act of suicide when the phone rang and she instinctively picked it up, then got mad at herself for answering the phone. After hanging up, and several times a day since then, she had the thought, "here's your miracle," but until asking she dismissed those thoughts and the call as coincidence.

All of us at some times need a phone call or a visit. At my stake conference this evening that first speaker also told us to call someone, get some ice cream, and discuss what had been taught at that session. I was very discouraged and very hurt at the very beginning of the conference when he started off that way and I had the thought that there's nobody I can call who would go out with me. I prayed that someone would invite me since I didn't think I could invite anybody. I went to the one ice cream place in my stake boundaries, desperately hoping that I would see someone who recognizes me and invites me to sit with them. But, as usual, nothing. All I have is the hope that a few people were prompted to reach out to me but they all dismissed the prompting. Even that is discouraging because it says that I don't matter enough to them for a phone call.