God Missed Those Prayers

On the morn of hurricane Ian’s trek across Florida, I overheard a local man this morning say, “I’ve been up praying all night and God has moved that hurricane further to the East. That’s my God!” While I do not decry this man’s faith or prayers, my immediate thought was, “Well, I guess the folks in Florida didn’t pray well enough.”

Misplaced religion is one of the most disastrous and common things among many in the South. What I mean by misplacing religion is that many forms and practices of one’s “faith” misses the point, not only from a Biblical standpoint but from true common sense. There is a lack of thinking that goes into the rote precepts and anecdotal incantations found among a broad scope of religious people, especially among American Evangelicals.

I’m not writing about the doctrine of prayer, I have taught on that extensively and biblical exposition is readily available from my point of view and study at any given moment. I am writing about the psychology of religion, that is the way a person thinks, concerning their own religious ideologies. Having a practice or discipline does not mean one has an understanding of why one does it or what it means. The old leadership tale of cutting the end from the ham before cooking where upon asking mother, then grandmother, it was because grandmother’s pan was too small for the meat. Mom and daughter just went through the motions of shortening the ham because they followed what they saw.

Language and zeal often follow the same path. We see and hear things so much that we emulate them. I remember visiting a relative one summer who had undergone some minor leg surgery. Every morning we would sit in the kitchen over breakfast and they would scuffle to the sink to begin washing dishes. After about four days I found myself in the practice of scuffling around the kitchen. After a few days, I caught it and corrected it.

Being from the South, I have an empathetic ear for dialects. Most people would misunderstand accents with dialects and consider all southern folk to have the same accent, when in fact, there are many ways of speaking in my own community. Not only am I able to understand a diverse group of southern dialects, but when I am among a particular group it doesn’t take long before I adopt the speech. Just like in the past when a part of a French-speaking group, I begin to speak the language, and I changed my accent to accommodate the correct pronunciation of the words. Here at home, I can switch not only accent, dialect, and speed, but also word usage and syntax. And all that is done without any thought whatsoever. It’s naturally adaptive.

So, in the same manner, it is very possible that many people have just adapted their doing without thinking in relation to matters of faith or religion. No matter what ‘faith’ we hold, the premise is the same. A majority of what we think and do is just copypasta and is not reasoned or thoughtful discipline. Even the beliefs we hold are often underscored by this and we are rarely exposed to our own blindness and how it relates to the world around us.

Truth, if empirical, contradicts that which is not itself. In other words, there are not two distinct yet contradictory things that are both true. (Leave it… this is not a philosophy debate, yes I know there are exceptions) So, if my beliefs inform me of something that your beliefs deny, they are not both true. But the question I have is, “What does it matter?” Really, what does it have to do with ME if my neighbor refuses to see things my way? It doesn’t. Even among biblical students, all have to agree that all things are OK in the scheme of life if we believe what is written in the Scripture.

So, how does this relate? So, if I blindly think that my zeal in prayer moved a storm one hundred miles east then it goes without saying that no one in the path of the storm had the zeal to pray as I did. Therefore, I am the greater one. I am a person with greater faith. I am, humbly speaking, a better person than anyone else because God answered specifically my prayer for me. This is foolish nonsense.

While we can have faith in whatever we choose and we can be glad and thankful to God when our prayers are answered, we need to be honest when it comes to our ignorance relating to how we judge the outcomes of things. And moreover, we must be careful to insist on thinking rightly not only about what we know but how it affects other people. The sentiment expressed with “God answered my prayers” could be broad.

Innocent Elation and Gratitude

Sometimes people are just truly thankful and want to give credit where it is due, according to their beliefs. This is admirable. Keep it up.

Spiritual Pride

Sometimes a sense of superiority, not in a bragging way, but in an “I’m not like those…” way can truly ruin the mood among our peers. Let’s steer from this and catch it when we can.

Self Righteous Humility

Like pride, oftentimes humility portrays a spirit of goodness. We have to be careful to arrest this if we hope to have any positive influence on the world around us. Especially among those who we consider with us. Humble brags can be a bit put offish.

Lack of Concern for the Unanswered

So, if God answers my prayer but no one else’s and I am elated that I escaped death to the point of glee, have I not forgotten that my fellow man is suffering? What religion glories in the pain of others? While it isn’t intentional, we would do well to think of others in every breath, before we speak, before we assert, and before we act. If we do, then we will find a wiser being in this already difficult world.

Vain Cliche

The typical religious speak of our day has become more than a cliche, it has become telling of a deeper problem. A problem that continues to surface in our Country and world on a grand scale of a group of people who consider their way of thinking, in every sense, to be the right mind and worldview. This is not a reality. Most religiously minded people, even most true Christians are blind to the bias and prejudice they hold. We have to learn to think and evaluate our ideas and even ask, “Does this line up with what I know is true about my faith? Do my actions and intentions seem reasonable? How do my thoughts, words, and deeds affect other people?”

Much can be said. Not much more is needed. Ultimately, let’s be contemplative rather than explicative. If the God we know needs our accolades, He’s not worth praising.

Think for a change. It will open your eyes. Remember, I am trying to prod your brain, storm it up a bit! Get on board. Ask questions about your thinking and engage it. Don’t just do what you’ve always done. Even if what you do and say is right, make it your beliefs, not a mechanical trope that you cannot explain.

Got questions? I’m here to help. I’m here to talk. And I enjoy it immensely.