GOD on Mute Part 6

I am pleased with the discussion on Part 5. I would encourage those to continue to express and explain views that appear divergent in a civil manner.

But we must continue with Grieg’s book on Chapter 8, GOD’S WILL.

So in a nutshell, Pete adds 5 more answers to the question of “why unanswered prayer?”
Are you ready....here they are:


#6 God’s Best: Some prayers aren’t answered because God has got something better for us.

#7 Motive: Some prayers (even spiritual sounding ones) aren’t answered because they are, in fact, selfishly motivated.

#8 Relationship: Some prayers aren’t answered because God Himself is a greater answer than the thing we are asking for and He wants to use our sense of need to draw us into a deeper relationship with Himself.

#9 Free Will: Some prayers aren’t answered because God will not force a person to do something that he or she does not want to do.

#10 Influence: Some of our prayers aren’t yet answered because they are working gradually and not as an impersonal mechanism of forced control.

GOD on Mute Part 5

In chapter 7 Greig expounds on 5 answers to the question of “Why Unanswered Prayer?”
Here are they broken down for you….what are your thoughts and responses?

#1 Common Sense
Some prayers aren’t answered because they are just plain stupid.

#2 Contradiction
Some prayers aren’t answered because they contradict other prayers.

#3 The Laws of Nature
Some prayers aren’t answered because they would be detrimental to the world and
the lives of others.

#4 Life is Tough
Some Prayers aren’t answered because creation is “subject to frustration” and has
not yet been fully “liberated from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8:20-21).
Tragically, life in such an environment is inevitably going to be acutely difficult
at times.

#5 Doctrine
Some prayers aren’t answered the way we think they should be because our
understanding and expectations of God are wrong.

GOD on Mute Part 4

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross describes the five stages of grief (death and dying) as follows:
1. Denial: I don’t believe it. This can’t be happening to me.
2. Anger: I don’t deserve this. GOD is not fair.
3. Bargaining: Please, GOD/doctor, if you heal me, I’ll do anything for you.
4. Depression: What’s the point? My situation is hopeless.
5. Acceptance: I need to get on and make the most of life within these limitations.

Greig goes on to comment on p. 95
“Coming to terms with God’s will may sometimes takes us through similar stages of grief. The process by which we arrive at a place of Godly acceptance often involves various emotional responses that are both messy and confusing. When you talk with people with an amazing attitude toward suffering, you invariably discover that they have not always been so joyful or brave. Even the Son of God wrestled for a protracted period before He reached the necessary place of acceptance, praying, “Your will be done.”

What are your thoughts to Greig and Kubler-Ross?