Episode 330: Things the Bible DOESN'T Say, Part Two--If You Prayed Harder...

In this second episode of our series on things that many have assumed are in the Bible, but actually aren't, pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve explore a theology of prayer and faith, and what will keep us from thinking God is a genie responding to our wishes or a celestial vending machine obligated to give us what we demand.  Especially when faith is sometimes invoked to criticize people who have suffered terrible losses with the premise, "If you would have prayed more or harder, this wouldn't have happened," how do we respond?  And on the flip-side, when something good happens, are we supposed to automatically conclude that someone must have prayed fervently enough to make it happen?  In this conversation, we'll explore how to avoid treating prayer like it's a way of manipulating God, and how to make sense of those times in the Bible when devout people fervently prayed and the bad thing still happened, as well as what we do in our lives when we are hit with tragedy beyond our control.  Join us for conversation this week on Crazy Faith Talk!