Iron Door writes: Please don't go MYSTICAL since that would involve DEVIL SPIRITS ...AND WE DON'T NEED THAT....BESIDES PRAYER I THINK MEANS - PETITION
Mystical - this is a forum on LP, which is what I was talking about, and I don't believe discussing spiritual awakenings involves the Devil. Miracles are described all through the Bible.
Petition - Jim Morrison said "You cannot petition the Lord with prayer." I agree with that statement if it's bargaining, demanding or making a deal, i.e., "I'll stop stealing if you let me win the lottery."
As far as whether or not particular religions/churches or groups accept gambling is a different question than if it's stated in the Bible. The Salvation Army refused a donation from a local lottery winner, yet churches & synagogues have Bingo and Raffles all the time.
To me, we each have a private relationship with our Higher Power, Maker or whatever word you wish to choose for the Creator of the Universe. It is not up to another to pass judgment on any one of us unless he or she commits a crime or threatens our families.
Also, I can take many verses from the Bible that say to do or not to do something. There are churches on every corner that practice something just a little different from the one across the road. We were given Free Will to decide what is in our hearts and a conscience to correct us if we do wrong. Most people I know who have a love for G-d and believe in His goodness and power use prayer to praise Him and thank Him and ask for guidance. If you really believe G-d is omnipotent and omnipresent, then He already knows someone is sick or poor, right? So why do we have to remind Him that he missed somebody?
On a personal note, I've been trying to recite a Mourner's Prayer for my Dad, but I don't know Hebrew, so I asked my sister to go to the synagogue to say Kaddish for my father, since there are no sons in the family. She studied in Israel, knows the traditions, and is also the oldest. That would be very important to him. There is an English translation, and the words are full of praise for G-d. That's all it says. The prayer doesn't ask God to do anything. It doesn't talk about the deceased. The answer I was given is that, if you really believe our parents, children, friends are sent to us by G-d, then why won't we celebrate when that same person is taken away to go home again? When I was struggling with this prayer, I decided to recite the 23rd Psalm instead. I know I'm not saying the right words or in the right setting, but if you believe G-d is everywhere, then He will hear me.
This made me think of something else. My Dad had a nice funeral in a chapel with a limousine. The chapel was filled with his friends. But what if he was too poor for a "proper" funeral? What if he were homeless and died alone? Would it make a difference to G-d? Since we've been children, we've all heard "ashes to ashes," yet while we are living we forget that we will all end up as dust to dust. Yes, I want to win a jackpot, have a lot of money and live comfortably. I won't apologize for that desire. But how we live is much more important.
"Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred." Proverbs