I am very surprised that I have read that many apostates and atheists find these arguments good. The main problem with his arguments it makes me wonder if he understood what the Assemblies of God teach about prayer. Like him I grew up thinking that prayer was as he initially defined it. But like him I was a child at the time. Also like him, I also came to the conclusion that we much pray according to God's will. But there is several differences between what the Assemblies of God teaches and what you he has has presented.
1. God's will isn't subjective. If you want to know God's plan for your life and your purpose, you can know it. One way to know is to see if what you think God's will is lines up with the Bible. If it does not then you know it's you who is wrong.
2. Why would God grant the selfish prayers we pray? If the point of prayer is for us to commune with God and to draw closer to God, then why would God give us superpowers or make us a robot or and flight of fancy we might imagine? How would that help us? It wouldn't. Thankfully he seemed to have realized that.
3. God does not want us to just pray for things that might happen anyway. I learned that God does supply our needs. Sometimes not the way we expect but what is best.
4. I also notice that people just amaze me when they talk about prayer. Can this guy really say all the time in Church he never experienced nor ever seen God move miraculously and intervene in his life or anyone he knows? Has he never seen the peace of God manifested in the life of one whom has not natural reason to be peace of mind? I've seen God bless and help me and those I know in ways that defy description or understanding. Just for starters. One of my first cousins was murdered 5 years ago and my aunt blesses and praises God (as we all do) for keeping her and comforting her. I know people God healed of cancer after medical science gave up on them. I myself was healed of juvenile arthritis. Our church mother was hit by a hummer 3 years ago and was told she would never fully recover, but she has. I could go on and on. All of these things build a relationship with God founded on the fact that God shows us that no matter what happens we can trust God.
5. That's the number one thing I hear missing from the stories ex-Christians tell: a relationship. Where God talks and they listen.
I've spent some time thinking about apostasy. The Bible talks about becoming a Christian from the point of view of a complete change. The Bible uses the same language as in a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly the animal can never turn back into a caterpillar. Same thing is true of a born-again Christian.
Romans 12:2 says
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The word translated "transformed" is "Metamorphoo" and we get the word "metamorphosis" from it. You can't undo this once God starts this process. This is also how we know that the will of God is.
One last thing: How do we know that the purpose is for prayer and living this Christian life is? the Bible tells us.
Why would I not serve a God I can trust?
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. - Romans 8:28-29
YouTube - 2.1 Deconversion: Prayer
