One concept I've run into in some stories and some testimonials, is of someone being moved to pray for some group of people, or person. That person is having a significant trial or in danger.
It reminds me of David Marcoe and his Calling of the Light miracle where he destroyed a lot of vampires. It may have been mentioned then as well. But you could easily have seen several dozen people moved to pray for something which would have assisted Marcoe.
The other way is of course for the faithful verser to be moved to do something, wake up in the middle of the night and pray, or something.
The way I'd run this as a rule is a GE roll that leads to a sit-mod bonus. Of course, this only applies in universes that have a substantial number of correligionists who have the view needed to do this, and the capability to do so. (Some faiths might not emphasize such, and even those that do, you have cultures in that faith that don't lean that way.)
I read a supposedly true story about a missionary in Africa who rode a bicycle some distance carrying food, money and medicine from the town to his mission. One night, the 26 elders of his congregation, each and every one of them, had a sudden, unexplainable urge to meet at the church and pray for him. They didn't call each other, there was no communication. They all just had a simultaneous urge to pray for the missionary.
That night, whilst he was sleeping, some bandits had been laying in wait to rob him, knowing that he had food, money and drugs. Whilst they crept up on him, they stopped and fled, for he was surrounded by 26 heavily armed soldiers. Please note how many elders were praying for him.
I doubt the story is true, but it's still kind of nice, and fits in with what you're talking about.
(Doing Therapy)
Why not? One thing I have learned in recent years: the gods are never subtle. If today is not your day, then you, my friend, are damn near untouchable. Of course, most people have no way of knowing whether or not today is their day, but that aside...
Why do I doubt the story? Bandits trying to rob someone in the jungle aren't going to count how many soldiers there are guarding the guy sleeping, they're just going to turn tail and run and hope the soldiers don't see them and chase them down. Also, how did the missionary find out about the bandits waiting to rob him? Did they have some kind of Road to Damascus experience because of seeing a bunch of guys with automatic weapons, and then confess to him the next day? It's a touching story, but it's just too unbelievable.
On conversion and confession...
I'd heard a story about some missionaries who offended someone, or the witch doctor. He sent evil spirits to kill them, and the spirits reported back that their was a ring of fire around their residence and they could not get in.
The witch doctor told the missionary this after he converted.
On another story, a wildly funny one which you can hear on tape called 'The Pineapple Story', the local missionary has many difficulties which he relates in amusing fashion. At one point he starts 'giving everything to God' because he realizes he can't cope on his own. He can't protect his stuff from the inveterate thieves in the tribe. Then some of the tribesmen begin to get sick. In a roundabout way its gets discovered they were eating his melons. This may have been one of the turning points because they were doing it at night, and this allowed the missionary to bring home the point "My God can see in the dark."
On a lighter note, the same guy, they called him 'tuan', had been preaching without success for a number of years to them. And so one time they came to him...
"Tuan, you tell us about Christians."
"Yes."
"They are kind, self-controlled, loving, generous..."
"Yes?" He's starting to be a bit hopeful.
"Tuan, we'd like to meet one of these people." Considering he was a Christian missionary this stabbed him to his heart. He had been fighting with them, trying to protect his stuff, and yelling at them when they stole....well, this eventually led him to his realization that he could not defend his stuff, that he had to rely on God.
"Tuan, you tell us about Christians."
"Yes."
"They are kind, self-controlled, loving, generous..."
"Yes?" He's starting to be a bit hopeful.
"Tuan, we'd like to meet one of these people."
Sometimes I think "Christian" is just another word for "Hypocrite". I've been asked to leave three different churches. No warning, just "Please stop coming" A lot of it had to do with my psychotic behavior. They ejected someone for mentally ill behavior, someone who obviously needs their help to overcome it. It's like so much for WWJD, Love Thy Neighbor, Forgive and Forget, and everything else the Bible teaches.
I think that says a lot about the people here. You've never even met me for the most part, yet you tolerate my psychotic behavior, where they just wanted me to go.
"Dear God, please protect me from your followers"
Bumper sticker I saw.
I'm right there with you, A1Nut. The same people who kill people in the name of someone they call the Prince of Peace, and bomb clinics in the name of 'life.' People are crazy.
Yeah Osevens. It's like I saw this Catholic cardinal saying that God hates gays and that they automatically burn in Hell. I'd really like for that Catholic cardinal to show me where in the Bible it has his name written as the person who makes that decision.
(Doing Therapy)
Two
We're imperfect prototypes. I think God is trying to create something truly special, but just gets lost sometimes. He's getting better at it though.
(Dextroland)
"Jesus, I love you, but your wife drives me crazy"?
John, you are psychotic, and that can be disruptive. I agree that churches ought to find a way to deal with that, but most of them send the children to another room when the sermon is going to begin so that the children won't disrupt the service, and they probably don't have another room for you.
Further, you can be very intense in person, but on a forum you are relatively easily ignored. I don't know how well you would fit even at a gamer convention, although I suppose I should find out how the rest of your Borg friends think you do at sci fi conventions, as that would be telling.
--M. J. Young
So-called "Christians" made a vow before God to be more like Jesus. Jesus wouldn't have a problem with a psychotic.
Actually, no. You don't need to vow to be more like Jesus to be a Christian. You need to trust that Jesus will accept you, a scumbucket, and instead of the judgment you deserve, God will stab his own hand, and then extend it in love to you.
After that, yeah, Jesus would like you to work on being more like Him. But he even makes a point in the New Testament not to make vows to God.
That said, I've noted that churches are better at dealing with people who are broken to some degree, but not that badly broken. This is one of those things where the proper response is 'yeah, the church messes up a lot, but even the best church would fall short of the standard which is Jesus.' In other words, have mercy on your fellow sinners. We're all broken, and for some of us, that takes the form of thinking saying one thing, and living another.
Except for me. I'm perfect in every way. I've told my wife that, and she probably rolled her eyes which I think is a form of worship.
OK, yeah, you're right about the vow, but still. Three different churches. Oh well. They will have to stand before God.
(Doing Therapy)