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Seriously? Truthfully? Or do you want the Sunday School answer?

I would rather have the $200 and a job. Of course I value prayer, but if my friend can meet my need in a practical way, why not take it? That way my friend is honoring God by his service and I can honor God by working hard and being thankful for his provision.

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” James 2:15-16 (ESV)

That’s an easy one, because I’d be asking people to pray for God to provide a job and a way to recover financially, etc. So if someone offered me such, I’d consider it an answer to prayer, and I’d definitely take it.

Great question.

I really had to think about that.

However, if I were in such a circumstance and someone gave me $200 and a job, that would probably be an affirmative answer to a prayer of my own.

Still thinking about it, though…

I am reminded of the old story of a man who lived in an area which was about to be flooded. A police car drove by and offered to take the man to higher ground. He politely refused, explaining that God would save him. As the water rose, he had to move to the roof, when a boat came by, offering to take him on board. Again he refused, confident that God would save him. The water kept rising, finding the man perched on his chimney top. A rescue helicopter flew by and tried to convince the man to come with them, but he again insisted that God would save him and wouldn’t budge.

At long last the man drowned. Much distressed by how things ended, he asked the Lord, “Why didn’t You rescue me?”

God’s response: “I sent you a police car, a boat, and a helicopter!”

Short answer… I agree with Proverbs31 and Jesse.

Both.

I’m with Scott: if I had to choose, then only one of those gifts would be a sign that the person truly loved me.

If a brother has the means to provide physical relief and chooses not to do so, how can he even be called a brother? If a brother “with means” would rather pray than be an answer to prayer, how can we say the love of the Father is in him? (And if it isn’t, why would I want his prayers on my behalf?)

Depends on the friend.

ditto scott and travis!

Both.

“Both” is cheating.

Cheating schmeeting. : )

It is the best of both worlds: Faith and works.

$200 Bucks and the job. Scot quoted James 2, and that’s the first thing that popped into my mind.

i don’t think that both is cheating. elizabeth p is right on the money … it’s exactly what we are called to do. i would be a little disappointed if my friend gave me money and a job and didn’t direct my heart to thankfulness and to trust the Lord to ultimately be my Provider. but many a destitute sinner has been burned by a church and/or a christian that will pray unceasingly for their trial but do nothing to actually help them.

i also think it’s funny that we feel like we have to explain why we’d take the money instead of the prayer … as if the TRULY spiritual answer would be to deny the materialistic provision and pray until the manna falls from heaven. why is that? why do we feel a little bit like the “sunday school” answer is one thing, but our feelings are another?

come to think of it, i think my decision to take the money or the prayer would depend entirely on the person. if it’s a bigger step of faith for them to pray for me, i want that. if it’s a bigger step of faith for them to give me cash, i want that. because more than anything, i want christ to be formed in them and in me.

beat that, oh super-spiritual ones

“Both” is ideal in real life, yes.

But if you jump straight to “both” when answering the question, then you aren’t forcing yourself to think about how you rank prayer in relation to other good gifts.

money + job

Both is indeed a cop-out when you don’t want to wrestle with priorities.

I’m in agreement with Scot and Barnabas. I’d paraphrase it this way:

“If I were without clothing and in need of daily food, and my friend said, ‘Go in peace; be warmed and be filled. [And I'll pray for you],’ and yet he doesn’t give to you what is necessary for your body, what use is that?”

This is assuming my friend has within his power the means to be the answer to his own prayer. To pray, “God, send food and money to my friend,” and have food and money to give is a terrible mistake I have made in the past and is among my “Hall of Shame” moments. I can still see the eyes of this one man I told as much.

But there is great power in prayer. Do we discount the power of prayer because of our physical needs? I would rather have this:

A friend helps me as much as he is able, and then tells me that he is not going to let God go except He bless me… the interceding is far more important to me than the immediate provision, because God is able to do far more above and beyond what we are able to ask . His desire to bless me, as Edwards said, is greater than my desire to be blessed. I’d rather be interceded for in that way.

Abraham, you don’t want us to answer without thinking–which is cool–and while “both” is probably the easiest answer to give off-the-cuff, it’s also my most thoughtful, honest answer.

But if the rules of your thought experiment take away my honest answer…then I’d have to consider whether it’s better for me to be back on my feet financially or better for my friend to be praying, and ask the Spirit to lead me through the choice.

(Oops, same problem! Easy to say quickly and thoughtlessly, truthful and faithful to say thoughtfully.)

KP

too many variables.

DId God put it on my friends heart to give me the money and job?

Have I prayed for the situation to resolve and make practical steps towards a solution?

am i trusting in God?

Being in a slightly precarious $ situation myself at this time.. this is something i have been thinking about and praying about for a while now.

i think the question in and of itself is inherently flawed.

its essentially, “would you rather God provide? or will you trust God to provide?”

but i still love you abe! : )

Depends on who the friend is. For 99% of my friends, I would take the $200 and the job. For at least two people in my life, I would without hesitation take their prayers.

Why? Because I know that THEY KNOW the true power of prayer.

Most don’t, and because of that a mere trifling $200 has more power.

In the past I would have struggled with this question, because I do think that God providing the 200 and job would be a huge immediate answer to prayer. But is that the best result in that situation? I have seen in these past six months that situations like not having a job or having extended difficult circumstances provide opportunities for God to really show me who He is in intimate ways. If the friend is truly interceding in the Spirit, in a way that is aligned with God’s heart, I’d have to say that in the long run, I would rather prayer lead me to a deeper knowledge of my Lord than a job which would affirm His faithfulness (which isn’t bad!). But is there more that could be seen through deeper struggles? Possibly.

Since it’s the prayer of a *righteous* man that avails much, I think it’d depend on the friend.

(Did I just say that out loud?)

I agree that there’s too many variables here. I think my answer might be different if I were alone without a job or if I am in the situation I am in –6 small dependent children. I suppose it shouldn’t matter, but that’s my answer. (assuming I were the man, here)

I know my husband worked for poverty wages as a pastor back before we had children until we had 2 children. We trusted God and always had enough. Would we do that again? Did we have enough faith then but not enough faith now? I think it depends. I’d have to know that God called us to the situation and that we didn’t get into it from our own whim or stupidity. In other words, I trust God to deliver me from places He’s called me to, but I trust Him “less” to deliver me from my own stupidity. So, back to the question, I guess it’d depend, too, on what got us into the situation where we needed the job.

Situation #1: Got fired for Jesus’ sake. (not willing to do something illegal, immoral, etc. When I was a public school teacher, I told the children the Gospel, and it’s possible I could’ve been outed.)

Situation #2: Got fired because you’re late or lazy.

In the first, I’d lean more on prayer. In the second, I’d take the money and pray for my sorry self.

Does it make sense for a friend with $200 and a job for me to pray that I would receive $200 and a job?

Does someone else need that $200 more than I do?

What is this friend going to pray for me?

Oh, wait. You’re supposed to ask the questions here. I am not sure that taking the provision and accepting the gift of prayer should be mutually exclusive.

I’m not so sure that I can say one or the other. I mean, I value prayer incredibly and it is entirely encouraging to me when people pray for me. But if I were offered $200 and a job, I think I would receive that as an answer to prayer. I don’t know if I elevate prayers above provision.

Then again, I know that God desires obedience more than sacrifice. And prayer is an obedient act.

I guess I would honestly rather take the $200 and the job. But if I were to look at the big picture, I would be thankful for the encouragement of knowing that others were praying and the opportunity to trust that the Lord would take care of my needs.

Shoot. I feel like I just dug myself a hole. I will keep thinking…

I said, “both” but I don’t think it is a cop-out.

Here’s why:
We just finished an adoption. Three boys-Ukraine. This cost us as much as we make in a year to complete. We did it all with no debt. How? Gifts and prayers.

Many gave gifts and said they were praying. Many just prayed. Many just gave gifts. Gifts AND prayers were much more touching. Especially when the money part was over and the living part began.

A half-hearted prayer isn’t worth much while a gift says, “I mean it when I say I care–and most likely when I am praying”.

Romans 12:12 and 13-
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

I still say both.

I would thank God for the $200 and a job.

money and job. God answered my prayer by letting the person give me the job and money, cause trust me, I prayed first.

Money, without a covering of prayer, is an empty gift. But prayer, without a generous heart that leads to action, is also empty. I know you said to answer “both” is cheating, but it MUST be both. AS I see it, anyhow.

I’ll take jobs for 200, Alex

Easy. The money and job. If I had cancer and my friend offered me a cure or prayer, I’d take the cure.

I’ll add that I think James 2:14-18 addresses this…

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

Both prayer and $$$/job is the correct answer, however the “can’t be both” paramater doesn’t allow for a biblical answer. If I had to give an answer I guess I’d stay with my choice of $$$/job. And, to the unbeliever, the offer of $$$/job would seem a more radical act of love than the often pallid, “I’ll be praying for you”.

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” - Romans 12:20

Back for more. I left out an obvious part of my answer. First I’d pray about what to do, of course.

As many have said there are a lot of variables and I’d want to make sure I wasn’t acting rashly, but with prayer and faith. My right answer in my hypothetical situation, may not be the right answer for you in the same hypothetical situation and vice versa.

[...] Piper’s 22 Words Blog poses the question in a way that’s piercing to the heart: Subject: Testing our perspective [...]

I agree with Abraham

Just a quick thought…if missionaries depended solely on prayer and not on gifts as well, how would that effect the mission field?

wait wait wait wait.

everybody seems to be assuming that this hypothetical friend HAS $200 and a job to give you. but for a moment, if we suppose that this friend, though better off than you, cannot necessarily spare the $200 and can’t really give you a job, then i would GLADLY accept the gift of prayer. prayer is a VERY good gift, and not a consolation prize.

but if, like everyone assumes, this friend does have the means, then it would be ridiculous not to accept it but to ask for prayer. it would be ridiculous of the friend to offer prayer, rather than the help. if he did, it would be like me standing on the banks of a river, seeing a drowning person, and praying about whether i should go down there or venture off to find someone else.

Jared, your first response gets right at the heart of the matter. I agree.

Why do we pray?

Ah, does this job require me to wear a paper hat?

If not, I’ll gladly take it! If so, perhaps around-the-clock prayer for my pathetic pride would serve me better.

Sounds like God is providing the job and the money so if you refuse it for prayer, you’re saying, “God your first offer wasn’t good enough”.

My answer would be take all three! None of us can have too much prayer.

$400, a job, and a prayer that the job includes major medical, dental, disability and a cubicle next to a cheerful chap with a spicy sense of humor

The “would you rather…” part of the question puts it from MY perspective. From the friend’s perspective, he is putting into practice the idea of “being the change we want to see happen.”

The question of “means” is irrelevant. Many times I’ve said I would pray for someone, but additionally, got on the computer and tried to see what networking I could do that would bring about the needed solution. Unfortunately, the “buy-in” has been really poor. It’s hard to get other people to share your passion about someone they haven’t met or don’t know.

Back to the question as it was asked: Does this person have a great track record as a prayer warrior? Some people do have that reputation, and their prayers might be worth “far more than we could ever ask or think;” leading to answers “in ways that we know not;” or “in ways that are higher than ours.” You sometimes know when you’re meeting with such a person.

I have to decide between prayer and $200 + a job … and I’m utterly destitute? I’m going with prayer simply because God can give a lot more than $200 and some crappy data entry job.

On a related note - are the acts of prayer and giving mutually exclusive? Can my friend pray for me through giving to me? Just curious.

[...] Piper’s 22 Words Blog poses the question in a way that’s piercing to the heart: Subject: Testing our perspective [...]

@Matt Donovan: If you were poor, and you continued to take prayer over a “crappy data entry job” (or whatever was offered), it seems you’d likely remain poor and stop receiving job offers.

This is one of those times where I agree with you, Josh.

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