Examining Basic Watchtower Teachings -- Drawing Close to God in Prayer # 17

Examining Basic Watchtower Teachings
Chapter 17 -- Drawing Close to God in Prayer
The book says;
“If we want Jehovah to listen to our prayers…. we must pray to him in the way he approves…. It is vital for us to know what the Scriptures say on this subject, for prayer helps us draw closer to Jehovah”
We should pray because Jehovah invites us to do so and it strengthens our relationship with him, but there are requirements.
We must have faith and show it by “the way we live every day”. We must pray “with humility and sincerity” because “he is God Almighty”. We must act in harmony with our prayers, being careful to avoid temptation.
We should never pray to Jesus, but only to Jehovah.
Special postures are unnecessary. We may pray for anything “that is in harmony with God’s will”, including personal concerns. “It is proper for us to ask for holy spirit, for it will help us to do what is right. We can also ask for guidance in making wise decisions, for strength in coping with difficulties” and on behalf of other people.
We should pray about Jehovah first, following “the model prayer” given by Jesus. Prayers my be of any length, but should not be showy displays of piety.before others. We should pray often, constantly and we should say “Amen” at the end because it shows we agree with the prayer.
Jehovah answers our prayers through his angels, by the holy spirit and through his Word, the Bible and “Christian publications, such as this book”. 
Sometimes it may appear that God delays, but “Jehovah answers prayers according to  his will and in due time…. Often, he allows us to “keep on seeking, asking and knocking“”. This shows God our perseverance and genuine faith.

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I am not the best person to ask about prayer. I do believe, as a Christian, that prayer is essential, but as a cynic, I simply have doubts about the efficacy of many prayers.
Perhaps you’ve heard the joke; If a man talks to himself when no-one is there, he is mad, but if he talks to an invisible person, it’s prayer.
I recall the heartfelt prayer by Clint Eastwood’s character in “Million Dollar Baby”. He plays a boxing trainer who trains a talented female boxer. He is also a Roman Catholic with doubts about his faith. He often pesters his local priest with questions of faith. We see him pray earnestly one evening before sleeping and he basically says, “God, you know everything I’m going to say, so what’s the point of me wasting our time telling you it all? But do whatever you’re going to do. Amen”! Later, this man is faced with a daunting ethical dilemma, which is the point of this Oscar winning movie. 
I also had a very bad experience with prayer when I was just 17. As a result of my belief that “Jehovah” had answered the prayer, my whole life was ruined because I was thereafter sucked into the Watchtower cult. I’ll shortly be telling that story in a Youtube video.
I think the best way to see the effectiveness of prayer is to keep a prayer log or diary, as some Christians do. Each time you pray, write down what you prayed for and see what happens and how long it takes to happen. Write the result in an opposite column. But there is a problem here; we have to be honest and consistent in our results. 
For example, I’ve heard of Christians praying for say, a car, to help them in their ministry. Now, they don’t ask for a specific, like a  Porsche or a Ferrari, which would be a big call on God. At the same time, they tell others of their need. A few weeks later, someone comes along with an old car and gives it to them or offers it at a bargain price. So, is that an answer to a prayer? Did God have a hand in that?
Then there are the people who survive disasters, after praying to God and they give thanks to him. But what about all the people who didn’t survive? Were they not praying? Or was it simply not God’s will that they should survive?
A month ago, I made a request on Facebook, asking for someone to loan me a keyboard. I didn't pray about it. Within a week, someone responded. They agreed to loan me a keyboard for six months, without obligation, as I had requested. 
I have only two serious criticisms about the Watchtower book; firstly, the “”Christian publication like this book” is put on a par with the Bible, but, as you should know by now, Watchtower publications are not “God’s Word”.
My second cause for concern is about the prohibition on praying to Jesus Christ. Jesus actually tells his followers, “Whatever you pray for in my name, I will give you”, So our prayers should be directed to Jesus. His name is not simply a postage stamp to get through to God in a Watchtower “infomercial” with a quick “Amen” afterwards.
Jehovah’s Witness prayers are often used to tell people listening, what they need to know and more especially, what they ought to be doing to “please Jehovah”. Such manipulative prayers are used to publicly warn or scold someone who is not following strict Watchtower procedure. You can see an example of this in my article “Comfort for the Bereaved” when the Witness conducting my mother’s funeral had something to admonish me about before the assembled mourners.

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