My question is, why do people pass this stuff on without checking to see if it's true?  The short answer is, gullibility.  In Christian circles it's called undiscerning.  People forward just about anything they receive, especially if an evil corporation is being smeared, or if they have a strong dislike for a particular person (politicians, actors, radio talk show hosts, religious leaders, etc.).  There's false information circulating on the Internet about George W. Bush, Mel Gibson, Rush Limbaugh, Rev. Pat Robertson, Bill Gates, John Kerry, Al Gore, Jane Fonda, Ehud Olmert, Dennis Miller, Cindy Sheehan, to name a few.

Christians, of all people, should not circulate gossip!   

Which brings me to an inspirational email I received a short time ago.  As many of them do, this one ended with: "My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, and I picked you.  Please pass this to at least four people you want to be blessed…plus your pastor, Billy Graham, and for good measure consider including the Pope."  This isn't an exact quote, but you get the picture.

So, let me get this straight.  If I do as I'm instructed, God will bless four people that I choose?  And if I disregard the instructions and fail to pass it on, four people I know won't be blessed?  Sort of sounds like a formula to get God to take action.  In view of the fact that I don't believe a formula will move God to do anything, I hit the delete key. 

Here's the thing.  God doesn't bless someone just because you send them an email.  As the late Walter Martin so aptly put it, God is not a "cosmic bellhop."  No formula devised by man will get God to jump through hoops for anyone, including the Pope.  Moreover, He doesn't sit in yonder heaven, waiting for a prayer to be uttered in a particular way before He will answer it.  God is not interested in magic prayer formulas.  God is interested in obedience.  "As far as I can tell," says Andrew Paschen, "there are 3 qualifications that must be met in order to have a prayer answered. (1) Right motives, (2) With a clean heart and (3) Within the will of God." [1]

If these three criteria are not met, don't expect an answer.

When God does answer prayer, His answers will always be consistent with what's written in scripture.  The Holy Spirit is the One who leads.  He's the Author of the scriptures, which means He knows the Bible better than anyone.  If a perceived answer to prayer doesn't line up with Scripture, no matter what counsel you've been given, how convincing the circumstances are, or how powerful your experience is, it's not from God!  Most importantly, prayer is to bring us into conformity with God's will, not to bring God into conformity with ours. 

So the next time you pass an email to your friends, especially if it fits into one of the categories above, check with an urban legends website to see whether it's true or false.  If the message is inspirational and grounded in Scripture but contains some sort of blessing formula at the end, you can always delete that part, then pass it along. 

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Copyright: Marsha West, 2006. All rights reserved

[1] Yes…No…Wait…Answers to Prayer by Andrew Paschen http://www.infuzemag.com/staff/andy/archives/2005/12/yesnowait_answe.html