For Christians, prayer is like spiritual breathing. Therefore, understanding how to pray and doing so correctly is critical.
Elder Chen, who has served full-time in Southern China for decades, works in a church that places great importance on prayer, as do the surrounding congregations. Throughout his years of service, he has witnessed the transformative impact of prayer on countless individuals. However, he has also encountered certain aspects of prayer that he finds "ridiculous."
Will God Listen to Prayers for the Birth of a Boy?
China is a vast country, and prayers often vary by region. For instance, in an area near Elder Chen, one of the key prayer requests among many congregants is for the birth of a son. Many local Christians have shared testimonies about having children, particularly some elderly women, who testified that after praying at a prayer mountain, their daughters-in-law conceived and eventually gave birth to a son.
Will God really answer the prayers for the birth of a son? Elder Chen disagrees. "Praying for the birth of a son is theologically problematic. What's the issue? It's the preference for boys over girls." He continued, "Those who testify are often mothers-in-law, who are women themselves, yet they pray for their daughters-in-law to have sons. If no one were to give birth to daughters, then there would be no mothers. So, how could anyone be born? There is a theological issue behind this phenomenon of praying for sons."
Despite serving in a Presbyterian church, Chen does not deny the existence of miracles. "When it comes to having children, we cannot claim that miracles do not happen. There are indeed miracles. However, we can say this: the birth of a son is not necessarily a miracle. The gender of a child, whether boy or girl, is a matter of probability, because God will never violate the natural laws He has established."
"In theology, it is crucial to understand that men and women are equal before God, with no distinction in their worth. While men and women may have physical and psychological differences, distinct characteristics or gifts, and different roles, their status before God is the same. Therefore, from a theological perspective, God will not grant the birth of a boy instead of a girl simply because one prays for it," he added.
Elder Chen shared that his church remains connected with nearby churches. Once, during a gathering of several co-workers from their churches, a brother shared testimonies about the birth of a boy. He mentioned that some people in their church prayed, and as a result, they successfully gave birth to a boy. However, in Elder Chen's view, there was something wrong with this brother's testimony.
Why Did the Church Catch Fire?
Elder Chen recalled hearing a brother share a testimony that he found quite "weird."
At the time, a church was hosting a spiritual retreat, with many people attending and having lunch in the church at noon. As a result, the kitchen was continuously in use, with the chimney situated very close to a room upstairs where several quilts had been placed for people to stay during the retreat. Due to the close distance, the quilts eventually caught fire under the high temperatures for a long time. Fortunately, the fire was discovered in time, and people quickly put it out.
What Chen did not expect was that a brother later testified during the prayer meeting that this incident was God’s grace and expressed gratitude. However, he could not fully agree with this because the brother was thanking God for his protection but did not mention the cause of the fire. "You know, the kitchen had been cooking for a long time, the chimney must be hot. With such a close distance between the quilt and the chimney, it can be said that the fire was inevitable. Such a testimony only shows that this brother has no common sense and does not respect science at all."
"The church room caught fire because some people were being arrogant. This fire not only highlights their ignorance but also shows that no one thought to ask the younger generation for advice. I believe any young, knowledgeable person would never do this. Items that are easily flammable, like quilts, should never be placed too close to chimneys."
Although this incident occurred many years ago, Chen still believes that Christians need to pray and give thanks in the right way when recounting it.
The Issue With the Orientation of Christian Prayer and Gratitude
Elder Chen pointed out a problem with the orientation of gratitude during the last Thanksgiving testimony session. Some believers shared testimonies of thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for not being injured or not being seriously injured after being hit by a tricycle or a car. However, he observed, “People who weren’t hit often don’t express gratitude, only giving thanks after experiencing an accident. While there is nothing wrong with such testimony itself, I believe the orientation is problematic.”
"Remember, Christians should be grateful simply for the gift of life, not just on Thanksgiving Day. This is crucial. Gratitude should align with the grace of our calling," Chen explained. "So what does it mean to be aligned? It means demonstrating humility, tolerance, acceptance, and consideration—these are qualities of character. As Christians, one must exemplify these traits." He continued, "Having a grateful heart alone is not enough. Gratitude must be expressed through real actions, and actions require real cost."
Elder Chen believes that while many Christians understand the importance of prayer, they often do not know how to pray correctly. Teaching believers the proper way to pray is undoubtedly a crucial lesson for the church in China.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Poppy Chan
