Tweeting God

Are social media tools a blessing or a curse for people of faith? Should we use digital technology to commune with the divine? Does God tweet?

Do tweeted prayers get lost in the information glut of today's super-connected, hyper-verbal culture?

As someone who has seen the practical and powerful effect of prayer countless times, I don't believe that a sincere petition from a humble heart to the Almighty ever goes to waste. There's a significance beyond positive thinking when we acknowledge a divine Mind at work - a willingness to realize that we don't have all the answers.

But beyond that, what else does prayer do? Activate God? Make us feel a little better in the midst of otherwise difficult circumstances?

Here's where my perspective as a Christian Scientist might seem a little unconventional. I not only pray to the Almighty; I understand Him literally to be all might or power. I believe that God is supreme intelligence and present everywhere, always.

Which means that I don't believe that prayer is about telling God something He doesn't already know. A God who is ever-present and all-intelligent ... but doesn't know His children's needs? Impossible. A God who is Almighty ... but is powerless to save us? Unthinkable.

God doesn't change. He's always good. He's always there to help us and heal us. So the only variable, really, is me. That means that my prayers aren't so much about getting God to listen to me as they are about being better at listening to God.

No matter how it is conveyed I'm grateful for anyone's appeal to a higher power to help and heal. And I love those prayers that gain a deeper understanding and greater realization of the intact relationship we all have with God's unconditional love.

I once heard about a Sunday School student who asked the question "If you don't feel very close to God, who moved?" That reflects my sentiment in prayer - my need to get closer to God, to reorient the way I'm thinking about things, because He is already close to me. Doing so brings many blessings - practical, tangible blessings that change the world we live in as well as our own personal lives.

So bring on the Twitter prayers! Any means by which we learn more about our Father/Mother God is also the means by which we can lean more on Him for the practical good that He is always ready to give.

By Phil Davis  |  August 12, 2009; 2:10 PM ET Save & Share:                 
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