Well, since I'm an atheist i don't really believe in anything beyond us here and now before we become worm food, but it's like that old W.C.Fields anecdote where he was in the hospital reading the bible and someone asked why since he's an atheist and he responded "looking for loopholes" so I figured if your MIL were to pray for something, the worst that could happen is nothing.
But along the issue of prayer, and I know this is going astray, but it isn't as though there is that much going on right now, but don't you think praying for something, if you believe in god, is actually an act of persuasion? If one believes in god's plan, then asking for something that isn't happening is an argument that if won, would invalidate the existence of god since god is always right and convincing god to change course would mean there was an error. It can't happen, except for those who weasel religion and claim that it was going to happen and god knew it would but one has to ask for it first. That's absurd. Think of all the unanswered prayers for the death of tyrants and killers. Think of how Trump and all those who surround him are escaping any injury despite all the pain they inflict on others. No, I don't believe in prayer so I don't fear getting what you pray for is in the cards.
Now along another, but related point, I know someone who went through the 12 step and I got all over her for their use of god, but she informed me that the god can be any belief one has. It needn't be a god as known by religion. But I probably got that screwed up in some way or don't remember accurately.elief
Yeah, discussions of prayer could be an entire forum. I suppose there is one but I would never be on it.
