Weigh in on this surely contentious topic. For my money, I'd have to say that God has nothing to do with the immigration process. If He does, it doesn't bode well for after-life processing. There must surely be millions just waiting outside the pearly gates, some accidentally stuck in pergatory (can we say Administrative Review?), and most others not really having any clear idea where they're going or why, with their good or bad deeds on Earth either being misunderstood or inadequately documented.

I peronally believe that God always answers prayers. Just not always in the manner we like or expect...

I am DEFINITELY not religious but my fellow and my future SIL are very much so, and I did ask her to light a candle to the Virgin of Guadalupe for us!

I defintely believe in the power of prayer. There have been many miracles in my life and I am hoping for another one (because sometimes this process seems like it will take a miracle to complete)

I also agree with Jen, God always answers prayers, it just might not always be a "yes" answer.

I know what you mean. If I'm going to ask my congressmen for help, it seems foolish at least not to make a request to God himself. But I tried to get my priorities straight. I asked for an end to war, poverty, environmental destruction, nuclear proliferation, famine and malnutricion, and injustice first. And if He has time to help my case, that would be great! I figure I might as well give it a shot. My favorite baseball and football teams won their national championships this year, and there was definitely a lot of God-thanking. Did anyone hear Tony Dungy and Jim Irsay after the Super Bowl?! You wonder if the God-hating Detroit and Chicago coaches, owners, players, and fans will learn their lesson for next season.

My fiancee and I are both believers in the power of prayer.

That's great. I know a lot of other believers. My sisters are both missionaries. One thing I don't really understand though is what that power actually is. Is it a therapeutic help? Like, it's comfortating believing that someone else is on your side? Sort of like, how VJ is a help to a lot of us just to make connections with other people who can sympathize with our situation? I can totally understand that idea. But is there more? Like for this whole immigration process specifically, we know that the "system" is a jumbled nightmere where we're relying on many humans under lots of strain from work to do their jobs more efficiently than they possibly can. It seems like it is this system alone that randomly creates problems for some people while others get through it more smoothly. What role does God have? When one praises Him for them getting their NOA2 (or whatever), does the same person feel that God let him down when they get an RFE or their case goes into Administrative Review? It just seems like there are some inconsistencies in people's behavior with respect to their relationship with God that just don't make any sense. I can understand maybe asking for help staying calm or patient while going through the whole ordeal, but can you really ask for more?!

Yes, no, no.

Anyway, it DOES help the petitioner or beneficiary COPE with the process.

Sure you can. I did during the immigration process and continue to do so on a daily basis. And I know He has answered.

no
no
no

but hey, whatever makes you feel better, right?

No.



Yes. Not all prayers are accepted by God. "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." Matthew 6:7



No, but His hand is in the process if someone involved in it is truly one of His children, and in which service center He allows them to go through. He doesn't support all relationships so to say that He loves petitioners who's petitions are processed in Vermont is ridiculous. Faster doesn't necessarily mean better or stronger, and God does not show this kind of favouritism...

n,y,y

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer. Both my SO and I are very religious. We even pray together on the phone sometimes.

However, God does not always give you what you want RIGHT when you want it. Some of us have to learn patience . . . . . . . .

What Nessa said.

As that is needed in plenty when dealing with USCIS and State Dept.

As another person said, I also believe that God always answers prayers, but not always with the answer that we want. I prayed throughout our process, not only that our process would be smooth but that I would get the patience I needed if it was going to take longer than expected.

The only way I could see prayer giving false hopes of a fast process is if someone thinks God is a magical genie, granting everything we ask for. I see Him as an all knowing person, who sees what we can't see behind the scenes of our life, and has a purpose for each individual, and does not hand out cookie-cutter answers to prayers.

Also as others said, sometimes He wants us to learn more about patience and to not take things for granted, like being with the person you love.

I've given up on prayer. This shitt will end on it's own time. God stopped listening to me long ago.

lol, us Clevelanders most be some serious god-haters because they haven't won anything in my lifetime.

btw, I answered n,n,maybe

Be sure that the Lord is involved in every Micro second of every human beings life that has ever been born on this planet. To not be means that He really is not God. For nothing in the universe is out of His total control and sovereignty.

Rob

Let me, for the sake of argument, grant your assumption that He exists. If literally everything is under His control, then He is the most unfair Creator that any mythmaker could devise. What loving God would allow the inequality and suffering to persist over millenia like He has? No thanks. I want nothing to do with a God that has control over everything yet allows the misery on this Earth to continue without intervention. Instead, He brings false hope and unfulfilled promises and worse, as so many atrocities are committed in His name.

There is a God.

There is also Satan.

Which explains it to me.

I don't know about God's hand in immigration process, but we know that at least the prayers keep us "sane" during the process.

does satan work at csc or the missouri benefits center?

Y, N, N

I believe that my God is a loving God. He loves us so much that he has given us the FREE WILL to live our lives as we chose. He prefers that we choose to live our life with LOVE for Him and others. He is like a good parent, prodding us to make the best choices for ourselves and granting us several opportunities to correct whatever wrong choices we made in the past... if we but see those mistakes. But even those who try to live a life of good are not immune to the evil that's in this world. After all, as many people there are who choose to do good, there are also people who choose to do evil. In my case, I believe that prayer will keep me strong and get me through any "bad" that come my way .. be they results of the choices I make or the choices that others made.

Y, Y, Y.....

it's all about therapy. You feel less crazy when you aren't constantly talking to yourself!!

As an atheist I don't believe that prayer does anything whatsoever.

actually, head office of DHS--overseeing both (as well as VSC, TSC, NSC)