Dear Christian, If Prayer Works, Why Do Anything Else?

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:01]I have a I have a question for for the Christians.

[00:00:05]If prayer really worked, why do anything else? I mean, I'm being I'm being genuinely serious for real.

[00:00:17]Like I'm seriously if prayer actually worked then like why go to the doctor, you know?

[00:00:28]Why? Why go hunt for a job? Like if you can just pray, if you can just pray money in or pray for healing or pray for your sports team to win, you know, [laughter] like like if if prayer literally worked, and I'm be I really am being serious here.

[00:00:50]By the way, hello. My name is Timmy Gibson. I'm a former fundamental evangelical Bible thumping, tongue talking, holy ghost rolling. Spent uh 30 years as a minister uh in the evangelical church and pastored my very own church for about 17 18 years and uh grew it to about 250 to 300 on regular, you know, Sunday attendance. You know, we'd have big huge services and I think one time we almost had 600 come. I think that was an Easter. I can't remember what year that was. Probably in 2008, probably 2009. Anyway, you know, so you know, I'm now atheist. Um, I walked away from the faith about 7 years ago after just investigating the claims of Christianity and I came to realize that Christianity I viewed Christianity through a different when I was a Christian I grew I looked at Christianity through a whole another lens. Um, and I looked at all other religions through a critical lens. Right? So as a Christian, you know, I saw that all other religions were false.

[00:02:04]And then finally I realized, oh wait, I should look at my own religion with the same uh uh critique. I should critique my own faith in that same way and and obviously came out to be false, you know, not true.

[00:02:24]But this thing on prayer, you know, I I c, you know, prayer is a big thing in in the church, especially in the evangelical church that I grew up in, you know, we prayed for everything. We did, you know, anointed oil on people's heads, you know, and prayed, cast out demons and laid hands on the sick that they may recover, you know, pray [laughter] that lustful demon out of, you know, like we did all that. We we prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed, prayed and prayed and prayed. And I actually was one of those people, a Christian that actually did pray. Like I literally prayed. I was I was I got up early in the morning, got on my knees on the edge of my bed and started praying. I took it serious, you know, whenever in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was stressed out about going to the cross.

[00:03:11]And uh I think it was Peter or Paul or somebody, I forget who now, fell asleep.

[00:03:17][laughter] And Jesus was like, "Could you not tarry one hour?" And so I took that seriously and I was like, "Yes, Jesus. I can tarry one hour. I can pray for an hour." And so I was a I was a prayer. And I also took the other scripture super serious that says pray without ceasing to pray all the time. And that's what I did. I really did. I prayed all the time. I was constantly now I realize talking to myself all the time. All the time. and praying to myself, answering myself.

[00:03:51]I realize all that now.

[00:03:54]But for those of you that are Christian and and cuss and discuss down below, like, share, subscribe, do all the stuff, you know, makes a big difference.

[00:04:01]But for sure, cuss and discuss down below. If you don't have anything else to say down there, just tell us where you where you reside. So, if prayer really works, I think this is a fair question. If prayer actually works, then why do anything else? Like if if if you prayed for the headache, why are you taking aspirin?

[00:04:29]You know what I mean? If you're praying that that tumor go away, then why are you going and doing radiation and chemotherapy? Now, I'm I'm, you know, I'm I'm just asking a question here, right? I believe in medicine. I believe in doing whatever the doctors suggest so that you can get well and recover. I don't you know prayer clearly doesn't work. I mean I that you know research has been done that that we know that prayer doesn't work but how is it that so many people maybe you believe that it does like you genuinely you would just you're even maybe a little upset with me right now Timmy prayer does work. It's okay. Like that's fine if you want to believe that it's not true. But you can believe it. You know, just because some you believe something to be true doesn't make it true. And listen, I know I used to believe in prayer. I did. I earnestly prayed all the time. I really, really did. And when people would come up front and have gotten a bad report from the doctor, I genuinely from the bottom of my soul, I don't you know what I mean by soul back then like you know what I mean? Like from the bottom of my being I genuinely heartfelt sincerely prayed that that God would heal this person that God would take the suffering away. God would do whatever needed to be done to help this person out. I really, really, really, really prayed genuinely.

[00:06:09]And you know, well, did anything ever happen?

[00:06:14]Not anything miraculous, not anything other than what happens now as an atheist when I really want something to go a certain way or I'm hoping that I get that thing or I hope that I can, you know, I put an author in and I hope they accept it and I still have wonderful things happen but also all things don't go the way I want them which is exactly how it is when I was a Christian. Now I can only I can't tell you about your life. I can only tell you about my life.

[00:06:43]my life, you know, for for the most part, frankly, I've always knock on wood. [laughter] I've had, you know, I've had a good life, you know what I mean? Like things, you know, I' I've always been able to be employed. I've always, you know what I mean? I've been healthy. I'm very very very lucky. Now, when I was a Christian, see, I would have given all the credit to God. like God's blessing me and God's blessing me.

[00:07:14]And what I realized is that's not true.

[00:07:17]That, you know, it's just I was almost going to say I wish it was true. Um, you know, I'm not sure what I think about that. You know, there's there's times that I'm like, man, it would be good if there was a God, like literally a God that literally would do [ __ ] you know, but there is no God. And there ain't no God doing, you know, there ain't no God stopping no floods.

[00:07:36]There ain't no God stopping no wars.

[00:07:38]There ain't no God protecting the children. Like, that's just clearly not a thing. I wish it were true. I really, really, genuinely wish that there was some loving, all powerful God making things go right, punishing the evil people, you know, and not not not punishing people that just don't believe in Jesus for Pete's sakes.

[00:08:06]No, like punishing the actual bad people that do bad things and bring harm to people, especially children, right?

[00:08:16]Right. Like if there really was a God, like if I was made God today, anybody that hurt a child, like intentionally hurt a child, you ready? Painful death right now.

[00:08:35]That's what I would do. Like that like if I was given all the powers of the universe.

[00:08:43]That'd be the first freaking thing I that that would be the first thing I do even before I heaped on wealth on me and everybody else. That's the first thing I would do. Painfully painfully [laughter] kill anybody that has ever hurt a child intentionally.

[00:09:02]Bam. That's what I would do. Okay. So, [laughter] I'm just saying that's exactly what I would do. I've I've I've used to pray that prayer, right? But that that that's just prayers don't work like that, right?

[00:09:26]You know, I'm not u you know, I'm not obviously not Christian. I'm I'm atheist.

[00:09:33]I believe though like in meditation, qu quieting the mind, you know, reflecting on things, you know, I all those kinds of things which I, you know, I don't like the word spiritual just because it seems to be attached to God and mysticism. And so, you know, I I just don't like putting that word on me for that reason. And that's my own thing. Um, but I have always been a very um what what would you call it? You know, like I love nature, you know, and I believe it's good to treat people well.

[00:10:15]And you know what I mean? And and also doing things, you know, like if you want something, go do it. Like do do what's necessary to get it, you know?

[00:10:26]And when I was a Christian, you know, I I just thought, you know, pray about it. That way, God could work in your on your behalf, you know, work on work on your behalf and and, you know, could do something. And here I am, atheist. I don't pray. I don't believe in prayer. I don't I just don't like do any of that. And yet my life it still has that overwhelming feeling of hashtag blessed. You know what I mean? Like uh not not all the time. I'm not, you know, it's not like everything goes my way. I mean, you know, whenever we had that cold front move in here a month ago or so here in Kansas City, you know, we lost our AC unit and had to have an emergency, you know, and the house got freezing cold and [laughter] it was terrible.

[00:11:20]They couldn't get it fixed for, you know, a couple days and had to do this and that. I mean, you know what I mean?

[00:11:25]Like, you know, we have trouble just like everybody has trouble. You know, I don't think you can have a house or have a car or live a life or have a job or have friends without there being some uh something going on at at some point.

[00:11:41]But, you know, so you understand what I'm saying. But overall, and you know, listen, I realize I live in the Midwest.

[00:11:48]You know, I don't live in some third world country. You know, I wasn't born in some war torn country, you know.

[00:11:56]Luckily, right? just like luckily like so you know anytime I hear especially you know some white privileged person that's a Christian saying that God's pouring out a blessing and God bless and I'm like shut the up you don't know what the hell you talking about like say that to people over in other areas of the world that are not it's not going well anyway [snorts] that I'm off track a little bit, but I I really really I'm genuinely, you know, like the longer I'm away from from Christianity, um you know, I have to like dig into the recesses of my mind and ask myself really like what did I think about prayer? Like why did I pray? I mean, I genuinely prayed. Here's I'll tell you why. I know exactly why because I soon as I asked myself that just then like I had things bubble up in my head.

[00:13:01]I believe there was power in prayer and I believe that prayer moved the hand of God. I believe that um when I prayed it activated, you know, heaven went into hut two, three, four, what does Timmy need? Let's do it. You know, like I just believe that obviously I know it's horse crap. I know that now. But that's what I thought. I thought, you know, that that I was doing spiritual warfare, which is a complete croc of crap. Oh my gosh. I should do a separate video on that. When people talk about, you know, spiritual warfare, no, you're just an earthly [ __ ] engaged in foolishness. I don't even know. I don't even I wish I could come up with a better slam for it, but it's just complete horse dookie for sure, right?

[00:13:50]complete and utter nonsense.

[00:13:54]There's no such thing as a war in the heavens. There is no spiritual warfare.

[00:13:59]Now, we have warfare in our own minds.

[00:14:01]You know what I mean? Of course. Like, duh. You know, you you want to lay around, but you realize you should probably go work. You know, you want to sleep in, but you got to get up and go.

[00:14:14]You know what I mean? like that. We we will that's the kind of stuff that we're warning against just our own self.

[00:14:20]There's no there's no devil for Pete's sakes. Come on.

[00:14:26]If there was a devil, I'm I don't even know what to say except if there was a God, he'd shut me down.

[00:14:35]Like, right? Like, shut me down and all these other atheists out here spreading all these lies about there is no God.

[00:14:42]like and then but then I guess no the devil then would just bless us because we're doing [laughter] we're doing the work of the devil. I know that's what Christians think. You are so interesting. I I literally literally literally I just had some interactions with some Christians who they are shady as a. Okay. Literally, I've just had some interactions recently and I was telling one of my other non-believing friends. I was like, "Man," I said, "You know what's so crazy? Here I am, atheist. We're being honest and upfront about some stuff and here these shady ass Christian lying and deceiving and then then they talk about prayer and all this stuff." Like, it's it's crazy. Now, I know not all Christians are like that. There a lot of great Christians out there. I'm not. So, when I say that, that doesn't mean all Christians. I'm, you know, I'm I'm sure there's some bad atheists out there, you know what I mean? Um, I just don't I don't associate with with bad people or at least knowingly, you know. So, the Christians that I do know are good Christians and of course the atheists I know are great people, too. So, anyway, um, all all that to say, that's my question. It's a genuine question. Like, if prayer really really did work, what's the point? like what is the point? Now I you know when I used to teach on prayer um you know prayer I taught prayer from a from a perspective of faith meaning you know I would align my my prayers with faith you know what I was hoping for you know uh what else did I believe about prayer you know all the things I just said that that you know prayer worked it didn't but I thought it it. And so that's why that's why people that believe in prayer will say, "Well, God either says yes or he says no or he says not right now."

[00:16:51]And that's just simply because prayers don't work. You have to you have to have an escape clause, right? It's like you have to have an escape clause, you know?

[00:17:05]It's it's really seriously so similar to that that comedian that made that joke about magicians and he said at least a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat. He said Christians pull nothing out of the hat and then tell you if when you don't see it because you don't see it because it's not there. Even the magician doesn't see it. They just act like they can see it, right? It's make believe.

[00:17:28]It's fake. It's not real. Okay. But anyway, he said that a Christian is like a they pull the nothing out of the hat and they say, "Oh, you don't see it. You got to believe first. And when you really believe it, then you'll see it."

[00:17:43]Well, then you just spend all your time trying to believe it. That's what that's what Christianity is. You are constantly struggling to believe it with no evidence to support it.

[00:17:58]And that's part of the [ __ ] with it.

[00:18:00]And that's where the faith enters in. If you have enough faith, you'll see it.

[00:18:05]No, you won't. No, you won't. Because there when the magician doesn't pull out a rabbit, you're never going to see it. Why?

[00:18:17]Because it ain't there. I mean, this goes back to the my joke, my thing I've said about the the purple dragon in my backyard.

[00:18:24]Like I can tell you there's a purple dragon back there and even if I invited you over to go look, you ain't never going to see it. Why? Because it ain't [laughter] it's not there.

[00:18:39]It's It's like God.

[00:18:43]If God, [laughter] why can't you see God?

[00:18:50]Because he's not there.

[00:18:53]It's so simple. I'm going to do a video just on that right there. Just on that last little bit. Okay, [laughter] discuss down below. Like, share, subscribe, do all the stuff. It means a lot to me. It means a lot to the channel. And uh I really do. I really do appreciate even you lovely Christians that tell me I'm going to hell. Bless you.

[00:19:17][gasps] I really do. I really do appreciate all the comments. I I appreciate all the engagement for sure.

[00:19:23]And hey, if you want to buy me a cup of coffee, if you want to buy me a cup of coffee, I do have a Patreon and for $5 a month, you can buy me a coffee every month and that'll help me with my coffee addiction. And finally, I have a Facebook group for those of you who are atheist, agnostic, or going through the deconstruction process. It's not for Christians. It's not for religious people. Uh we'd love to have you in there. It's it's on it's like I said, it's on Facebook. It's under Timmy's Deconstruction Community. All right. Peace everybody.