OpenTheo

How Do We Know if the Good Things We Experience Are the Result of God’s Actions?

#STRask — Stand to Reason

How Do We Know if the Good Things We Experience Are the Result of God’s Actions?

October 7, 2024
#STRask
#STRaskStand to Reason

Questions about how we know if the good things we experience are the result of God’s actions, whether something can be considered a miracle if it can be explained scientifically, and how to respond to atheists who are mocking a Christian’s prayers for rain.  

* Believers credit God for the good things that happen to them, but good things happen to non-believers also, so how do we know if the good things we experience are the direct result of God’s actions or would have just happened anyway without his involvement?

* Can something still be considered a miracle from God if it can be explained scientifically?

* Recently, a Christian who said he was praying for rain in a drought was mocked by atheists who said prayer won’t create rain. How does one respond to this when the drought continues despite many prayers?

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More on OpenTheo

Can You Recommend Good Books with More In-Depth Information and Ideas?
Can You Recommend Good Books with More In-Depth Information and Ideas?
#STRask
January 22, 2026
Questions about good books on Christian apologetics, philosophy, and theology with more in-depth information and ideas, and resources to help an intel
What Do You Think About Churches Advertising on Social Media?
What Do You Think About Churches Advertising on Social Media?
#STRask
January 19, 2026
Questions about whether there’s an issue with churches advertising on social media, whether it’s weird if we pray along with a YouTuber, and whether C
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
#STRask
December 4, 2025
Question about what tools of reasoning help us determine whether something is true or false, right or wrong, good or bad before bringing Scripture int
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Risen Jesus
March 18, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
#STRask
March 5, 2026
Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, an
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
#STRask
November 27, 2025
Questions about how to explain modesty to a nine-year-old in a way that won’t cause shame about her body, and when and how to tell a child about a pre
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Knight & Rose Show
March 7, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Terrell Clemmons welcome Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the the evidence for fine-tuning in physics and cosmology and the m
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Life and Books and Everything
November 26, 2025
How should Protestants think about the Catholic Mass? About the Eucharist? About the history and development of the papacy? In this panel discussion,
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
#STRask
February 26, 2026
Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just
Kingdom Priorities: Following the Teachings of Jesus
Kingdom Priorities: Following the Teachings of Jesus
Knight & Rose Show
February 14, 2026
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose discuss Jesus' teachings from the Gospels, emphasizing truth, evidence, self-denial, and forgiveness. They explore pass
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
#STRask
January 5, 2026
Questions about how to determine which topics at work are worth commenting on, and a good way to respond when you’re in a group Bible study and hear e
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
#STRask
March 9, 2026
Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and ho
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
#STRask
February 23, 2026
Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to hav
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
#STRask
February 19, 2026
Questions about why it’s necessary to believe Jesus is God, whether belief in the Trinity is required for salvation, and why one has to believe in the
Did Jesus Prove He Wasn’t Sinless When He Overturned the Tables?
Did Jesus Prove He Wasn’t Sinless When He Overturned the Tables?
#STRask
December 29, 2025
Questions about whether Jesus proved he wasn’t sinless when he overturned the tables, whether Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Mark 3:22–26 was a b