The Burden of Proof - Proving Prayer Works

Recently, another blowhard has shown up on the NACBoard, this one going by the name "Robert Sprague". After a lot of silly blustering about how God had "taken care of" his enemies and those who "opposed him", and how we should put God to the prayer test so we can see that "he won't be stingy", I issued a challenge to Robert, which he completely (and purposely) misunderstood and misrepresented. Other than accepting the challenge - or even showing any curiosity regarding what the challenge I had in mind might actually be - he posted this:

Robert Sprague: "First don't threaten me. If you want to do something, have the guts to do it. Don't wast your time and mine with idle threats. It's childish. Secondly, you are the one who continually denies the existence of God which places the burden of proof on you. So prove it. If you cannot then be man enough to admit you are wrong. Thirdly, It takes more faith to believe that the universe started out as matter so dense that it could fit on the head of a pin and then for no apparent reason explode than it is to believe in God. Further it takes immeasurably more faith to believe in the Theory of Evolution than to believe that God created Heaven and earth. So in reality you have more faith then any of us."

I have no idea where Cosmology and the Theory of Evolution (he seems to think these things are one and the same) fit in a challenge about proving the efficacy of prayer, but I was struck by the way he demanded that I prove a negative as he went on to make a number of baseless assertions. I'd be glad to debate Robert about evolution, but that's not what this challenge was all about. Can I get even one person to accept a challenge about prayer without having them rant about evolution or demanding that I prove a negative or calling me "childish"? Why is it childish to want to test something? In fact, isn't it more childish to claim that you bow your head and speak to a deity that never talks back to you, and never does what his believers claim he can do?

Why is it so hard to set up an Elijah-like challenge with God's believers? Scrolling down the NACBoard link, you can see that I made a little altar out of basswood, and bought some sacrificial animals (a plastic lamb, cow, and dinosaur) in order to test God's almighty power, to see if Robert truly had God on his side, if God really bothered to listen to his prayers. Would he "take care of" his enemies (for the purposes of this challenge, I'll consider myself his "enemy") by making that little wooden altar burst into flames? It's a simple challenge, and not one without biblical precedent. Can your God make that little wooden altar burst into flames and consume the sacrificial animals within 24 hours? The believers can get as many people as they want to pray for this, I simply want to document it happening. Is that too much to ask?

One of these days I'm going to get a webcam and set that little altar up in my driveway . . . I won't wet it first like Elijah did, I just want to see God burn up it up in a display of his awesome omnipotent power. He'd definitely gain me as a new convert, and perhaps some of the people watching the live video feed. Isn't gaining new converts and saving their souls what it's all about? Is there even one believer out there who will accept this simple challenge? Robert Sprague - or anyone else - here's your chance!