2006-07-23 07:25:53 · 34 answers · asked by mommy_2_little_man 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The bible says to pray and to pray often. Never cease praying lest you lose your chance.
I pray for forgiveness, world peace, for those who are sick, for my family and friends. I also pray for those who follow the wrong path in life. Many reasons to pray and it is important to do so.
We hear constantly that we need to "pray more", that "prayer is the answer", and in Scripture we are told to never cease praying. A natural question arises: "How can I pray all the time?" Scripture also gives us that answer. There's not only one way to pray. To pray means many things. We are told to pray with all kinds of prayer. Actually, we are told to pray in the Holy Spirit "using all kinds of prayer". So, praying in the Spirit also means many things - including tongues. We should speak, think, and talk prayer, ask, listen, worship, and praise prayer. Don't let being at work stop your mind (your soul) from being at prayer. Pray in tongues in your car. Meditate on the Lord walking down the street. Whatever, JUST PRAY! There is a time and a place for all these forms of communion with God - but, there is ALWAYS A TIME and ALWAYS A WAY to commune with Him - to pray. And when we pray we get closer to Him, and then we change. When that happens we are made able to do what He wants us to do.
God Bless You!
G.G.
2006-07-23 07:28:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everybody will have their own answer to this, because prayer is a very personal thing. Me, I'm not so much into formal prayer, but I like to have "frank discussions" very often - it's a way to sort of end my day, think over how it's gone, and prepare for the next day.
Having grown up in a Christian home and in a private Christian school, I've encountered a good cross-section of reasons for prayer, so here are a few others:
Some Christians pray because it gives them a sense of peace and comfort. You usually won't even know these Christians are praying. It's a private thing between them and God.
Some Christians pray because everybody else does. You usually won't see these Christians praying because they only do it in church or in another social setting filled with other Christians.
Some Christians pray as a means of showing off how Christian they are. You'll see these ones pray all the time, in a very ostentatious manner, particularly when there are lots of people around to see them. Sadly, this type often thinks they're doing the most good to the world by example, and are usually the worst type of example.
Some Christians pray because they were raised that way. Some of those ones pray more out of habit than anything else, some honestly and willingly take the same path as their parents. You may see these ones praying in a restaurant or in their own home, but they usually try not to be intrusive about it, because it's not about or for those around them.
Some Christians pray because they honestly and truly believe it makes a difference - they pray with good will and good intentions in their hearts, not for the sake of praying but for the sake of who or what they're praying for. You may see these praying in bad circumstances, but again, this type usually prays quietly and privately, or perhaps in a group of people who all believe the same thing. Some people may say these are the worst of all, as they pray for good as a substitute for actually going out and doing good, but every person in my mother's prayer group that I knew didn't stop at praying - they did good as well. Prayer was just a way of asking for more than they themselves could personally give. For example, they would cook and clean and provide emotional support for the family of a boy who went through cancer when I was a little girl, but they also spent time praying that he would be healed, since that was out of their reach.
2006-07-23 07:53:12 · answer #2 · answered by L B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. I pray to give thanks for everything the Lord has blessed me with. However....I have listened to many others pray and if I was in the Lords position....quite frankly.....I would be offended. It's like these people push a lot of their own responsiblities and burdens on the Lord. What an insult! Didn't God bless these people already by giving them a brain? Can't they for minute figure out their own problems? Jesus already came down here to die for our sins. What more do these people want from this man? Please....give this man a break already, grow up and start thinking for yourselves.
2006-07-23 07:35:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your prayers will not be heard unless you accept Jesus as your savior, and repent of your sins, acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and invite Jesus into your heart and life, and then you become a born again Christian.
We then pray for guidance in our life, forgivieness for the sins we commit daily. Pray for strength so we can change our sinful hearts and ways, to become more of who Jesus knows we can be in Him, and less of who we started out to be when we first accepted Jesus.
Jesus is just a wonderful friend I love to talk to every day, all day long. He is there for me 24/7, and has NEVER let me down or led me wrong. I love to pray to Him as much as I can, when ever I can.
2006-07-23 07:35:07 · answer #4 · answered by Carol M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion all people are born with a void in their lives, but this is not recognized until they have grasped the idea that they must or need to do something tangible in their lives. It is not until this moment that people realize that they need strength, courage, endurance, patience and compassion to make it through thier lives. Christians, or any other faith, or person, pray because that void is still there and they may realize that there is more to life than just where we are at that time. But all religions pray, or all people look up to something, someone, even an atheist looks upon themselves and that inner force that compels them to keep going. That my dear, is a undeniable force in which no matter how you look at it, in their own way, with their life's pray. All positive things that we do in life is a worship to God. Each day that we awake is a prayer to God. To kneel beside a bed and say the "Our Father......" is only the beginning. One can pray by simply saying, "Hey it's me, are you listening?" But prayer makes a person feel better. It feels like a burden has been lifted. Try it sometime. Christians pray for constant favor in God's eyes because as humans we sin every day. We repent every day because we are humans and humans aren't perfect. Take for example, if you look at someone with envy, or wish someone ill, or steal a little something. Lie to your parents, whether its a little lie or not, its still a sin. The bible says to honor your mother and your father, and I doubt that lying to them honors them. The bible says that God is a God of order, how orderly is your life. The bible also says to forgive 7 times 70, do you do this. It also says that if someone needs something to extend this need and give. It is better to give than to receive the bible says.
The bible also says to love those who hate us, so do we? Its easy to love someone who loves us back, but to love someone who simply hates our guts, this is the nucleus of our love. Do we love them?
2006-07-23 07:38:09 · answer #5 · answered by nunya 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prayer is a useful thing, whether you believe in God or not. It is a meditation firstly, you calm yourself down and you center on the thing or things that are troubling you. You define your problem, make it clear in your mind as you make your prayer.
That all by itself is half the battle, defining the problem/worry confronting you. Once it is defined, your mind will start noticing any occurence in your life that relates to it. You will see the ways through, when before, not knowing the clear definition of your problem you would see nothing. No path through.
If you are a professed Christian, and you follow the teachings of Jesus as put forth in the Bible, then you will pray in private. What this means is YOU ARE ALONE, you are calm, in a meditative state, and you are NOT FOLLOWING SOME FOOL UP ON THE PULPIT WHO IS LEADING EVERYONE IN PRAYER. That kind of prayer simply will not work, read your bible, Jesus really does tell us to pray in private "alone, closed in our rooms."..
2006-07-23 07:28:17 · answer #6 · answered by frid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Praying makes great sense. Use the ASK acronym.
Ask and you shall receive.
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and you will get.
If you do all 3 steps, you have prayed and gotten divine inspiration on an issue you prayed about. It works, try it.
2006-07-23 07:32:44 · answer #7 · answered by Cogito Sum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
firstly Christians (who at this point would not be Christians because they had not become Christians, being a Christian is knowing Jesus Christ) would ask Jesus into their lives as their first prayer. after Jesus answers you, Christians will ask God for anything and also pray to thank Him and to worship Him. youll know why if you become a Christian.
ask Jesus into your life and be born again by the power of the Gospel (an actual real life event in your real life) if you do this in a prayer sincerely God will answer you! you have to truely seek then God will answer!
2006-07-23 07:37:15 · answer #8 · answered by truth4u 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We pray for just about everything. Strength, peace, answers to things, etc. It's what God tells us he wants us to do, to give our problems up to him... and no I don't mean be irresponsible. It means that he will take care of us and for us not to worry and have faith. Praying is a way of letting God know what's in our heart and what troubles us.
2006-07-23 07:30:42 · answer #9 · answered by little mama kat 23 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suppose, and this is only my opinion, and not a definitive answer to your question - I would suppose that people pray for many reasons. For strength, for guidance, for forgiveness, for other that may be suffering. Could be a number of things.
Prayer is a very personal act and I cannot imagine that one size fits all her.
2006-07-23 07:28:20 · answer #10 · answered by 'Barn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋