can we pray writing it down or keep a prayer journal instead of saying our prayer. it keeps me from re-saying evrything i say in my prayer. i say my prayer and repeated too many times and forget i already asked/said that to god.
if u know for sure can you tell me? i feel more comfortable i think if i do that. thanks
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox amber
2007-02-21 10:54:00 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God "hears" the prayers of our hearts. Whether they are spoken or not is a non-issue.
There are many who fall into the trap of saying formulaic prayers, or praying by rote, rather than from the heart.
God knows what you need before you tell Him. He wants to be in fellowship with you, and if you are speaking to Him in your heart while writing down on your journal, I believe it accomplishes the purpose.
Just be careful. Jesus also told us, "When you are praying, don't say meaningless words like the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their wordiness. Don't be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-8)
Paul tell us, "In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes with groans too deep for words..." (Romans 8:26)
Pray from your heart to God, and He will hear you, regardless of the way you do it.
2007-02-21 11:03:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is absolutely nothing wrong with writing your prayers down and keeping a prayer journal. But think about this, if you only wrote your best friend letters all the time and you never spoke to them directly - do you think your friend might begin to wonder that something was wrong? God does not mind you "repeating" yourself - He just wants you to talk to Him and to share your thoughts and life with Him and then He wants you to listen as He talks directly to you. Keep a journal if it helps but don't just be verbally silent to God all the time either. Try a mixture of both avenues of communication.
2007-02-21 11:00:17 · answer #2 · answered by wd 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. That is a very good thing to do. You can go back later and look at what you prayed for and about, and look at the way God answered your prayer, and how you came through situations you prayed about.
God Bless
Numbers 6:24-26
My daughters name is Amber.
2007-02-21 11:02:22 · answer #3 · answered by timjim 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't matter what you say to God, just that you talk to him. The same way you'd talk to a relative over the phone. It's not about vain repetitions (for instance, the whole "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer, which is more of a "Okay, I've said it... I'm done praying, now it's time for bed," kind of thing.)
God wants us to talk to him. He likes to listen. And he always answers back. Sometimes he doesn't answer the way you want him to, but he always answers in the best way possible.
But I don't think he will mind if you write stuff down for him. Also, praying in your head is just as good as doing it out loud. He can hear your thoughts and read your words. But time should be taken out just to chat him as well.
2007-02-21 11:05:53 · answer #4 · answered by This Is Me Being Grumpy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes I have heard of this. As a matter of fact, I have friends that practice what you have described. Furthermore I have done this myself from time to time.
It also can be looked back on and see if God did answer the prayers.
Was rather adamant about certain things and wrote them down. Believe it or not the 7 ailments that I had He cured.
He is amazing.
2007-02-21 11:03:38 · answer #5 · answered by chris p 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A prayer comes from your heart dear. Not from a book or a list. Just talk to God. Tell him what is in your heart. Your fears, your gratitude along with whatever is on your mind. You don't need to use a lot of big words. You are his child and he will listen. Making a list about what to talk to God about seems to be a little "practiced" and not simply coming from your heart. The Bible tells us that their will be many men who pray day and night but when their end comes God will say "I never knew you". If it is not coming from your heart, it is not real and God will not hear you.
2007-02-21 11:03:07 · answer #6 · answered by Poohcat1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry too much about the semantics and focus on the idea of prayer as being communication. When you pray, you enter into a relationship with God. Organising that is kinda like a married couple organising when they see each other...which, come to think of it, is sorta like modern relationships anyway, so.
Do what feels comfortable for you and makes it easier to pray.
2007-02-21 11:00:14 · answer #7 · answered by Testaco 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A prayer journal is an awesome idea! Just imagine saving ones "little notes" to the Lord and being able to read through them years later. It would probably be quite edifying .
2007-02-21 11:02:02 · answer #8 · answered by Jimguyy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that God expects you to actually spend time talking to him.
Short cuts, like writing things down, means that you spend less time with him.
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The author Brennan Manning, who leads spiritual retreats several times each year, once told me that not a single person who has followed his regimen for a silent retreat has failed to hear from God. Intrigued and a bit skeptical, I signed up for one of his retreats, this one extending over five days. Every attendee met for an hour each day with Brennan, who would give us assignments in meditation and spiritual work. We also met together for daily worship, during which time only Brennan talked. Beyond this, we were free to spend our time as we wished, with only one requirement: two hours of prayer per day.
I doubt I had devoted more than 30 minutes to prayer at any one session in my life. The first day I wandered to the edge of a meadow and sat down with my back against a tree. I had brought along Brennan's assignment for the day and a notebook in which to record my thoughts. How long will I stay awake? I wondered....
2007-02-21 11:00:57 · answer #9 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Amber...
You can write it down or journal...if you'd like.
I like talking to God, through Jesus Christ...through out the day...giving thanks, praying as an intercessor...and for petition.
God listens...and he wants you to pray about any and everything. It's okay...to repeat something if you find it to be important.
2007-02-21 11:00:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋