I'm curious as to how you pray. I recently heard a woman pray, saying "Jesus, we thank and praise you because we know you're going to heal this woman of her toothache."
CAN she be sure that the toothache is going to be healed? What about St. Paul, who asked multiple times that God remove the "thorn in his flesh," only to be told by God that "My grace is sufficient for you."
If Christians pray like the woman I've mentioned above, doesn't that set people up for disappointment and disillusionment?
2007-09-18 03:07:30 · 20 answers · asked by Scotty Doesnt Know 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ps. For the record, I'm Christian (Lutheran)
2007-09-18 03:08:04 · update #1
Feral: Umm, check 2 Cor 12:7-10. You'll find that it says:
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012:7-10;&version=31;
2007-09-19 07:55:05 · update #2
I am the Devil, and I am here to do the Devil's work
2007-09-25 23:48:25 · answer #1 · answered by Rob S 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What a good question. There is no set rule on how to pray. Your faith is individual and very personal. Pray is conversation. And as you know, you can't have a conversation with one person - it takes at least two. So it's a conversation with your Lord and Savior.
The woman who prayed may have the 'gift of faith'. There are those who have such a strong belief that God is able and he desires to heal his children. If this is the woman's gift (from the Holy Spirit of God), then her prayer would be honored by God.
Can we be sure that our prayers will be answered! You bet! But the thing people don't seem to understand is, God will answer yes or not in His own timing. We do not have the insight that our Father in Heaven has, but we can trust that He loves us and will do what is best for us. When you pray though, you must be in God's will. The Scripture tells us that we don't receive because we don't ask for the right things. God will not honor us with a yes answer to something that would be detrimental to our well-being. God be with you as you seek understanding in God's holy word.
2007-09-25 14:32:53 · answer #2 · answered by Mercedes 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
To pray, Jesus gave us a sample prayer mos t call it the Lords prayer. First you're heart must be right with God. God only answers prayer three ways yes, no and wait. If you believe that God is all knowing then we must trust his judgment. As for Paul he knew that God was keeping him humble by leaving the thorn. Which was a very bad eye problem. Remember trust God.
2007-09-26 07:56:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You nailed it on the head. When people should be praying for Gods will in their life they impose their own on God as if they are the deity that was in control of God like God was a puppet. I love it when I hear " In Jesus we pray " most of the fundamentalist or the Pentecostal believe when two or more gather that their will supersede Gods. I Always thought when it says that when two or more gather and unite thier will with God then they are able to achieve Gods will for them. So that one has the encouragement of the other.
2007-09-25 23:01:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A prayer to me is a request. It's more of a talk with my
maker than anything else. Mentally verbalizing cares
and woes, and thanking God for looking over and providing
for my family. All my prayers have always been answered
in God's way: Yes, No, Wait, and I am truly blessed.
2007-09-18 10:32:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
My prayers are more like conversations. I have never been a fan of the big fancy rehearsed prayers. . .or the copying of what you have heard someone else pray. Jesus isn't a magic genie and that is what the prayer above reminds me of. Maybe it works for others and that is fine, just not the way I choose to pray. : )
2007-09-18 10:14:40 · answer #6 · answered by sparkles9 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I pray as if I'm talking to Him as a friend, brother and God. I teach my children to pray from their hearts and not just simply reciting them. We pray because we believe He is the Almighty and all things are possible to Him. Although not all of our prayers are answered, we hold on to our faith that He knows what's best for all of us and that He does answer all our prayers in His own special way and in His own perfect time. As human beings, we all experience disappointments but as Christians - we do not let that predicament linger too long. Yes, we feel hurt and pain but after that - we have to hold on to our faith and believe that all things happen for a reason.
2007-09-26 00:25:47 · answer #7 · answered by addicted too 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe she knew the woman had a dentist appointment and would be getting it taken care of. When I pray I say peoples names and pray for strength upon them so they can handle the situation they are in. Praying for things isn't what he wants us to do. And I always end the prayer in Jesus Christ's name.
2007-09-18 10:18:12 · answer #8 · answered by Peng-you 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
how do you pray you say.
prayer is a conversation you have with Jesus
me,
i talk to him like he is my best friend, he knows me already
so all i have to do is talk to him
about the toothache, that is faith,
they were claiming that her pain would be gone
Paul was praying for his thorn, but God never took it away, because that would only revert Paul that it was him, not God who was doing the work
the thorn was to remind Paul that God was in charge, and it was not a thorn per se,
it was more like God was keeping him humble
2007-09-25 13:05:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Doesn't it tell us in The Bible to pray The Lord's Prayer? I pray that, and Thank God for helping all whom He has helped, I also thank Him for the things that I ask for that He has not given me and for taking my daparted loved ones to live with Him. How you pray or for what is between you and God. If you ask and God doesn't give, It is still up to you to thank Him. WOOHOO Go Lutherans!!!(LCMS)
2007-09-25 03:16:43 · answer #10 · answered by roloswife 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For me, I'm a frequent silent "prayor"...much like Ulrich Wender (sp?) in the movie Luther. (God let him say the right thing).
I think praying with the assumption of healing, is disrespectful to God. It reminds me of when people put the "thanking you in advance" on a letter -- tacky-- because it doesn't relinquish control and does not acknowledge the recipient as the one making the decision or having juridiction, so to speak.
I like the serenity prayer, though many think it is overused, because it is so simple and really a reminder to the person praying that they have work to do in addition to having relying on God.
One thing that irritates the living daylights out of me, is false humility in prayer. As in, "Lord we just ask you to just...." Overuse of just to sound humble is a HUGE department of redundancy department for me. (You know that).
It is very difficult for me to pray in front of a group. When I pray it is like being intimate with God. Not in a sexual way, but in a "You know all my thoughts way" and " You know me and everything" way, that makes praying outloud for me, like feeling exposed if I am requested to pray for the group. With a group is fine. Except maybe if I say grace before dinner....I'm mostly okay with that.
So how do I pray? Frequently, silently, as reverently as I can, usually "without one plea"...
2007-09-19 20:26:09 · answer #11 · answered by doublewidemama 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋