prayer??

it is one of the most bizzare, strange, abnormal and just damn wierd things that religious folk do...
i just do NOT get it.

i remember back years ago when there would be thanksgiving at my moms house and my step dads father was there. they do the whole head of the house sits in a certain spot and then, you guessed it, prayer time.
food is there getting cold and people clasp hands, bow down and listen while one dude spews out some makeshift prayer, then everyone pops out an amen and viola, time to eat.

before bed religious folk pray and they teach their young, impressionable children how to pray each and every night...."now i lay me down to sleep, i pray the lord my soul to keep..if i die before i awake, i pray the lord my soul to take".....

pretty morbid i think...get your 4 year old thinking about death and the like.....

i prefer to tuck my boy in with a nice kiss on the head, maybe a knuck bump and something funny on my way out the door.
i can NOT imagine sitting there spewing that stuff.


i think it is wiggidy WHACKED....

what do you think of prayer?
if you do pray, why?
if you do not, why?

for those that pray, are your prayers answered? be honest please..

Originally posted by Boondock78
what do you think of prayer?

Prayer is important to those that want a personal relationship with God. He loves you more than you know and is a jealous God that wants your attention. He wants you to confide in him, he wants you to treat him like your closest friend. It's also an act of faith.

Originally posted by Boondock78
if you do pray, why?

I pray for strength, guidance my family and thanks...I pray for those in this world without families, food and clean water. I pray for the lost...I pray for many different things, and know God hears me.

Originally posted by Boondock78
are your prayers answered?

Yes, when it suits God's plan. He took me in his arms and away from my body during my Near Death Experience. I was praying for his help just before a medical procedure and he answered me in the most immediate way, in no uncertain terms he answered my prayer. Every time I called on Jesus's name I rose a little higher until I found myself outside heaven. (Read the full account by clicking the link in my signature)

I know that's an extreme account but It shows that God does listen to everything you say and will answer....

Blessings...



edit: spelling

[edit on 11/27/2007 by kinglizard]

reply to post by kinglizard


thanks for the honest reply lizard.
appreciate it.


do you pray every day? before every meal and/or before going to bed?

Yes...though sometimes forget to give thanks before meals. I pray at all times of the day...not like a schedule of prayer times but when it strikes me I pray.

I also pray throughout the day and for no particular reason. More than anything, i do thank God for the things i DO have, and when i see someone less fortunate than I, I also give thanks and ask that the person be helped.
I have problems, but so many out there are so much less fortunate than I!

I also use the visualization method, which has helped tremendously in my lilife, as far as seeing myself accomplishing things and being a better person. I cant change the world or certain things in my life, but i can take myself out of depressions by imagining good things HAVE happened. You would be surprised how much this turns the tide.

BTW, i dont pray to an old man in heaven, i pray to a universal power much greater than i. This power is everywhere, including inside me, so i have the power already within me.

[edit on 27-11-2007 by dgtempe]

Also, the one about my soul to take?

I NEVER use that one. It gives me the creeps.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Also, the one about my soul to take?

I NEVER use that one. It gives me the creeps.

it should....it's friggin creepy man...getting ready to tuck in little billy and you set down with him and get him thinking about death before...

it's almost laughable to me....

say a morbid prayer before bed then walk out with the 'sweet dreams'..bwuahahah


for those that do pray, if that helps you, i think it's awesome...i would equate it to a placebo effect....
thats my take on it....
wanted to see others take as well

prayer? it's egocentric at best and a selfish placebo that places human will over the laws of reality at worst

Prayers for me is a venue to vent out all my frustrations and anger. To confess to God all my failures and wrong doings and to forgive people who has provoked me to sin so that God can forgive my sins as well. To ask God to give me the strength for self control and discipline and to right the wrongs that I have done. To say thanks to God every moment and protect my family from any form of danger and to give all of us good health and to bless and prosper every thing that we do.

Prayers comforts me and gives me the inner peace that I want and it releases me from emotional baggage. Without prayers, I don't think my life would be normal. I guess I got so used to God that I can't live without Him. I need Him to survive in this stressful world we live in. If only I could hold God's hand, I will never ever let it go.

God has answered many of my prayers and its not always I want it to be, but always the best outcome. It is not always right away, but always the right timing. This helps build up faith and patience in me, to trust in God no matter the situation, no matter how gloomy, painful and discouraging the situation is.

And, the prayer, "...if i die before i awake, i pray the lord my soul to take". That reminds me of Freddy Krueger. I agree with you this is a morbid prayer and it gives unnecessary fear to the child. I wouldn't recommend this prayer to children as this will give them nightmares. Parental Guidance is adviced.



[edit on 27-11-2007 by amitheone]

Wiggidy wack?

How old are you son?

Prayer has saved my life. prayer produces grace.

Grace is a gift of the holy ghost, basically grace is love.


when I grew up I would throw things at mother, i was lazy, didnt want to work, brush teeth anything. I grew up with kids who hit their dogs for no reason, threw rocks at peoples heads for laughs and would go around beating people up in groups for fun..

gang members kill people to be accepted into gangs.


all these acts are a result of nobody being prayed for and having graces.


some people dont have grace, they are without feeling or heart, and you know youve seen people like this before..

My Aunt praying for me helped me, and ive received so many graces, and accepted them. Now im completely different.


I prayed also for my brother to stop dealing drugs, and he accepted and now hes off of it... He has a real job.


the world cannot exist without prayer. Not including praying for peace and conversions and also thanksgiving for being alive.


" egocentric "

Not praying is ego centric, because it makes you your own God. No I dont need anything from God, I can do all on my own. Prayer is actually humility.


Im telling you, if you see someone wicked, like the type I posted above with no grace, pray for them and they will trun around, unless they say (NO) to grace and love.. then they have giving themselkves over to evil..



ah.. you will see what I mean after death...

peace.

Originally posted by Boondock78
it is one of the most bizzare, strange, abnormal and just damn wierd things that religious folk do...
i just do NOT get it.

I agree, which is why when I pray, you'd never know it. I used to pray a long long time ago, but then decided that if God can hear me pray silently, then he can just here my every thought, so basically there is no reason to stop and make God know you are talking to him. I know that he can hear me so why bother thinking that he only hears me when I want him to?? Pretty senseless.

I also do not see the point in the folding of hands and bowing (taking a knee). I mean seriously, God doesn't need all that. There is nothing we can give him that he does not already have.

Prayer should be a mental communication that works fluently between you and your maker.

Originally posted by JesusisTruth

Wiggidy wack?
How old are you son


^^^^^^^i will be 30 in march. i like to screw with words and i would appreciate it if you didn't call me son.
fair enough?....i don't like it


all these acts are a result of nobody being prayed for and having graces.

.
^^^^^you only see two colors eh? no gray area for you it seems


I prayed also for my brother to stop dealing drugs, and he accepted and now hes off of it... He has a real job.

^^^^are you saying/implying that he is not dealing anymore due to prayer?


the world cannot exist without prayer.


^^^^^^says who? you? the book?
i rue(right word) the day man made religion.....really fubared that one up fo sho


ah.. you will see what I mean after death...

peace.

i will see what you mean after death?
you're actually pretty funny sometimes.

reply to post by ben91069


see, this is rational and i agree with you 100%

i just don't get the people that do kneel down and/or say these morbid words before bed.

that one really gets me. it is a pretty common bedtime prayer and it is spooky as hell.

i just don't get it

reply to post by Boondock78

I grew up saying that prayer as well as "The Lord's Prayer".
It didn't scare me At all. That was about the extent of my spiritual training, but, I was a happy child until the Soviet threat in the 70's and 80's made me and my sister wonder if we would die in a nuclear blast!

Did you know "The Lord's Prayer" was illegal in certain parts of Europe during the Dark ages????

Before God you can be all those things you fear showing to others including yourself.

You can tell all those fears and things you are ashamed of. You can tell all those hopes and dreams that are stupid within the world.

You can ask questions, and get answered.

I've NEVER asked for something, non phyicial world related, that I didn't get. Even upto Gifts of perception and understanding.

God created us all, because God is conscious, and God is the only type of God's Kind. This is one reason to talk with God. I thank him daily.


Too many people often assume they have nothing to be thankful for, they think they need a new car or to win the lotto. That's a mistaken perception.

Life and existance are the most wonderful thing, each breath is a gift. Shamefully too few are aware, truly aware, of that fact. That's why "the end of days" is upon mankind. It's to show many that life is a gift.

I pray, I consider praying just as having a conversation with God, and he has awnsered in my opinion in a variety of ways.

I don't really care for the pre-made prayers. I feel they are impersonal and yes, that one prayer is really scary. My grandmother used to make me say it as a child and honestly, I just recited the words she asked me to, I had no idea what they meant.

I know that my daughter's step-mother will not let her go to sleep until she says her prayers which I don't agree with as I feel that people should pray out of love for God and not by force.

reply to post by ben91069


hey ben, i wanted to touch on what you said.

i too feel weird about just thinking a prayer and not saying it. i am told by some that God knows your thoughts when you pray but if i dont vocalize it then its exactly like any other thought I have. I can think the phrase praise be to God all day long like a robot, or I can say it once or twice a day when I really feel it.

so while he may or may not be reading my thoughts, id like to think we're only judged @ judgement for our actions, ie; our works and deeds. not what we thought of on some random occasion .. because my brain, it has a brain of its' own! some times lol ..

as to how and why i pray. i usually pray only when there is something pressing going on. i know some say if you only pray when bad stuff is happening its not right, but maybe bad stuff is constantly happening so it just seems that way. and if it isn't that way, then surely God of all things would understand and not mind, I mean .. theres millions of others praying when they are rich and content! I know thats a lame excuse. I should start praying when nothing is wrong. You know, I really think stuff has been constantly bad lately. That must be why.

Allow me to get on the soapbox for a moment. Everything seems to suck nowadays, I always dread the day and all that I must do on those days, and at the end of the day, I dont really care so much anymore if I make good use of my time or not, I only sit around and wait to get tired enough to fall asleep, with the assistance of a benadryl if im trying to sleep early or something. I look forward to sleeping at night, thats my highlight, being basically unconscious.

To twist this, I slave away each day for something that I don't even consciously experience, remember, or can account for, and yet some people think that an existence of worshipping God in Heaven is redundant? Well I am worshipping the stupid bed right now, what difference does it make?



[edit on 11/28/2007 by runetang]

on the subject of prayer (btw im the one who starred boondock for making this),

has anyone noticed their prayers being answered more often lately? i know it sounds silly, like why would that happen all of a sudden. and im sure the atheists think that this is pure chance, and thats okay. to each their own opinion.

but my prayers have been answered distinctly and clearly in an undeniable way twice, maybe three times this week that just passed, each time i prayed. big stuff, like praying for protection for myself and my ex girlfriend in court (it was for her, i was a witness) but then at the last possible second the other side settles right before we goto trial? at the courthouse? moments before court starts?

then, i prayed for my mother on something shes been counting on regarding being able to pay her bills for fear of losing her house etc, and it came through and she is fine. strange. theres been a couple little other things i wont mention, but this never happened before.

i know i know.. its probably just me.. but if any of you feel me chime in

Originally posted by runetang
each time i prayed. big stuff, like praying for protection for myself and my ex girlfriend in court (it was for her, i was a witness) but then at the last possible second the other side settles right before we goto trial? at the courthouse? moments before court starts?

Pure coincidence - why would any god care about trivial things like that (it might not be trivial to you but think of the bigger problems of the world) and not about other prayers for dying, starving people?

then, i prayed for my mother on something shes been counting on regarding being able to pay her bills for fear of losing her house etc, and it came through and she is fine. strange. theres been a couple little other things i wont mention, but this never happened before.

i know i know.. its probably just me.. but if any of you feel me chime in

Again coincidence - if your mother knew she was getting money and it never came when she was expecting it but came another day, where's the 'miracle'?

I think your reading too much into it IMO.


G

1 Thessalonians 5

17 Pray without ceasing.

There is nothing so small and seemingly insignificant that you can't take it to the Father in prayer. My tools as a Christian are prayer and the Word.

The church I attend has a prayer ministry that addresses the prayer needs of the members and their families, missionaries, those in need of salvation, and the government. We have members praying daily from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. I am prayer captain for Saturday. I have seen prayer answered again and again.

There is an acronym we use that I find very helpful in praying - A.C.T.S.

A - Adoration of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To know God is to love Him. The better we know Him, the more we love Him.

C - Confession of our sins. Sin separates us from God. Confession and repentance restores us.
T - Thanksgiving for all our blessings, including the challenges God places before us to overcome, that our faith may be strengthened.

S - Supplication. Taking our needs, not our wants, to the Father in prayer that He might answer us according to His will.

For me, prayer is an indispensable part of my daily life. Prayer led me to my salvation experience. Prayer sustains my life through filling me to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, that the power of God may flow to me and through me, to bring a measure of peace and healing into a desperate, fallen world.

[edit on 1-12-2007 by Icarus Rising]