Prayer is an Egg. Hatch out the total helplessness inside.

Writes Rumi:

Prayer is an Egg

On Resurrection Day, God will say, "What did you do with the strength and energy your food gave you on earth? How did you use your eyes? What did you make with your five senses while they were dimming and playing out? I gave you hands and feet as tools for preparing the ground for planting. Did you, in the health I gave, do the plowing?"

You will not be able to stand when you hear those questions. You will bend double, and finally acknowledge the glory.

God will say, "Lift your head and answer the questions." Your head will rise a little, then slump again.

"Look at me! Tell what you've done." You try, but you fall back flat as a snake.

"I want every detail. Say!"

Eventually you will be able to get to a sitting position. "Be plain and clear. I have given you such gifts. What did you do with them?"

You turn to the right looking to the prophets for help, as though to say, "I am stuck in the mud of my life. Help me out of this!" They will answer, those kings, "The time for helping is past. The plow stands there in the field. You should have used it."

Then you trun to the left where your family is, and they will say, "Don't look at us! This conversation is between you and your Creator."

Then you pray the prayer that is the essence of every ritual:

"God, I have no hope. I am torn to shreds. you are my first and last and only refuge."

Don't do daily prayers like a bird pecking, moving its head up and down. Prayer is an egg. Hatch out the total helplessness inside.

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David was being chased by Saul. In Psalm 57, David speaks of his helplessness as Saul dug a pit for him to fall into as a trap.

6 They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.

At our weakest moments in life, when it appears all is lost, there is a hope. That hope is our surrender to God. At the moment we give it to Him, he fights our battles for us. Leave room for God to fight. How? By his rope. What is that lifeline God throws? Read about it in this thread.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Romans 12:

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How do we remove evil in this world? Lean on God. His ax is already at the root. We do not overcome by might or strength. We overcome with His Spirit. That Spirit is the bond of brotherly love and is defined by the word Agape.

AGAPE

Originally posted by EnochWasRight

How do we remove evil in this world?

I doubt it could ever be removed entirely, but there would probably be much less evil if everyone would start to admit that their own faults are theirs alone, and stop placing the blame on fictional boogeymen.

Originally posted by BrokenCircles

Originally posted by EnochWasRight

How do we remove evil in this world?

I doubt it could ever be removed entirely, but there would probably be much less evil if everyone would start to admit that their own faults are theirs alone, and stop placing the blame on fictional boogeymen.

Not fictional at all. The preexistence of God is the highest axiom we have. What was God's conclusion for us to find? Love. Again, the highest axiom we know. God is evident. If you do not believe in God, I have one simple way you can verify his presence. You cannot test God, but you can ask Him to test you. It's really quite simple. If you do not believe, simply ask for a test. In the middle of the test, when it seems like you are reaching desperation, simply pray for Him to take the circumstance and turn it to good. When the smoke clears and you are a better person, realize the power of God in your life. God will not test you apart from bringing you to a better place. Do this and you will likely see a different world around you. If you are correct, and God does not exist, then you can tell me how it turned out for you.

Prayer was utilized by pagans centuries before Christianity ever thought of it. So technically, it's a pagan practice. But like all "criminal" practices, it's accepted and even encouraged as long as its intentions are aligned with those in power. See, the point of demonizing such beliefs and practices is to curb the attention lavished on other inspiring figures and messages. If those symbols did not exist, the practices wouldn't pose a problem.

But I digress. Prayer is no more a Christian practice than the Christmas tree is a Christian symbol. It is utilized by and for the Christian agenda, but is neither the property of, nor solely represents, the Christian doctrine.

As always, I am merely denying ignorance.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


God created this universe and all things in it and who ever prays for God is for God and when a foe who has since his fall to mess with the peoples heads, he plants seeds of doubt through time.

reply to post by WarriorOfLight96

God created this universe and all things in it and who ever prays for God is for God and when a foe who has since his fall to mess with the peoples heads, he plants seeds of doubt through time.

Clearly, he's doing so much good right now.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


Hmm I'm starting to think you want to have the last say

reply to post by WarriorOfLight96


No, I'm still waiting for you to make something logical out of this fairytale. You seem to believe it has some practical value? Well, prove it to me.

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by WarriorOfLight96

 

No, I'm still waiting for you to make something logical out of this fairytale. You seem to believe it has some practical value? Well, prove it to me.

You love science and all the things that come with it and I understand and the logic behind the explanation of how things work is what you like to see. The bible to me explains how we should treat each others and to me it's how I treat the environment and all things that are in it. In the same way the universe is like this working together to become one and so the balance stays the same.

The material world will never be enough for man because he is greedy and this is the path we are on and in no way will this earth support such a suffocating and life draining way. What if the lights go out and never come back on and can you survive in a city dependent on material things?

How many in this world have been brainwashed into believing that this life of plenty will last forever and continue on, schools are made for you to forget how to live. Many will stay in these city because they don't want to part with the things they works so hard to get and many will die.

The world took the money changers way instead of the way of God and it's the natural way of life that will eventually return and the animals will return. If the word was followed we would have been so far technically advanced spiritually we would not need to rape the natural elements.

reply to post by WarriorOfLight96

The material world will never be enough for man because he is greedy and this is the path we are on and in no way will this earth support such a suffocating and life draining way. What if the lights go out and never come back on and can you survive in a city dependent on material things?

I can only speak for myself in this, but trust me when I say that you have no idea what sort of material standards I have. I think you'd be surprised.

How many in this world have been brainwashed into believing that this life of plenty will last forever and continue on, schools are made for you to forget how to live. Many will stay in these city because they don't want to part with the things they works so hard to get and many will die.

And that's when the meek shall inherit the earth.

The world took the money changers way instead of the way of God and it's the natural way of life that will eventually return and the animals will return. If the word was followed we would have been so far technically advanced spiritually we would not need to rape the natural elements.

The way of "God"? Is that why his followers claim that gold is precious? Is that why the Pope yammers on about feeding the poor and assisting the unprivileged, even as he vigorously wields his golden scepter and crown and piously perches upon the products of the immensely wealthy stockpile the Vatican has hoarded within its vaults? For not placing importance in material wealth, the Vatican sure clings to its holdings. The former Pope lives in a building that could house 500 destitute civilians. His wages could feed all of them easily.

How can the world follow the ways of "God" when not even the Pope can resist the temptation to contradict the lessons of Jesus? It's so easy to fatten oneself on religion, one tends to forget the tenets of that same religion. And such ease of spiritual amnesia while at the same time touting spiritual title is just one small reason I detest the faith that you spout from your soapbox.

Just a few small examples of the hypocrisy rife among the ranks of your representatives. Bah!

reply to post by AfterInfinity


I never said you and another thought as you did but I meant as a whole and I do agree with what you said in your last part of your post and pisses me off just as much as you. I pay my brothers to help me and in the past they would help me for free and I never ask them for payment when I help them and if family needs money to give me a hand than how much worse is the world.

reply to post by WarriorOfLight96


Well most of it anyway until you got mad at me lol.