I would love being able to pray

Here I was watching the music video of the connells' '74 '75. I saw things I didn't see before. It gave me the idea, when you think you've seen it all you don't know what you've missed.

I thought, when you want to pray you need to know what to pray for. It's not easy. Praying didn't feel right often. Day by day someone can try to do ok.

God knows the right things to pray for. How do you know who you are so you can know what to pray for.

Here I am, imagining what to write not saying a word. It's hard to find yourself not being taken the wrong way.

When was the last time someone calmly made you stop speaking, shhhhhhht.

There's a whole universe out there

The last sentence wasn't posted completely.

There's a whole universe out there
and you need to know what to pray for.
Awareness in different aspects seems important when you want to pray.

a reply to: Untun

There are no rules to follow, to pray....

Just direct your musings to a higher power and imo thats a rubric of prayer.

you ok bro?

originally posted by: Untun
I thought, when you want to pray you need to know what to pray for. It's not easy. Praying didn't feel right often..

First you have to know Who you are praying to.
Then you can have a respectful conversation with God.
That's what prayer is, worship and conversation with God.

a reply to: Untun


Christians say you have to pray in Jesus name….which may well be correct but imo praying by what the name represents and stands for is what what really matters…so praying for selfish or negative things would clearly not be praying in what the name represents etc…

Praying for peace, love and understanding, wherever it is needed in everyday life makes a lot of sense too me…

Praying for those less fortunate than yourself who are going through bad times; whom you can’t help directly…also makes a lot sense too…

I guess at the end of the day the words have to come from the speaker's heart…

- JC

It's a nice OP. Sometimes we all fell like that. Sometimes it escapes us what to pray for. But then you can pray for that. Wisdom to know what to pray for.

Jesus' model prayer is a good guide. He sets out things in the order of their importance, the sanctification of Jehovah God's name, the coming of his kingdom that will solve all of mankind's problems, the food we need to eat for today, forgiveness of our sins as we have forgiven others sins against us, and to give us the wisdom and the fortitude to resist and endure trials and temptations:

"Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. Give us today our bread for this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.’"-Matthew 6:9-13.

"So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all."-James 1:5-6.

No doubt God observes all prayers, but that doesn't mean he gives attention to all prayers or answers all prayers. Scripture says he views the haughty one only from a distance, but he takes note of the humble.

"Though Jehovah is high, he takes note of the humble,
But the haughty he knows only from a distance."
-Psalm 138:6.

The lesson? Be humble when approaching God, and when dealing with other people. A haughty and an arrogant disposition repels God. In fact it is such a distasteful trait that the Bible actually says that God opposes such people.

“God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones.”-James 4:6.

And it says that a husband that mistreats his wife will have his prayers hindered before God:

"You husbands, in the same way, continue dwelling with them according to knowledge. Assign them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one, since they are also heirs with you of the undeserved favor of life, in order for your prayers not to be hindered."-1 Peter 3:7.

Even when we confess our sins we can praise God. In fact reading through the Bible, usually before the Bible writer whose confession was recorded would praise Jehovah in his prayer beforehand. Notice Daniel's prayer, the full prayer is Daniel 9:4-19. I quote the first few verses of it:

"“O Jehovah the true God, the great and awe-inspiring One, who keeps his covenant and shows loyal love to those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled; and we have deviated from your commandments and your judgments. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our forefathers, and all the people of the land. To you, O Jehovah, belongs righteousness, but to us belongs shame as is the case today, to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those nearby and far away, in all the lands to which you dispersed them because they acted unfaithfully toward you."-Daniel 9:4-7.

Notice Daniel's humility. He was considered a righteous person by Jehovah God. And he was saved by Jehovah when he punished the rest of wicked Israel. But he didn't boast of his own righteousness before God. Notice that he accepted the blame of guilt along with the rest of wicked Israel, he extols and praises Jehovah, and then confesses the sin of his own people, and includes himself.

I really enjoy this prayer because it shows you what kind of heart Daniel had. And why God loved him so much. In fact when Daniel was done praying an angel appeared to him and called him very precious to Jehovah.

That verse above about asking for wisdom for God, it does say you must ask with faith, not doubting that God will answer.

Imagine how God must feel when a person claims to believe in him, or even represent him, but does not have faith in his scripture. For example, declaring publicly that something that God did, he did not do. For example, when the Bible talks of the deluge of Noah's day, and Jesus Christ speaks of Noah's day being real, and then the person who claims to represent the Bible, denies it and calls it a lie and says it never happened. There are people who proclaim they know God, then publicly disown him and his word and call it a lie. These people have no audience before Jehovah's thrown. We don't want to be like that. Can you imagine God being a friend with or giving an audience to such a person?

"But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.-James 1:6-8.

a reply to: Untun

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Romans 8:26 NIV

Try a thing like meditation, clearing the mind, and just being. Try it when lying on your back. That way if you fall down you may avoid physical injury.

a reply to: Joecroft

That was interesting, also RU's post. Thanks for taking the time.

@RU last paragraph, doubt seems to set a different course. Let's pray for certainty.

An idictment;

Parachutes and fouls
to be allowed to exist
like bad sorcery
in no man's land.

originally posted by: randomuser
For example, declaring publicly that something that God did, he did not do. For example, when the Bible talks of the deluge of Noah's day,...

blah blah blah. IT DID NOT HAPPEN. It's just that simple. Deal with it.

There are people who proclaim they know God, then publicly disown him and his word and call it a lie.

Here's Gods Word. You publicly disown Him and His word and call it a lie -
John 1 - 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

These people have no audience before Jehovah's thrown

Jesus is God. The bible says so.
By your own measure, it's you who has 'no audience before God's thrown'.

The arrogance of your cult is truly astounding.

I'm trying to figure out what just happened. It's been a crazy day so far and it shows in the thread. I wonder what's next.

a reply to: Untun

I'm trying to figure out what just happened.

You foretold the Hamas attack on Israel.
"Parachutes", "no man's land"

originally posted by: Untun
I'm trying to figure out what just happened. It's been a crazy day so far and it shows in the thread. I wonder what's next.

Untun, Nothing extraordinary my friend. As scripture says:

"Finally, brothers, carry on prayer for us, that the word of Jehovah may keep spreading rapidly and being glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be rescued from harmful and wicked men, for faith is not a possession of all people."-2 Thessalonians 3:1-2.

Not everyone possess faith. And actually faith is a gift from God:

"I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think, but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has given to him a measure of faith."-Romans 12:3.

And that is why it is part of the fruitage of God's spirit a person of God displays in their life:

"On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control"-Galatians 5:22-23.

So really it is only God's mercy and undeserved kindness that bestows faith, as he sees fit, on the believer. Without God's free gift of the holy spirit it is impossible to cultivate or display this quality, or others, such as mildness, goodness, kindness, peace, joy, and love.

a reply to: Untun

Utun, I was thinking of sharing one other scripture with you about not knowing what to pray for when I saw this. At first I was wondering whether to share it with you or not. But thought that it would be a nice gift.

There is a scripture that tells us that when we don't know what to pray for, that God's holy spirit can intercede, and pray for us. It can discern the need, and apply a prayer from the holy scripture in our case before God.

"In like manner, the spirit also joins in with help for our weakness; for the problem is that we do not know what we should pray for as we need to, but the spirit itself pleads for us with unuttered groanings."-Romans 8:26.

So I thought this would be a nice gift for you:

He Knows

a reply to: randomuser

I was looking for where it says; reach for God and God will reach for you and came upon this;

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17;27

originally posted by: Untun
a reply to: randomuser

I was looking for where it says; reach for God and God will reach for you and came upon this;

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17;27

I was talking to my dad not too long ago and he brought up this passage. He told me, "you know it's our responibility as God's creation to search for him. If you're not searching, you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing."

And of course you know what Jesus said:

"Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; for everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened."-Matthew 7:7-8.

And we are given the assurance and the promise, that everyone that draws close to God he will draw close to you:

"Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you."-James 4:8.

There is not even a doubt that he will.

a reply to: Untun

God bless..why do think...or believe...that "prayers" has to have a format?

They do not. Just talk to God. God hears your thoughts thru your words...spoken or not.

How does a deaf person who can't speak pray?

a reply to: Untun

Don't worry too much about it! Trust God

Sometimes I just chat to God in my head, since he knows our thoughts. Jesus said the right way to pray is saying the Our Father, so when in doubt WWJD

a reply to: Untun

I would love being able to pray

With what's going on in the world today....now would be a good time to at least try