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C'mon guys! Let's get real here. A great amount of prayers are prayers of NEEDS (for many other they are "wants"). With all the sickness, misfortunes and other daily problems people have to deal with, I KNOW they are praying for more than just to kiss up to God to stroke his ego. In fact, I am inclined to believe many go through the kiss fest to ensure the "need" prayers are then answered; the old fashioned, appease the gods to ensure their blessing process.
C'mon guys! Let's get real here. A great amount of prayers are prayers of NEEDS (for many other they are "wants"). With all the sickness, misfortunes and other daily problems people have to deal with, I KNOW they are praying for more than just to kiss up to God to stroke his ego. In fact, I am inclined to believe many go through the kiss fest to ensure the "need" prayers are then answered; the old fashioned, appease the gods to ensure their blessing process.
C'mon guys! Let's get real here. A great amount of prayers are prayers of NEEDS (for many other they are "wants"). With all the sickness, misfortunes and other daily problems people have to deal with, I KNOW they are praying for more than just to kiss up to God to stroke his ego. In fact, I am inclined to believe many go through the kiss fest to ensure the "need" prayers are then answered; the old fashioned, appease the gods to ensure their blessing process.
That's kind of a said view of "God" then. I don't pray because I am afraid of going to "Hell" and I don't do it (on a kiss fest level - ha!) to ensure some future "me" prayers are answered. I do it because I genuinely believe there is some other force of nature out there, and I feel better, deep-down, when I am connected to it. It just feels right.
Well of course! Someone's gotta get the blame when a sincere prayer is NOT answered? Some well thought out reason has to be given. When you lose your house despite the most heart felt prayer or when you lose your sick child despite the most passionate of pleas to God or when you have a Job experience in the midst of all your majestic prayers, you MUST blame yourself or reason that God is just testing you to make you better as opposed to blaming God for simply not being there or even existing. Yes, something about your prayer is amiss because God knows you don't need to be cured of body racking cancer or you're just not asking him the right way.
That's kind of a said view of "God" then. I don't pray because I am afraid of going to "Hell" and I don't do it (on a kiss fest level - ha!) to ensure some future "me" prayers are answered. I do it because I genuinely believe there is some other force of nature out there, and I feel better, deep-down, when I am connected to it. It just feels right.
So there is NEVER any prayer of need you make? After all, ANYTHING you ask in his name he claims he will do and NO, I don't mean just anything without qualification.
So there is NEVER any prayer of need you make? After all, ANYTHING you ask in his name he claims he will do and NO, I don't mean just anything without qualification.
LOL, I don't think of the God concept as a "He" or even some all-powerful, singular being. I don't think the universe claims it will or will not do anything for me.
And yes, I do ask for help when I need it. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Well of course! Someone's gotta get the blame when a sincere prayer is NOT answered? Some well thought out reason has to be given. When you lose your house despite the most heart felt prayer or when you lose your sick child despite the most passionate of pleas to God or when you have a Job experience in the midst of all your majestic prayers, you MUST blame yourself or reason that God is just testing you to make you better as opposed to blaming God for simply not being there or even existing. Yes, something about your prayer is amiss because God knows you don't need to be cured of body racking cancer or you're just not asking him the right way.
This may be difficult to hear, but those examples are based in temporal self. Prayer that edifies would be thankful for all things, see the lesson of all struggles and understand that sometimes we need to experience pain and loss for our focus to be directed in a way that benefits our souls.
The scriptures are filled with examples of loss and purpose.
So there is NEVER any prayer of need you make? After all, ANYTHING you ask in his name he claims he will do and NO, I don't mean just anything without qualification.
Asking in His name is not just saying Jesus, Jesus.... He has an unspoken name that is in power, and He was saying that to people that lived and kept His commandments, followed Him.
A wavering prayer does not get answered. One that is sent out in flame, which is purified from self seeking, is answered immediately.
We have lost the meaning and purpose of prayer, due to iniquity.
Freedom, what are you talking about? I'm not talking about THOSE kind of prayers. I am talking about plain old, heartfelt, tears in your eyes, heart breaking in half prayers about something anguishing. I will wager (especially in these tough times) that those are the prayers people are making. What you are talking about usually comes at the beginning of the prayers OR is mixed in throughout the prayer OR reserved for Sunday praise and worship.
Again, I will maintain, people pray because they are often in need and pray accordingly. We are talking about "answered" prayers here implying that there are personal requests being made. What answer would one be looking for if they are just telling God how great he is or how cute he is? What answer would one be looking for if they are only praying to draw closer to God?
Freedom, what are you talking about? I'm not talking about THOSE kind of prayers. I am talking about plain old, heartfelt, tears in your eyes, heart breaking in half prayers about something anguishing. I will wager (especially in these tough times) that those are the prayers people are making. What you are talking about usually comes at the beginning of the prayers OR is mixed in throughout the prayer OR reserved for Sunday praise and worship.
Well they are the only ones that bring us to understand what you are describing, and they are best done in our closet, while still. Not in a congregation with drums and electric guitars or even pipe organs.
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Again, I will maintain, people pray because they are often in need and pray accordingly. We are talking about "answered" prayers here implying that there are personal requests being made. What answer would one be looking for if they are just telling God how great he is or how cute he is? What answer would one be looking for if they are only praying to draw closer to God?
God knows what we have need of before we ask, if we are not getting answers the way we want them, then we are asking amiss, or wrongly.
We are here to learn obedience through suffering if necessary, if we can learn the ways of God without suffering then that is great, but it is more rare that we Seek first the kingdom of God when everything is going well.
We should be thankful for All things, that we might see clearly the reason why things happen, when we are bitter, we are not receptive, when we are in dispair, we are not in faith. Be thankful for the good and the bad, and know that God only desires us to have joy, but not on our terms, on His. His terms are perfect and ours are selfish. Leave the self, and we will see clearly, as He sees.
godspeed,
freedom
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