All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
How should we pray?
I read an article the other day by a worship leader talking about how they will often prod people into worshiping, like cheering them on. He said he's done it but has realized it's wrong. Said people should come to worship without prodding. My pastor and worship leader have done it. I agreed with the guy that it's wrong but for a whole different reason.
Pastor will do the typical...."Can I get an amen?...Well that's 3 of ya agree. What about the rest of you? Can I get an amen?!!" At which point half the congregation shouts amen. And you can hear the prayers all over the place with all the "in the name of Jesus!" and "Holy holy holy!" and "Father God". And if you're not heard, it's like people don't think you're praying. Pastor has said "Comon'! Ya'll shouted louder than that at the Marshall football game this weekend!"
Errr, not me. I don't like games, don't go to them and never shouted at them. School pep rally's? Boring. Never liked shouting and hollering crowds. Usually I get a headache from them. And I often prayed for God to make me bolder in my prayer, help me to pray like that. I've practice in private and praying with my son, but it's not me. It's very uncomfortable and therefore, being uncomfortable, I lose that close connection with God.
I have my time with God in my thoughts, in my mind and heart. I shut myself off where it's just He and I. And I will often get a better glimpse of exactly what He's done for me that I will either have my head bowed or thrown back looking towards the sky (or church ceiling) with tears streaming down my face. Everyone else can be screaming amen to the top of their lungs. If that's what they fancy then good for them. But there is one piece of scripture that dawned on me...I shouldn't EVER feel bad because I prefer my quiet prayers between me and God and I don't go in for loud praying....
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
He has rewarded me too. But the greatest reward is spending private time with Him.
I have wondered about verse 5: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.....
But then I'm reminded of James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord
There are times when praying aloud is for the benefit of the person we're praying for/with. I've done that, but it's a different prayer than the ones I pray when just spending time worshiping God. But when we're not praying with or for someone and just shouting out in the congregation, can someone explain why they or others might do this? I don't think we're going to shout down the devil. He's not afraid of a little yelling. He's probably going to be around it for eternity in hell. So what is the reason for any of you who do this.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong. But I guess I got tired of others trying to prove to me that I was doing something wrong. I've read so many devotions and other online blogs where people claim the Bible TELLS us to shout and dance, praise Him with loud music, He will cause the rocks to cry out, praise Him with a shout, etc. They even spoke of marching around Jericho and shouting to bring down the walls. But what about when Daniel went home to his upstairs room? He didn't pray on the street. And especially when we're told God will openly reward us for our prayers done in private/secret.
All I know is that 10 to 1, I feel closer to God when I'm with Him, just He and I and I'm not trying to form words. I "think" words faster than I can form them. What comes out is often tongue twisted. And maybe that's why I like to pray quietly to God.
I don't know, but sometimes it seems like I just keep hearing the same words over and over by some of those who pray in the congregation...like it's memorized. A sweet elderly couple I've known for years sit across from me. I've often heard Joe praying there at the pew and up front at the altar. And many times, his prayer is: Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus. And frankly, isn't that all we need?
Simple. And he's not concerned if anyone thinks he needs to use a lot of words to express himself to God. Since God knows what he's thinking.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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It's probably as varied as the individual and the personality, as far as the way we talk to God, the way we pour our hearts out to Him. Our relationship with Him through prayer should go both ways. We should talk a little while and then listen because God speaks to us, too, through His Word and through His Spirit.
The Lord's Prayer serves as a model for praying. I pray it when I'm having trouble finding my own words because it really covers everything that is well within God's will for us on a daily basis.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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I've seen the Lord's prayer explained as not being that we're to recite the words themselves but to pray in that fashion. IE: Start by acknowledging God's holiness and deity, submit to His will, ask that He meet our needs for just today, ask His forgiveness/repent, forgive anyone that we need to forgive, keep us from temptation....
But I know at times things were at their worst sometimes it was all I could do...just recite it over and over. Probably for similar reasons. I stumble over my words. I know what I want to say in my head but trying to put it to words usually ends up a mess.
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Yes, as I said, it serves as a model for praying. Then I said I pray it (not recite it) when I have trouble finding my own words. There are many prayers in Scripture which we can "pray through" from our hearts, which is very different from reciting words from rote memorization. You likely were praying from the heart.
Psalm 71 CEV
A Prayer for God's Protection
1I run to you, LORD,
for protection.
Don't disappoint me.
2You do what is right,
so come to my rescue.
Listen to my prayer
and keep me safe.
3Be my mighty rock, the place
where I can always run
for protection.
Save me by your command!
You are my mighty rock
and my fortress.
4Come and save me, LORD God,
from vicious and cruel
and brutal enemies!
5I depend on you,
and I have trusted you
since I was young.
6I have relied on you
from the day I was born.
You brought me safely
through birth,
and I always praise you.
7Many people think of me
as something evil.
But you are my mighty protector,
8and I praise and honor you
all day long.
9Don't throw me aside
when I am old;
don't desert me
when my strength is gone.
10My enemies are plotting
because they want me dead.
11They say, “Now we'll catch you!
God has deserted you,
and no one can save you.”
12Come closer, God!
Please hurry and help.
13Embarrass and destroy
all who want me dead;
disgrace and confuse
all who want to hurt me.
14I will never give up hope
or stop praising you.
15All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
to save your people.
But you have done much more
than I could possibly know.
16I will praise you, LORD God,
for your mighty deeds
and your power to save.
17You have taught me
since I was a child,
and I never stop telling about
your marvelous deeds.
18Don't leave me when I am old
and my hair turns gray.
Let me tell future generations
about your mighty power.
19Your deeds of kindness
are known in the heavens.
No one is like you!
20You made me suffer a lot,
but you will bring me
back from this deep pit
and give me new life.
21You will make me truly great
and take my sorrow away.
22I will praise you, God,
the Holy One of Israel.
You are faithful.
I will play the harp
and sing your praises.
23You have rescued me!
I will celebrate and shout,
singing praises to you
with all my heart.
24All day long I will announce
your power to save.
I will tell how you disgraced
and disappointed those
who wanted to hurt me.
http://godword.org/cev/?passage=psalm71
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I'm not getting any sound on the video?
Here's something I ponder. On one hand we're to bless them that curse us, and pray for them which despitefully use us, and we're to love everyone And pray for our leaders, etc.
On the other hand David was a man after God's heart. So how did David pray?
Psalm 109
6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
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Oh. Well, here's a link to it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kR1Ffc4Bpw&feature=youtube_gdat...
Tripp mentions how the Psalms are honest as well as hopeful.
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Got it that time. I like it. Kinda causes you to wonder at those who say you can't doubt...you have to stay hopeful or God won't/can't help you. He quoted another I like: How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
Sounds to me like David was a tad hopeless. Even bringing God down to human standards as if He was forgetful.
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I'm glad you were able to listen to it. In the Psalms, I see people feeling their feelings but also I see transformation of their hearts as they go from discouragement to being hopeful, from doubt to praising God. All of it, altogether, glorifies God, IMO -- feeling the feelings, being broken and human, crying out to God from deep need, and then being changed.
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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I've wanted to pray this over someone from time to time but I restrain myself from doing so.
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When I'm praying silently, I can't stay focused because of those praying out loud around me. I start praying & then just say oh well, whatever & just stand there with my eyes closed. I pray out loud to drown others out. I don't pray LOUD but loud enough for me to remain focused on the Lord. Why the others pray out loud in the church setting, I have no clue. At the moment, I can't think of any Scriptures that say we should. But, I can't think of any that says we shouldn't either. lol
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In the type of church I've belonged to, women were never called upon to pray, and when prayer requests were taken, a man was chosen to pray out loud and everyone else was silent, perhaps just listening to the man praying, or saying their own prayer, which is what I'd do, pray a short prayer of my own silently and then listen to him praying and when he finished, I'd silently say Amen.
In the holiness church that my parents would attend, off and on, in my childhood, it was a lot different. People, both men and women, would gather around the altar, and standing, they would share requests, and then they would kneel and many of them prayed out loud simultaneously, both men and women, while some prayed silently or in a whispering voice. They would shout and say amen many times.
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