How to pray/Praying too much

[MikePantelides]

I'll try an speak in a clear manner. I have obsessive compulsive disorder (a mental disorder which makes people repeat behaviour or actions to relieve anxiety for a brief moment) and I struggle to seperate this behaviour from normal Christian behaviour.

I tend to pray before and after a meal and I try and think of people who are hungry in the world so I don't take for granted what i'm eating. I pray whatever I eat even if it is a piece of fruit or sweet. Is this excessive? I feel anxious if I don't and I don't want to fall into the trap of taking food for granted.

Another point is I pray everyday to say thanks for being saved from my sins and I try to visualise the last moments of Christ before his crucifixion from his betrayal and arrest in gethsemane to his crucifiction. I do this everyday and this sometimes takes an hour or so at a time, at its longest two hours (which isn't that common) if I struggle to think clear. I started off doing this to get a clear view of what he went through for me, so when I said thanks I had a good idea of what had been done for me. Is this wrong?

Jesus says : "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7)

Then he goes on to quote the lords prayer and says this "in this manner pray" Is it enough just to pray the lords prayer everyday? I'll feel like it's not enough.
I need some strong advice, I don't mean to go behind God and Jesus' back by asking this advice I feel like I am in a way but it's not the case.
Any feedback appreciated, God bless x

 

[j6w25f]

Praying is a personal thing. To me praying before/after a meal like you mentioned seems adequate. The scripture that you referenced says, "do not use vain repetitions" seems very adequate to your situation. With this I am not saying that you are praying too much, I am just saying to make sure that when you pray, pray from the heart. The key here being that you are not trying to impress somebody(even yourself) with your prayers by making them so long. Don't pray just because you may feel like you have to but pray because you are honestly thankful. I am always thankful for the meals that I am able to eat, but smaller things like fruit and sweets I will usually not pray for because while I am happy to have them, I don't see it necessary to pray each time but I pray thanks for those items towards the nights end. With respect to praying for being saved from your sins, an hour or so isn't too much. The main thing I have to say here is to just think about talking to your friends. Do you talk to them for an hour or more each day? Jesus is like a friend and Savior to us, talk/pray to Him like you would talk to a friend, thank him for your salvation, tell him what you need, and ask for blessings upon those who need them. As long as you are speaking to Jesus like a friend, you could take three or four hours if you had a lot to talk to him about, it is ok.

 

[sinneD]

Mike:

You're doing fine. It is a great gift to be a prayer warrior, and it sounds like you are. Jesus told us to pray for all things, and as long as our prayers are sincere, then God will honor those prayers.

I also feel the best prayers are those that come from the heart. It doesn't matter how long they are, just a few minutes or a few hours. The important thing is how sincere they are.

It sounds to me like you are doing great.

 

[drich0150]

Maybe when your not in a formal setting Just try and have an internal dialog instead of going thru all of the "religious stuff." of praying to God. Don't bow your head, and close your eyes, don't Open your prayer with thanks, or close it recognition. Just make an earnest effort to communicate with God.. When you pray don't pray like the "religious" do. Try to just speak with God, you don't have to start any particular way nor do you have to end it period. I think I started my dialog or "Praying without ceasing" maybe 10 years or so ago.. and I still haven't said my Amen yet.. I'm constantly asking for help, thanking him for little things, and wanting direction. it doesn't stop.. There are times when my mind is devoted to other things, but my "open prayer" is always just a thought away.

This can give you peace, this will full fill your need for prayer and your need to develop confidence in where you are with your Walk with Jesus. If you wish to incorporate the "Lords prayer" then do so. Prayers are about your personal relationship with God. Let them fit your personality, what ever "ailment" you maybe blessed with.

 

[Elijah2]

Hi Mike,

Don't beat yourself up with your OCD.

Our Lord Jesus Christ knows who you are.

Your OCD appears to have pushed you into a blind obedience and discipline mentality, and you need to overcome and conquer that, because it can caused you much deception.

We all know that prayer is a personal things for our relationship with HIM, and is also part of our very special arsenal of Spiritual Warfare.

Mike, when did your OCD begin, and how long have you been suffering from OCD?

How old are you mate?

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[MikePantelides]

Can I just say thanks for your replies, very nice, I was maybe half expecting people to say I was wrong about something. My OCD was mild at a young age then I managed to overcome it. Then maybe 5-10 years later it came back and latched onto my faith and made things harder. I'm 24 (25 on saturday!) and its probably been about 5 years since i've had it more intensely.

 

[polishbeast]

I dont think that you can pray too much. Prayer is your own personal relationship with God, where you praise Him, ask Him for advice, or just talk. In regards to the Lords prayer I see that prayer as a set up for the style to pray, giving thanks to the Lord, asking for forgiveness etc. It all depends on your own relationship with God, and you seem to be doing well of with Him so keep it up! Also as others have said, pray from the heart.

 

[sinneD]

I'm 24 (25 on saturday!) ....

Happy Birthday

 

[sinneD]

You know Mike, we can pray in many different situations and times during the day.

I can pray while I'm riding the train, or listening to the radio, or even just a short prayer sitting at my work desk.

It doesn't have to be something "formal", or routine, or follow any predetermined template.

Just a few words of thanks for the day you are having is meaningful to God.

 

[SubmissiveLady]

Mike, you're not alone. I'm a handwasher .....

 

[amItrue]

I'm the same way, I have OCD as well. I tend to pray over everything. I pray about being sincere with God alot because I know with the OCD, I can sometimes turn it into a ritual which is not God's will. I pray over every thing I eat, I pray over people I hear about in the news, I pray for people I see in town.... sometimes I do let it become a ritual and that's something God will help me with. It is always good to pray for these things and everything but for us with OCD, we have to be careful and ask God to help us because it easily can be an obsession rather than a relationship.... for me anyway. You know the difference between OCD and a desire to pray.... At times in my walk with God, I was getting on my knees to ask for forgiveness and then I'd hop up and have to get back down when I remembered something else and so on. This isn't of God obviously. God doesn't want us stressed out so if these prayers are causing you stress.... ask God for help to be sincere with Him and to help you let go of the extra burdens the OCD is laying on you.

I pray for God to deliver you from your OCD and for Him to bring you into a more intimate relationship with Himself. God bless!

 

[AnyaMa]

Dont feel bad about asking for advice! God gave us each other to support and help and encourage one another. Just make sure you test any advice against the bible before putting it into practice

 

[theartist87]

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

Pray without ceasing.

 

[JCSeeker]

I tend to pray before and after a meal and I try and think of people who are hungry in the world so I don't take for granted what i'm eating. I pray whatever I eat even if it is a piece of fruit or sweet. Is this excessive? I feel anxious if I don't and I don't want to fall into the trap of taking food for granted.

Another point is I pray everyday to say thanks for being saved from my sins and I try to visualise the last moments of Christ before his crucifixion from his betrayal and arrest in gethsemane to his crucifiction. I do this everyday and this sometimes takes an hour or so at a time, at its longest two hours (which isn't that common) if I struggle to think clear. I started off doing this to get a clear view of what he went through for me, so when I said thanks I had a good idea of what had been done for me. Is this wrong?

Jesus says : "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7)

Then he goes on to quote the lords prayer and says this "in this manner pray" Is it enough just to pray the lords prayer everyday? I'll feel like it's not enough.
I need some strong advice, I don't mean to go behind God and Jesus' back by asking this advice I feel like I am in a way but it's not the case.
Any feedback appreciated, God bless x

Mike, you are a blessing to us all. When the bible says "be joyful always, pray continually, be thankful in all circumstances" it's not kidding. Jesus was capable of praying for forty days without food and water.

The way you pray is full of grace. Do you know how difficult it is for a person to pray for two hours? Unless he is filled by the Spirit, it's impossible to do so. You say this is uncommon, and I have to agree; it's because many Christians try to live without the Spirit that they can't do this. But I love how you pray and try to visualize Jesus' cross! And I am absolutely certain that God loves your prayers! Matthew 6:7 talks of vain repetitions; your visualizations of Christ's crucifixion is anything but vain. Thanks for blessing me with your words; I will ask the Spirit to fill me so that I can pray even more than you!

Haha and the Lord's prayer is what Jesus taught his disciples; the point he was trying to prove was that God knows your heart and can tell what you need, therefore just ask of him these basic necessities and you will be filled daily. Jesus would not say anything to discourage prayer, and there are things in the Lord's prayer that you can expand upon. Jesus and God love specifics; your prayers are more powerful when you ask in detail!

=D God loves you! =D

 

[MikePantelides]

Submissive Lady i'm a handwasher too, amItrue a lot of what you said also rings true with me, everyone thank you for your kind and helpful words. God bless x