How Often Should you Pray?

[jimmyjimmy]

I believe our Heavenly Father prefers prayers that are done out of necessity and desperation, because we are "most real" when we pray to him - rather then "robotical" prayers done at scheduled times.

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Isaiah 57:15 "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

While I can see your point, Jesus, in His most famous teaching on prayer, told us to pray for the mundane things that most of us take for granted. "Give us this day our daily bread".

 

[jimmyjimmy]

I should have said this, too- that what you do can be a form of prayer, if it is done unto God. I don't just mean performing a service in a church or in Christian work. But even if you are just sweeping the floor, it can be a form of prayer.

I would disagree with that because I see no basis scriptural for such an idea. How did you come to that conclusion?

Prayer is prayer. Sweeping is sweeping. Words have meanings.

 

[RDKirk]

I believe our Heavenly Father prefers prayers that are done out of necessity and desperation, because we are "most real" when we pray to him - rather then "robotical" prayers done at scheduled times.

That is a false dilemma fallacy. There is no either/or between prayers of desperation and the only other choice being "'robotical' prayers done at scheduled times."

Just as you quoted Psalms of prayers of necessity and desperation, there are also plenty of "happy dance" Psalms--prayers given out of joy and gladness, Psalms of victory and Psalms of thanksgiving.

An important thing I learned about the Psalms is that there is at least one Psalm for every moment, every emotion. I find that reading the Psalms aloud is emotionally like striking a tuning fork and moving it close to a row of other tuning forks. When that fork comes close to another fork of the same frequency, the second begins ringing spontaneously in harmony with the first.

So whatever my emotion, joyful or mournful, fearful or victorious, when I read the Psalm with the corresponding emotion, I feel the Holy Spirit speaking in resonance with my spirit and I know He understands because Jesus as a man has been there, done that, and knows.

 

[RDKirk]

What does, "without ceasing" mean?

It means you keep the communication channel open.

 

[RDKirk]

You pray when you are sleeping? How about when you are speaking to someone?

Actually, I have been known to pray while speaking to someone, particularly in a high-stakes conversation.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

You eat, right?
Then you should pray.
You sleep, right?
Then you should pray.
You got up this morning, right?
Then you should pray.

For everything we do, is because He let's us do it.
Prayer is worship, and we should worship Him all the time.
Using a bit of common sense helps, to. I say this, because I know right now there is someone reading this and will come back and say...well, you have to live, work, eat, sleep and all that jazz, you can't possibly pray all the time.
To that person I say, you need to pray more...because you don't get it. It's not about you. it's All about Christ. Not what He can do for us, because He's done it all. It's what we can do for Him, for which we don't do enough.

I like your post.

I pray far too little, and it's because I mistakenly think I have provided for myself. I steal glory for my God when I fail to thank Him, and fail to ask of Him to provide (even when I have plenty).

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Someone already said it- but unceasingly, you don't stop praying. I don't think it means necessarily asking Him for things (actually making requests is the least of it). It means talking to God, telling Him everything, your sins, your fears, your hopes, your problems. It means giving Him praise, too. Like seeing something beautiful and thanking Him for it. Or just thanking Him for who He is. Being constant in season and out of season. It's not a formal thing at all.

When you are saved, God is your Father, so it is sometimes as simple as a child talking to His father.

If I had a child that did not stop talking to me, I would find that a bit abnormal.

Is it possible that, "unceasing" is being misunderstood?

 

[RDKirk]

If I had a child that did not stop talking to me, I would find that a bit abnormal.

Not if you had a child that wasn't well.

 

[smithed64]

I like your post.

I pray far too little, and it's because I mistakenly think I have provided for myself. I steal glory for my God when I fail to thank Him, and fail to ask of Him to provide (even when I have plenty).

I was speaking to myself also. I don't pray near enough. I try to mediate on Christ and give Him praise often. But to get in my prayer closet and let it rip...I'm guilty as the rest in not doing so. I do pray daily though, just wonder....how much more should I?
Christ prayed every time there was a decision He had to make, every time He would pray before going somewhere, and just before His death. He was always separating Himself from the apostles to spend a little time with the Father. We all should follow His lead and do the same.

 

[Paul Yohannan]

What's the rule of thumb? Is it monthly, weekly, daily, hourly? Also, can one be a Christian and only pray once a year? Can one pray too much?

You really should have included "Continuously.". Acquisition of the unceasing prayer of the heart is central to Orthodox Christianity.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

You really should have included "Continuously.". Acquisition of the unceasing prayer of the heart is central to Orthodox Christianity.

Please define, "continuously". No one has yet.

 

[Paul Yohannan]

Please define, "continuously". No one has yet.

People who learn to pray in this manner pray unceasingly. Which our Lord did command, by the way. They even pray while they are asleep. If you think that is impossible, I would propose that your incredulity might owe to this practice simply having been lost in the West; certainly the austere, cerebral Calvin had no knowledge of it (note his glib dismissal in the Institutes of the Greek church).

 

[jimmyjimmy]

People who learn to pray in this manner pray unceasingly. Which our Lord did command, by the way. They even pray while they are asleep. If you think that is impossible, I would propose that your incredulity might owe to this practice simply having been lost in the West; certainly the austere, cerebral Calvin had no knowledge of it (note his glib dismissal in the Institutes of the Greek church).

Your assertions don't convince me. I would need some biblical proof.

Where did Jesus tell His followers to pray unceasingly?

 

[Galatea]

I would disagree with that because I see no basis scriptural for such an idea. How did you come to that conclusion?

Prayer is prayer. Sweeping is sweeping. Words have meanings.

Colossians 3:16-17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms abd hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

So whatever you do can be a prayer if it is done in the name of God. For example, if my sister sweeps her floor because she loves her husband and family and wants them to have a clean and pleasant home, and while she is sweeping she is thinking of doing it because she loves them and loves God and wants to be as good a wife and mother as she can be, then the act becomes a prayer- a sweet savor unto the Lord.

The same can be for any deed if done in the name of Christ.

 

[EmmaCat]

Constantly, continuously, always!

Never too busy to pray, even if it's just a "Thank you, God!"

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Colossians 3:16-17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms abd hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

So whatever you do can be a prayer if it is done in the name of God. For example, if my sister sweeps her floor because she loves her husband and family and wants them to have a clean and pleasant home, and while she is sweeping she is thinking of doing it because she loves them and loves God and wants to be as good a wife and mother as she can be, then the act becomes a prayer- a sweet savor unto the Lord.

The same can be for any deed if done in the name of Christ.

I would certainly agree that we should do everything to the glory of God. But sweeping to the glory of God is something other than praying.

You are slipping the word, "prayer" in there, but it's not in the text, even implicitly.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Constantly, continuously, always!

Never too busy to pray, even if it's just a "Thank you, God!"

If I read you correctly, if you say to someone, "I pray for you always", that means you pray for them 24/7/365. Is that correct?

 

[Paul Yohannan]

Your assertions don't convince me. I would need some biblical proof.

Where did Jesus tell His followers to pray unceasingly?

Do you believe that what St. Paul instructed was materially different and less important than what Jesus instructed or do you consider St. Paul a true apostle? I assume you do consider St. Paul a true apostle and an authoritative representative of our Lord, whose epistles were divinely inspired.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Do you believe that what St. Paul instructed was materially different and less important than what Jesus instructed or do you consider St. Paul a true apostle? I assume you do consider St. Paul a true apostle and an authoritative representative of our Lord, whose epistles were divinely inspired.

Paul is Paul and Christ is Christ. They are distinct persons. I don't say, when referring to Paul's writings, "our Lord". Paul is not my lord. That's my point.

 

[Galatea]

If I had a child that did not stop talking to me, I would find that a bit abnormal.

Is it possible that, "unceasing" is being misunderstood?

Unceasing, not necessarily talking to Him all the time in your heart, but not stopping.

Children talk to their parents every day, many times a day. It's not a formalized relationship. A child will not say to himself "It is 7:30, I must go speak to my Father." It's unceasing, if the child is happy, sad, fearful, etc. The child runs and tells His parents.

And if you had a small child, sometimes they DO talk unceasingly. My sister remarked the other day that she will be sad when my niece goes to school because she will miss my niece's incessant chatter.