How Often Should you Pray?

[YouAreAwesome]

Asked and answered.

All I find in the thread are loose references to the Lord's Prayer. So I will assume this is your definition of how to pray, and what prayer is, correct?

If you want to be silly and dogmatically literal then this is the only prayer to ever be prayed. Jesus said when you pray, pray this, the Lords Prayer. So why don't we all ONLY pray the Lords Prayer? Because Jesus was teaching the heart of prayer, not an exact prayer to be memorised.

What is prayer according to the Lords Prayer?
1. Praising God (hallowed be)
2. Bringing Gods Kingdom to earth (kingdom come)
3. Walking in Gods will (Your will)
4. Trusting God for physical resources (give us)
5. Purity of heart untainted with unforgiveness (forgive us)
6. Following Gods leading (lead us)
7. Stating truths about God (Yours is the kingdom)

These are encompassed by communing with God. Walking in His Spirit and bringing heaven to earth. We are able to pray in different facets of each point continuously.

 

[brinny]

"Teach us how to pray. . ." "When you pray. . ."

i don't think we're really at that much disagreement....

it's perhaps a condition of the heart maybe?

What comes to mind for me is those Godly men throughout the Bible who "walked with God"

To me it means a "consciousness" of God being ever-present.

Because He is, isn't He?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

All I find in the thread are loose references to the Lord's Prayer. So I will assume this is your definition of how to pray, and what prayer is, correct?

If you want to be silly and dogmatically literal then this is the only prayer to ever be prayed. Jesus said when you pray, pray this, the Lords Prayer. So why don't we all ONLY pray the Lords Prayer? Because Jesus was teaching the heart of prayer, not an exact prayer to be memorised.

What is prayer according to the Lords Prayer?
1. Praising God (hallowed be)
2. Bringing Gods Kingdom to earth (kingdom come)
3. Walking in Gods will (Your will)
4. Trusting God for physical resources (give us)
5. Purity of heart untainted with unforgiveness (forgive us)
6. Following Gods leading (lead us)
7. Stating truths about God (Yours is the kingdom)

These are encompassed by communing with God. Walking in His Spirit and bringing heaven to earth. We are able to pray in different facets of each point continuously.

You may have missed Christ's first 3 words: "When you pray".

 

[jimmyjimmy]

i don't think we're really at that much disagreement....

it's perhaps a condition of the heart maybe?

What comes to mind for me is those Godly men throughout the Bible who "walked with God"

To me it means a "consciousness" of God being ever-present.

Because He is, isn't He?

I don't disagree with the above; however, it's not prayer - prayer as we see examples of in any biblical texts.

 

[brinny]

I don't disagree with the above; however, it's not prayer - prayer as we see examples of in any biblical texts.

Here's what sticklers in my mind:

"walking with God" equates "talking with God", doesn't it?

How can one walk with God if there's no "conversation"?

 

[YouAreAwesome]

You may have missed Christ's first 3 words: "When you pray".

No didn't miss them. Jesus explains how to pray. He shows how we can pray without ceasing. Prayer isn't copying His words, it's applying them to our heart so that we are ever bringing His kingdom to earth.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Jesus' prayer is a state of heart.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

Prayer is posture.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Prayer is posture.

If I am to listen to your words, and you mine, then we must agree that words have meanings. Otherwise we can't have a productive discussion.

Posture is posture. Prayer is prayer. You do understand that, because when you have a pressing problem, you don't ask your friends to posture for you. You ask them to Pray for you.

 

[Ken Rank]

The word "prayer" does have a meaning. Do you agree with that? It's something other than brushing your teeth, I'm sure you would agree.

Also, to clarify, you pray every second of every day, and never, ever let a single second go by without praying? If I seem surprised, I just have never met anyone who has prayed more than Christ.

You need to be realistic and sensitive by not wasting the time of others. Do I pray when I am asleep? No... is every single second of every day filled with words to God? Of course not... but that door of communication is ALWAYS OPEN and I use it throughout the day when working, driving, walking, anything... I am constantly either talking to God, waiting on answers, or working through Scripture in my head and heart.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

You need to be realistic and sensitive by not wasting the time of others. Do I pray when I am asleep? No... is every single second of every day filled with words to God? Of course not... but that door of communication is ALWAYS OPEN and I use it throughout the day when working, driving, walking, anything... I am constantly either talking to God, waiting on answers, or working through Scripture in my head and heart.

You are the one who said that you pray "All of the time". You even grew impatient with me when I asked for clarification at that statement.

If you hadn't exaggerated (to put it mildly) to begin with, you could have saved us both some time.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

If I am to listen to your words, and you mine, then we must agree that words have meanings. Otherwise we can't have a productive discussion.

Posture is posture. Prayer is prayer. You do understand that, because when you have a pressing problem, you don't ask your friends to posture for you. You ask them to Pray for you.

Prayer is posture. Do you not understand?

If I say God is great. I can't say, I pray to great. Are you attempting to argue primarily? Or are you wanting to understand prayer as your highest priority? Are looking to win a debate primarily?

I say again Jesus explains how to pray. He shows how we can pray without ceasing. Prayer isn't copying His words, it's applying them to our heart so that we are ever bringing His kingdom to earth.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Prayer is posture. Do you not understand?

If I say God is great. I can't say, I pray to great. Are you attempting to argue primarily? Or are you wanting to understand prayer as your highest priority? Are looking to win a debate primarily?

I say again Jesus explains how to pray. He shows how we can pray without ceasing. Prayer isn't copying His words, it's applying them to our heart so that we are ever bringing His kingdom to earth.

I have no hope of changing your mind. I only reply for the benefit of others who are looking on.

Do you think that Jesus prayed without ceasing (in the way you argue "without ceasing")?

 

[YouAreAwesome]

I have no hope of changing your mind. I only reply for the benefit of others who are looking on.

Do you think that Jesus prayed without ceasing (in the way you argue "without ceasing")?

100% yes!

 

[jimmyjimmy]

100% yes!

If I could prove you wrong, using scripture only, would you admit your error?

 

[Ken Rank]

You are the one who said that you pray "All of the time". You even grew impatient with me when I asked for clarification at that statement.

If you hadn't exaggerated (to put it mildly) to begin with, you could have saved us both some time.

No, you seem to get hung up on the finer details... which are generally the things which cause division. Paul said, "pray without ceasing," and my first response to you was that throughout my day, I have God on my mind, the door remains open, I talk to Him, I listen for Him... but common sense tells you that it simply is not possible every minute of every day. But does He consume your day? He should... and that is what Paul meant.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

If I could prove you wrong, using scripture only, would you admit your error?

How can you prove wrong what you don't understand?

There is intentional prayer, often verbal, but also verbalising in the mind, actual words and sentences. And there is the posture of prayer, the direction of the heart, the walking in the Spirit, the communing with God, the NON-VERBAL communication. Physically, a smile, a hug, but spiritually it is a Spirit to spirit communion.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

No, you seem to get hung up on the finer details... which are generally the things which cause division. Paul said, "pray without ceasing," and my first response to you was that throughout my day, I have God on my mind, the door remains open, I talk to Him, I listen for Him... but common sense tells you that it simply is not possible every minute of every day. But does He consume your day? He should... and that is what Paul meant.

I think you (and a few others) have misunderstood what Paul said.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

How can you prove wrong what you don't understand?

There is intentional prayer, often verbal, but also verbalising in the mind, actual words and sentences. And there is the posture of prayer, the direction of the heart, the walking in the Spirit, the communing with God, the NON-VERBAL communication. Physically, a smile, a hug, but spiritually it is a Spirit to spirit cummunion.

I understand what pray is very well. What I'm having trouble with is what in the world you are talking about.

Words have meanings. That's how we communicate and understand what we each mean. When you arbitrarily decide to change definitions of words, you cause confusion.

Please quote the instances (chapters and verses) in which God tells us that prayers are "smiles" and "hugs".

 

[YouAreAwesome]

I think you (and a few others) have misunderstood what Paul said.

The real question is: can one communicate without words?

We both know the answer is yes.