How Often Should you Pray?

[YouAreAwesome]

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".

Is prayer communication with God?

1 Corinthians 14:15 I will pray in the spirit, I will also pray with understanding

Two different forms of communication, both called prayer.

 

[Ken Rank]

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

Pray without ceasing...

1Th 5:17 αδιαλειπτως(G89) UNCEASINGLY προσευχεσθε(G4336)PRAY

The word for unceasingly, adialeiptōs, means without intermission, incessantly, without ceasing (Thayer and Liddel-Scott).

Barnes said "We are to maintain an uninterrupted and constant spirit of prayer" and "That we are to be regular and constant in the observance of the stated seasons of prayer." Clarke said, "ye will always be in the spirit of prayer." Henry wrote, "We should pray always, and not faint: pray without weariness, and continue in prayer, till we come to that world where prayer shall be swallowed up in praise." Jamieson, Fausset and Brown said, "The Greek is, “Pray without intermission”; without allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer." People's New Testament writes, "Persistence in prayer is requisite to making it effectual."

I just went through my commentaries in order. Only Lightfoot (because his commentary was only on the gospels) and Keil and Delitzsch (because they only do the OT) lacked an entry. And every one of these says essentially the same thing I am saying. So if I am wrong, so are a lot of people.

The Word says, "pray without intermission" or "unceasingly pray." Do with that as you must.

Shalom.
Ken

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Pray without ceasing...

1Th 5:17 αδιαλειπτως(G89) UNCEASINGLY προσευχεσθε(G4336)PRAY

The word for unceasingly, adialeiptōs, means without intermission, incessantly, without ceasing (Thayer and Liddel-Scott).

Barnes said "We are to maintain an uninterrupted and constant spirit of prayer" and "That we are to be regular and constant in the observance of the stated seasons of prayer." Clarke said, "ye will always be in the spirit of prayer." Henry wrote, "We should pray always, and not faint: pray without weariness, and continue in prayer, till we come to that world where prayer shall be swallowed up in praise." Jamieson, Fausset and Brown said, "The Greek is, “Pray without intermission”; without allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer." People's New Testament writes, "Persistence in prayer is requisite to making it effectual."

I just went through my commentaries in order. Only Lightfoot (because his commentary was only on the gospels) and Keil and Delitzsch (because they only do the OT) lacked an entry. And every one of these says essentially the same thing I am saying. So if I am wrong, so are a lot of people.

The Word says, "pray without intermission" or "unceasingly pray." Do with that as you must.

Shalom.
Ken

Thank you, Ken. I've already looked at the Greek.

This issue has completely derailing the thread, so I think it might as well be dealt with at this point.

It seems that a few people who've responded to this thread are not just literalists, but read the texts literalistically. Here's a link to a very brief explanation of the differences between the two: http://sydneyanglicans.net/blogs/culture/literal_or_literalistic_whats_the_difference/

What is overlooked or misunderstood by people who take a literalistic approach are such things as poetry, metaphor and hyperbole, which "pray unceasingly" certain is an example of.

Rather than accept the idea that this is hyperbolic language, and in order to try to "make" it fit, they have had to change the very definition of the word prayer. (See some examples in previous posts).

Hyperbole was just as common back then as it is now. Jesus used this tool of communication often. Here are a couple of examples of Jesus using hyperbole.

"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away…"
​

The severity of sin is made very clear by Christ's use of hyperbole here. It's a sobering verse, but if we think it was intended to be taken literally then we should expect every single Christian to be eyeless, for what person can say that there eyes do not cause them to sin?

"You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"
​

We all know that a man can not swallow a camel. Jesus uses this to shock us - to wake us up. He's trying to make a point, and we do the same thing, e.g., "He's as skinny as a toothpick."


Here is one more:

"So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”​

We know that the "whole world" did not go after Jesus, right?

In order to understand the message of the Bible we need to be good students of it. A student is careful to treat poetry differently than historical narrative, and didactic instruction different than metaphor. Is Jesus literally a door? Are we literally sheep?

This isn't difficult, but I think people can be so committed to treating God's seriously (which is a very good thing) that they have overstepped at times. In reacting to liberal theology, which began in the 19th century, and which takes very little of God's word literally, some well-meaning people have pushed back too hard in the opposite direction, and what was good-intentioned has become an equally, but opposite, error. Both the liberal theologian and the literalist leave us with a distorted view of the biblical texts. Neither helps us to properly understand the most important texts in a Christian's life.

 

[Ken Rank]

Thank you, Ken. I've already looked at the Greek.

This issue has completely derailing the thread, so I think it might as well be dealt with at this point.

It seems that a few people who've responded to this thread are not just literalists, but read the texts literalistically. Here's a link to a very brief explanation of the differences between the two: http://sydneyanglicans.net/blogs/culture/literal_or_literalistic_whats_the_difference/

What is overlooked or misunderstood by people who take a literalistic approach are such things as poetry, metaphor and hyperbole, which "pray unceasingly" certain is an example of.

Rather than accept the idea that this is hyperbolic language, and in order to try to "make" it fit, they have had to change the very definition of the word prayer. (See some examples in previous posts).

Hyperbole was just as common back then as it is now. Jesus used this tool of communication often. Here are a couple of examples of Jesus using hyperbole.

"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away…"
​

The severity of sin is made very clear by Christ's use of hyperbole here. It's a sobering verse, but if we think it was intended to be taken literally then we should expect every single Christian to be eyeless, for what person can say that there eyes do not cause them to sin?

"You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"
​

We all know that a man can not swallow a camel. Jesus uses this to shock us - to wake us up. He's trying to make a point, and we do the same thing, e.g., "He's as skinny as a toothpick."


Here is one more:

"So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”​

We know that the "whole world" did not go after Jesus, right?

In order to understand the message of the Bible we need to be good students of it. A student is careful to treat poetry differently than historical narrative, and didactic instruction different than metaphor. Is Jesus literally a door? Are we literally sheep?

This isn't difficult, but I think people can be so committed to treating God's seriously (which is a very good thing) that they have overstepped at times. In reacting to liberal theology, which began in the 19th century, and which takes very little of God's word literally, some well-meaning people have pushed back too hard in the opposite direction, and what was good-intentioned has become an equally, but opposite, error. Both the liberal theologian and the literalist leave us with a distorted view of the biblical texts. Neither helps us to properly understand the most important texts in a Christian's life.

Thanks for the lesson on abstract thought, I had no idea what it was until you shared it with me.

This is a little frustrating because I have not only clarified my thought, I have given you examples of commentators throughout time that have the same conclusion. It isn't that one is on his knees or speaking directly to God 24/7, but that he is walking with God, with an open door of communication taking every second he is able to pray. That is my opinion, my belief.... and do you allow me the right to have it? No... you keep coming back trying to get me to accept your "superior" view. I shared my belief, if you don't believe it or accept it... fine. We don't have to agree, you know? You might pull out Thayer or Liddel-Scott and look up the underlying word for heresy.

Shalom.
Ken

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Thanks for the lesson on abstract thought, I had no idea what it was until you shared it with me.

This is a little frustrating because I have not only clarified my thought, I have given you examples of commentators throughout time that have the same conclusion. It isn't that one is on his knees or speaking directly to God 24/7, but that he is walking with God, with an open door of communication taking every second he is able to pray. That is my opinion, my belief.... and do you allow me the right to have it? No... you keep coming back trying to get me to accept your "superior" view. I shared my belief, if you don't believe it or accept it... fine. We don't have to agree, you know? You might pull out Thayer or Liddel-Scott and look up the underlying word for heresy.

Shalom.
Ken

You are changing the definition of prayer in order to fit your literalistic view of one text, while ignoring a Bible filled with examples of prayer, none of which match your description. If I'm wrong about that, just back up your view with scriptural references. That's a reasonable request, isn't it? Your opinion means nothing to me, and mine should mean nothing to you. God's Holy Word is what matters. That's my bedrock.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

In "The Lord's Prayer" He explains, "When you pray. . ." , and then continues to explain how to address the Father. His instruction was in direct response to the disciples asking Him to teach them to pray. If prayer were equal to sweeping the floor or washing the dishes, it would have been the perfect time for Jesus to explain that; however, as we know, He didn't describe prayer as breathing or "receptivness", but as speaking to the Father. He gave no instruction or example of anything else. This is the teaching of scripture and the church.

​

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Back to the OP. . .

The "Lord's Prayer" teaches us to pray, "give us this day our daily bread", so speaking to frequency of prayer, it's safe to say that daily is implied. I mean, we all eat daily, or at least desire to, so asking for the provision of bread - "daily bread" seems like a daily activity.

Speaking of food, Jesus also gave thanks before He ate. Many of us eat 3 meals per day, so we could be at 4 prayers per day, so far.

Just some food for thought (did you see what I did there? )

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Ephesians 6:18
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Persisting in prayer in a sense is an awareness continually of His presence so that with any thought that comes to mind we can check in our spirit with Him. But this verse also, with this in mind, seems to entail praying in one accord like Acts 1:14 to obtain even more than just for our own walk. So it's somehow related to being of the One mind, one Spirit type of prayer.

There's also a watchfulness and I'd venture to say a persistant attitude of gratitude that should accompany consistant prayer. (Colossians 4:2) It's to have uninterrupted fellowship with God in our spirit. And by that I mean not according to feeling but in 'reckoning' that within. And acting accordingly within our spirit. If we quench that it's bringing about a very soulish life that needs to cut thru layers of conscience to come to a distant God

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Ephesians 6:18
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

You quote this above verse. . .

Persisting in prayer in a sense is an awareness continually of His presence

It's to have uninterrupted fellowship with God in our spirit.

Then you jump to the above conclusions. Since the text mentions nothing about, "an awareness continually of His presence" or "uninterrupted fellowship with God in our spirit", I am left wondering how you have arrived a conclusion which has no basis in either the scripture you've quoted or any other that I can think of.

Do you have a biblical explanation for your statements?

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

You quote this above verse. . .






Then you jump to the above conclusions. Since the text mentions nothing about, "an awareness continually of His presence" or "uninterrupted fellowship with God in our spirit", I am left wondering how you have arrived a conclusion which has no basis in either the scripture you've quoted or any other that I can think of.

Do you have a biblical explanation for your statements?

Experience w/o which no interpretation has life.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Experience w/o which no interpretation has life.

I thought as much. Your experience does not trump scripture.

I would ask any and all further posters to use biblical texts which either explicitly or implicitly back your view, please. Thank you!

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I thought as much. Your experience does not trump

I would ask any and all further posters to use biblical texts which either explicitly or implicitly back your view, please. Thank you!

Ok trump this ( and hearts don't count in this game)
1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Where does the ability to speak come from if it isn't experience?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Ok trump this ( and hearts don't count in this game)
1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Where does the ability to speak come from if it isn't experience?

This thread has been derailed enough, so I would kindly ask that you respect me and the forum rules and stay on topic or begin your own thread.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

unsubscribe

 

[YouAreAwesome]

1 Corinthians 14:15 I will pray in the spirit, I will also pray with understanding

@jimmyjimmy how does one pray without understanding as in 1 Corinthians 14:15? Does this type of prayer fit in with your own definition?

 

[afishamongmany]

Now that is an entire study in itself.

Some of the posts here give hints on what it means.

The bottom line is, that it is akin to "walking with God".

This verse sheds some light on it:

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lordrequire of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" ~Micah 6:8

In order to "walk" with God, we surely must be "talking" to Him, yes?

Let's take it a little further....

Are we to "stop" "walking" with God?

Dear Brinny - 'Walking' and 'Talking' are two different words with two different meanings.
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[DeepWater]

As long as you are not one of those people (Christians) who only prays when you are in trouble.....

Try that.

See yourself based on that mirror.

"know thyself" = as God sees you.

 

[AlexDTX]

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?

How often should you talk to your wife? The question is absurd. You talk to God as much as you love Him.

 

[dqhall]

Praying without ceasing seems like texting and driving. I cannot easily pray to God and be totally focused on other tasks.

I learned to pray asking God to let me know what I should do. This is more appropriate than me than telling God what God should do. God also knows what to do for me without me asking.

 

[brinny]

Dear Brinny - 'Walking' and 'Talking' are two different words with two different meanings.
><>

Now that, my friend, is an entire study in itself.

If one is "walking" with God, surely there is "conversation", yes?