Serving ourselves

[JimB]

Recently I heard a speaker say that “prayer should be for God’s sake alone but too often it is just another way we serve ourselves.”

I am not sure who he was quoting but the statement has caused me some deep reflection on the real purpose of prayer. What do you think about it?

~Jim

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.​

 

[ANM29]

Well, Good question.

I, for one, have come to believe prayer to be about God and also "I".

Will comment more on this later.

 

[Jakihe]

The Bible tells us to ask God to provide for us and prayer is the only way to do that.
Blessings

 

[Faulty]

We do run the risk of treating God like some cosmic Santa, but we are told to 'make our requests known to God'.

Also, 'you have not because you ask not', 'pray like this...give us this day our daily bread', 'how much more will your Father give good things to them who ask', and many others.

I just bought a book of the collective works on prayer, by E.M. Bounds. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

 

[Jakihe]

We do run the risk of treating God like some cosmic Santa, but we are told to 'make our requests known to God'.

Also, 'you have not because you ask not', 'pray like this...give us this day our daily bread', 'how much more will your Father give good things to them who ask', and many others.

.

Exactly!

 

[JimB]

We do run the risk of treating God like some cosmic Santa, but we are told to 'make our requests known to God'.

Also, 'you have not because you ask not', 'pray like this...give us this day our daily bread', 'how much more will your Father give good things to them who ask', and many others.

I just bought a book of the collective works on prayer, by E.M. Bounds. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

I agree. There is nothing wrong with asking God for things we desire but if that is the only way we pray we may be guilty of cheapening prayer. Prayer, IMO, is our link, our connection to God and should be communication both ways.

I do remember reading Bounds’ “The Essentials of Prayer” (I think it was), and it produced a lot of guilt in me for not praying hours every day like John Wesley and Praying Hyde. I am not so sure that guilt is the best aim of prayer.

~Jim

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.​

 

[K2K]

Ps 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answered me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Ps 138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.

The Lord knows what you need before you need it, and the Lord is not a man that He should forget His promises.

So why are we told to ask, and why are we told to remind God of His promises when He certainly never forgot them? Simply because He is hoping that you will listen to Him. In short; He would like to have a personal relationship with His creation, but we ignore Him.

So He waits silently until your need has become great enough to cry out to Him. Then you will hear His voice, and He will strengthen you. Then you will praise Him in earnst.

Yet it doesn't have to be like that. Moses walked up the mountain to see the fire on a day when He had no need, and developed a friendship with the Lord.

So when we draw close to God, we need to draw close to listen to Him. (Eccl 5:1) And when we remind God of His promises, it is so we will remember them, not because He has forgotten them.

Solomon ask God for understanding. That should be our prayer. Jesus explained the we need to ask that God's will be done. Won't that require that you listen to Him, so that you should know His will for you? (Prov 9:10)

So what is the purpose of prayer? To develope a personal relationship with God!! We get understanding and much more when have that personall relationship with Him.

So prayer is for our sake!!!



He once told me, "Karl, I am called Wonderful Counselor but I am not a wonderful counselor to those that will not listen to me."

 

[imperfectchristian]

Recently I heard a speaker say that “prayer should be for God’s sake alone but too often it is just another way we serve ourselves.”

I am not sure who he was quoting but the statement has caused me some deep reflection on the real purpose of prayer. What do you think about it?

~Jim

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.​

I agree with the statement, but I don't particularly care for the way that is phrased. A better way to say it I think would be..."prayer should be for God's will above all else."

Speaking from personal experience, that is something that I have struggled with all of my life and many times not even knowing it. I have only recently begun to see just how much I struggle with it.

It is easy to pray for God's will in my life and in the lives of others until I am forced to face the deep heart issues in my life that are not in God's will.

I think all of us prefer our own idea of God's will vs. God's actual will.

God wants us to be happy....we can all roll with that idea.

God wants us to never withhold forgiveness from anyone...eh that one is not so popular and ultimately strikes at the center of our pride.

 

[psalms 91]

I agree with the statement, but I don't particularly care for the way that is phrased. A better way to say it I think would be..."prayer should be for God's will above all else."

Speaking from personal experience, that is something that I have struggled with all of my life and many times not even knowing it. I have only recently begun to see just how much I struggle with it.

It is easy to pray for God's will in my life and in the lives of others until I am forced to face the deep heart issues in my life that are not in God's will.

I think all of us prefer our own idea of God's will vs. God's actual will.

God wants us to be happy....we can all roll with that idea.

God wants us to never withhold forgiveness from anyone...eh that one is not so popular and ultimately strikes at the center of our pride.

Thust the real problem with prayer. Top often it is about what we want rather than what God wants. The biggest reason for no answers to prayer. We need to enter into prayer with praise and worship, we need to lay our petitions before the Lord not only for ourself but for others, we need to spend time to listen to what God has to say about the situation. Most do not take that time.

 

[brinny]

Recently I heard a speaker say that “prayer should be for God’s sake alone but too often it is just another way we serve ourselves.”

I am not sure who he was quoting but the statement has caused me some deep reflection on the real purpose of prayer. What do you think about it?

~Jim

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.​

We are told to examine ourselves. Part of that examination is to come to terms with our relationship with God. If we are running to HIm because hE is our Abba, it is just as hE told us to do. If we are just telling Him to do this or that, it's lacking in the seeking hIs face above all else. We as His children, when we are hurt, ARE to run to our Abba, Who loves us (like a small child running to our Daddy, Who loves us more than we can fathom).

David (in Psalms), gives us clarity on a relationship with a beloved Father. He LOVED God with all that was in him. God looks on the heart. If we do not know Him as our beloved Abba, we need to get real and come to terms with it. For if we do not "know" Him, jesus will tell us to depart from Him, for He never knew us.

 

[K2K]

We are told to examine ourselves. Part of that examination is to come to terms with our relationship with God. If we are running to HIm because hE is our Abba, it is just as hE told us to do. If we are just telling Him to do this or that, it's lacking in the seeking hIs face above all else. We as His children, when we are hurt, ARE to run to our Abba, Who loves us (like a small child running to our Daddy, Who loves us more than we can fathom).

David (in Psalms), gives us clarity on a relationship with a beloved Father. He LOVED God with all that was in him. God looks on the heart. If we do not know Him as our beloved Abba, we need to get real and come to terms with it. For if we do not "know" Him, jesus will tell us to depart from Him, for He never knew us.

YES - It is knowing Him that is important! And that does mean seeking His face.

What is on a face? The eyes, the nose, the mouth, but the ears are on the side of the head. So is going to God just so you can tell Him what you think, seeking His face?

 

[brinny]

YES - It is knowing Him that is important! And that does mean seeking His face.

What is on a face? The eyes, the nose, the mouth, but the ears are on the side of the head. So is going to God just so you can tell Him what you think, seeking His face?

huh?

 

[map4]

Recently I heard a speaker say that “prayer should be for God’s sake alone but too often it is just another way we serve ourselves.”

I am not sure who he was quoting but the statement has caused me some deep reflection on the real purpose of prayer. What do you think about it?

~Jim

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.​

I agree that some only pray when they need something, which we should pray when we need something. But, I wouldn't say it's for God alone. He already knows the answer. It's us that needs to know what the answer is.

I would say we probably don't spend enough time listening in prayer.
There are things He wants us to do and I think there are times when spending time in His presence is how we learn what that is.

 

[K2K]

What is on a face? The eyes, the nose, the mouth, but the ears are on the side of the head. So is going to God just so you can tell Him what you think, seeking His face?

huh?

To often pray just means talking to God, but not listening to Him. From my experience, that is almost always the way prayer is present. Almost every book I have seen on prayer tells you what to tell God. We say we are seeking God's face, but what we are seeking is His ears, and they are on the side of His head.

He hears you, and considers what you are telling Him, but if you are really seeking His face, you are seeking His mouth to give you instruction, His eyes that they might watch over you, and His noise so He can take in the arroma of your prayers for others.

I would like to see a book on prayer dedicated to listening to the Lord. He says the greatest things, and in so few words. That would be a book on seeking His face.

Here are a few my favorite things that He told me:

"THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS."

"MY PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER IS LIKE PUTTING MAKE UP ON THE BRIDE."

"IF YOU WANT TO BECOME BEAUTIFUL, TELL SOMEONE THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL"

Prayer is a conversation with God. That means words should be going back and forth. Considering the He is Lord, which part of that conversation should be more important to me.. What I tell Him or what He tells me?

 

[SharonL]

Prayer means different things to different people. The Bible tells us not to just repeat and repeat prayers - saying prayers and praying are two different things. I can't think of anything more boring than going to God every day and saying the same prayer.

I remember being in a service once with about 700 people and on the other side of the room this Pastor went to this person and said God said to tell you that you are His friend, that touched my heard so much - I just said that would be so wonderful to hear and I longed to hear that so very much - after going around the room this Pastor stopped at my seat and put his hand on my head and said "God said to tell you that you are His friend" - I just melted and that has formed my prayer life.

We don't go to our friends and say the same thing over and over again - we talk, counsel, cry with them, laugh with them and this is called a friend - so this is how I am with God, I talk to Him, laugh with Him, Praise Him, sing to Him and of course ask for my wants and desires. My husband thinks this is disrespectful, but the Bible tells us that God is our friend.

 

[JimB]

Prayer means different things to different people. The Bible tells us not to just repeat and repeat prayers - saying prayers and praying are two different things. I can't think of anything more boring than going to God every day and saying the same prayer.

I remember being in a service once with about 700 people and on the other side of the room this Pastor went to this person and said God said to tell you that you are His friend, that touched my heard so much - I just said that would be so wonderful to hear and I longed to hear that so very much - after going around the room this Pastor stopped at my seat and put his hand on my head and said "God said to tell you that you are His friend" - I just melted and that has formed my prayer life.

We don't go to our friends and say the same thing over and over again - we talk, counsel, cry with them, laugh with them and this is called a friend - so this is how I am with God, I talk to Him, laugh with Him, Praise Him, sing to Him and of course ask for my wants and desires. My husband thinks this is disrespectful, but the Bible tells us that God is our friend.

Thanks Sharon. What a beautiful story. I will use it tomorrow.

~Jim

If we could only know each other, we would neither idolize nor hate.​

 

[brinny]

What is on a face? The eyes, the nose, the mouth, but the ears are on the side of the head. So is going to God just so you can tell Him what you think, seeking His face?



To often pray just means talking to God, but not listening to Him. From my experience, that is almost always the way prayer is present. Almost every book I have seen on prayer tells you what to tell God. We say we are seeking God's face, but what we are seeking is His ears, and they are on the side of His head.

He hears you, and considers what you are telling Him, but if you are really seeking His face, you are seeking His mouth to give you instruction, His eyes that they might watch over you, and His noise so He can take in the arroma of your prayers for others.

I would like to see a book on prayer dedicated to listening to the Lord. He says the greatest things, and in so few words. That would be a book on seeking His face.

Here are a few my favorite things that He told me:

"THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS."

"MY PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER IS LIKE PUTTING MAKE UP ON THE BRIDE."

"IF YOU WANT TO BECOME BEAUTIFUL, TELL SOMEONE THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL"

Prayer is a conversation with God. That means words should be going back and forth. Considering the He is Lord, which part of that conversation should be more important to me.. What I tell Him or what He tells me?

Indeed, and amen. Thank you for the clarification. It takes me a while sometimes

 

[JimB]

Indeed, and amen. Thank you for the clarification. It takes me a while sometimes

Me too.

~Jim

If we could only know each other, we would neither idolize nor hate.​

 

[brinny]

with prayer, i still have difficulty with the back n' forth part

 

[New_Wineskin]

I agree. There is nothing wrong with asking God for things we desire but if that is the only way we pray we may be guilty of cheapening prayer. Prayer, IMO, is our link, our connection to God and should be communication both ways.

That is how I look at "prayer" . I didn't want to reply to the OP because the quote seemed very religious and looking at prayer as a one-way concept . When prayer is two-way communication , there is no need to fear getting it wrong because He will let you know from His side what to do and what not to do .