When you pray, who do you see?

[DamianWarS]

When I Pray to the Most High and think of Jesus... I see nothing.
I can’t imagine how glorious He is.
I don’t know how my Lord looks. As an Orthodox, even with images I still can’t.
And I don’t want to either. I know He is more wonderful than I could imagine.
Fellow Christians, do you have a “look” on Christ?
My friend says she imagines Him with blue eyes, etc.
What are your thoughts?

I see nothing, yet I expect the imagine of Christ passed down from the masses, just perhaps a little more middle Eastern however.

 

[WanderedHome]

When I Pray to the Most High and think of Jesus... I see nothing.
I can’t imagine how glorious He is.
I don’t know how my Lord looks. As an Orthodox, even with images I still can’t.
And I don’t want to either. I know He is more wonderful than I could imagine.
Fellow Christians, do you have a “look” on Christ?
My friend says she imagines Him with blue eyes, etc.
What are your thoughts?

I see the backs of my eyelids... or the words on the page of my prayerbook.

I mean to be funny, of course, but there is an important point in that... Don't get caught up in fantasies, but be fully present in what you are doing.

 

[F.E.A.R.]

I see the backs of my eyelids... or the words on the page of my prayerbook.

I mean to be funny, of course, but there is an important point in that... Don't get caught up in fantasies, but be fully present in what you are doing.

What's even interesting is that, when we fantasize, the devil mocks us. I mean outside of prayer. It's really a hard pillow to swallow but it's true. In some cases the devil can put thoughts and images forcefully that are not yours and I know this from experience, which is really unpleasent and requires prayer to combat.

 

[Junia]

I think this thread is so lovely and encouraging- it shows we all have different experiences when we pray- some of us see Jesus., and others don't. that is ok. Jesus comes to us all differently.

 

[Junia]

Thank you, fellow Orthodox Christian!
I forgot to mention my friend is much younger than me and still has a childish mind.
But yes I will, any age should Pray to God fully.

excuse me, @SeekingGloryOnThisJourney , but why are you so wrapped up in what your friend sees? maybe she is seeing Jesus, maybe not.....why not focu son your own walk with God rather than criticisng?

 

[Junia]

Not all things from him are gruesome. He deceives more through pleasant messages and comforting images. He knows most won’t question them. That’s why I emphasize motives in my responses.

~Bella

that may be the case for some. i am sure. but i am not being decivedbecause those comforting things are int he Bible. Jesus is angry wwith the wicked but not His children. He i spure love to us. correction yes, but gentle and loving correction. sorry but you say you have gift of discernment, so if you do, surely you can sense my pictire of jesus is Biblical?

 

[Junia]

i mean, maybe the image i ahd was from my flesh. but it didnt lead me to sin, it wssnt demonic. it helped me form a new concept of God into someone who adored me and wanted the best for me and who corrected me in love and was gentle......all of that is actually Biblical....jESUS is angry with sinners. not us.

 

[SeekingGloryOnThisJourney]

excuse me, @SeekingGloryOnThisJourney , but why are you so wrapped up in what your friend sees? maybe she is seeing Jesus, maybe not.....why not focu son your own walk with God rather than criticisng?

Ah no, I said that for an example on what other people see when they Pray. not to criticize her

 

[Junia]

Ah no, I said that for an example on what other people see when they Pray. not to criticize her

ah, ok. yes i was puzzled when i saw it, because you seem a very klin dperson and i thought it was out of character for you. so am gld i have misunderstood. thanks for explaining

 

[Duke of Stratford]

When I was really little, like 5, I thought God looked like the Quaker Oats guy. I couldn’t tell you why.

Sometimes I picture Jesus in my head when I pray, and He doesn’t always look the same. I know that whatever I imagine isn’t necessarily accurate. But I’m a fairly visual person, so sometimes an image is comforting. I don’t need one to pray, and I understand that whatever image I have is just something I imagine and not necessarily reality.

 

[Junia]

When I was really little, like 5, I thought God looked like the Quaker Oats guy. I couldn’t tell you why.

Sometimes I picture Jesus in my head when I pray, and He doesn’t always look the same. I know that whatever I imagine isn’t necessarily accurate. But I’m a fairly visual person, so sometimes an image is comforting. I don’t need one to pray, and I understand that whatever image I have is just something I imagine and not necessarily reality.

I see nothing wrong with it, if the fruit it produces in your life is good and it doesnt go against the word of God doctrinally.

i mean, i expet the visual i have of Jesus is probbaly in my own mind anyway, but the character of Jesus when He speaks to me definitely is Biblical so even if am hearing from my own flesh, it is harmless.

 

[F.E.A.R.]

Imaging while prayer or outside of prayer is the devil mocking us. The beginning of prayer consists in chasing away invading thoughts. The mind is to be freed from all thoughts and images and focused on the words of prayer. We should not to accept any sensual images during prayer. And if any image comes to mind, we should not pay any attention to them. Human imagination can lead to fake sensory experiences, falsely recognized by the person as originating outside of his or her mind. Purposefully creating images in one’s mind, and even accepting those appearing spontaneously, is not only dangerous spiritually, but can also lead to the damage of the soul, or psychological problems.

"The praying mind must be in a fully truthful state. Imagination, however alluring and well-appearing it may be, being the willful creation of the mind itself, brings the latter out of the state of Divine truth, and leads the mind into a state of self-praise and deception, and this is why it is rejected in prayer.

The mind during prayer must be very carefully kept without any images, rejecting all images, which are drawn in the ability of imagination… Images, if the mind allows them during prayer, will become an impenetrable curtain, a wall between the mind and God". - St. Ignatii Bryanchaninov

 

[Junia]

Imaging while prayer or outside of prayer is the devil mocking us. The beginning of prayer consists in chasing away invading thoughts. The mind is to be freed from all thoughts and images and focused on the words of prayer. We should not to accept any sensual images during prayer. And if any image comes to mind, we should not pay any attention to them. Human imagination can lead to fake sensory experiences, falsely recognized by the person as originating outside of his or her mind. Purposefully creating images in one’s mind, and even accepting those appearing spontaneously, is not only dangerous spiritually, but can also lead to the damage of the soul, or psychological problems.

"The praying mind must be in a fully truthful state. Imagination, however alluring and well-appearing it may be, being the willful creation of the mind itself, brings the latter out of the state of Divine truth, and leads the mind into a state of self-praise and deception, and this is why it is rejected in prayer.

The mind during prayer must be very carefully kept without any images, rejecting all images, which are drawn in the ability of imagination… Images, if the mind allows them during prayer, will become an impenetrable curtain, a wall between the mind and God". - St. Ignatii Bryanchaninov

ah, ok, i had not realised that..

so what if i am prophetic and when i pray for someone and the Lord gives me a picture or vision for them? i get that sometimes. usually i get words or scriptures that encourage them in their walk with God but sometimes i got pictures. i once had a picture of a lady i was praying for and i saw God putting a crown on her head and the word crown of life kept coming into my head so i looked it up on goodle and there is a verse in James about it. this lady was suffering deep shame because she had been a sex trafficking victim and was afraid God was displeased with her. thi spicture helped her to see that God really loved her and gave her renewed assurance in hr walk with Him. of course, i am only a vessel and God is the one who heals. but although it has been an ongoing journey for this lady, she really felt blessed by what I gave her. so maybe pictures are ok sometimes? if they scriptural?

 

[Junia]

Imaging while prayer or outside of prayer is the devil mocking us. The beginning of prayer consists in chasing away invading thoughts. The mind is to be freed from all thoughts and images and focused on the words of prayer. We should not to accept any sensual images during prayer. And if any image comes to mind, we should not pay any attention to them. Human imagination can lead to fake sensory experiences, falsely recognized by the person as originating outside of his or her mind. Purposefully creating images in one’s mind, and even accepting those appearing spontaneously, is not only dangerous spiritually, but can also lead to the damage of the soul, or psychological problems.

"The praying mind must be in a fully truthful state. Imagination, however alluring and well-appearing it may be, being the willful creation of the mind itself, brings the latter out of the state of Divine truth, and leads the mind into a state of self-praise and deception, and this is why it is rejected in prayer.

The mind during prayer must be very carefully kept without any images, rejecting all images, which are drawn in the ability of imagination… Images, if the mind allows them during prayer, will become an impenetrable curtain, a wall between the mind and God". - St. Ignatii Bryanchaninov

I thought though that prayer was just talking to Jesus. we talk to Him and He listens, sometimes He speaks if He has something to say, and we listen. like a conversation? at church they told me "just say what is on your heart?"

 

[F.E.A.R.]

@WrappedUpinHisLove3 I can't quote your whole posts because I'm on my phone. Sorry imagining and fantasizing during prayer is not "prophetic". God does not give any images, but does give visions to those “who are renewed by the Holy Spirit, who put off the old Adam, and put on the New” (Works 2004, 1:86). Prayer is obviously a conversation with God, but having false images is like a wall between you and Him.

 

[Junia]

@WrappedUpinHisLove3 I can't quote your whole posts because I'm on my phone. Sorry imagining and fantasizing during prayer is not "prophetic". God does not give any images, but does give visions to those “who are renewed by the Holy Spirit, who put off the old Adam, and put on the New” (Works 2004, 1:86). Prayer is obviously a conversation with God, but having false images is like a wall between you and Him.

well maybe i am getting visions then, not images? I mean, maybe what I saw for that lady was a vision? All christians can hear from God because we all have the Holy Spirit, like you said. so how do i know what i saw was a vision or an image?

 

[Junia]

@WrappedUpinHisLove3 I can't quote your whole posts because I'm on my phone. Sorry imagining and fantasizing during prayer is not "prophetic". God does not give any images, but does give visions to those “who are renewed by the Holy Spirit, who put off the old Adam, and put on the New” (Works 2004, 1:86). Prayer is obviously a conversation with God, but having false images is like a wall between you and Him.

i mean, i am involved in prophetic ministry and i definitely get prophetic words but i dont know whether my visions are accurate or not?

 

[ViaCrucis]

well maybe i am getting visions then, not images? I mean, maybe what I saw for that lady was a vision? All christians can hear from God because we all have the Holy Spirit, like you said. so how do i know what i saw was a vision or an image?

I think we need to be immensely careful here.

The Lord says the sheep know the Shepherd's voice, but some have wrongly taken from that to mean that God literally speaks to them, either as a voice in their head, or a feeling.

That's really dangerous, it's a mode of thought that easily leads toward spiritual delusion. Perhaps even inevitably so.

The sheep know the Shepherd's voice because His word is Gospel, and we have heard the Gospel and believed. The Shepherd's voice is His word, and His word is not in secret, but is publicly declared. It's right there in what has been written for us, it's right there in the very public preaching and ministry of the Church. It is the proclamation of the Gospel, the administering of the Sacraments. It's what we have heard and received since the beginning.

And that's really so important, it's the difference between, "The word of the Lord, blessed is the name the Lord." and "I feel that God is telling me..."

I get it, like, it's really exciting to think that maybe I can have this direct conduit to God, and God is going to talk to me directly somehow. Maybe if I just try really hard then I'll be holy enough that I might receive a vision from Him, or a dream, or maybe these feelings I have right now are actually God prompting me. It's all very exciting, all very sensational. But that stuff is just inert gas. It doesn't mean anything. And, more dangerously, this is the stuff the devil uses to choke our faith.

The devil isn't going to come at you looking like Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, he's going to come to make you feel better about yourself, make you feel more spiritual. Or maybe, make you feel worse like you don't measure up. Either way works for him, what difference does it make if you believe yourself beyond the hope of redemption, or if you are so puffed up in your own sense of spirituality and piety that you can't be bothered to repent and confess your a sinner. Either way, you are being turned away from the Gospel, turned away from Christ--His cross and empty tomb.

I'm not saying the devil is giving you or any specific people false visions; but, even the product of our own minds can be turned against us. I may not need the devil to tell me I'm a dirty rotten sinner who has sinned too much to be loved by God, my own despairing flesh does that, but then the devil and my flesh are natural allies anyway, right?

Therefore turn your gaze to Jesus. Let us always have our eyes upon Jesus. Cast off those weights, trust in the One whose flesh was pierced and blood was shed, who descended into hell to cast down hell, crushing the devil, defeating death, reconciling us to God, and rising as the One who is alive forever and ever, who holds the very keys of death and hades in His hands.

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Junia]

I think we need to be immensely careful here.

The Lord says the sheep know the Shepherd's voice, but some have wrongly taken from that to mean that God literally speaks to them, either as a voice in their head, or a feeling.

That's really dangerous, it's a mode of thought that easily leads toward spiritual delusion. Perhaps even inevitably so.

The sheep know the Shepherd's voice because His word is Gospel, and we have heard the Gospel and believed. The Shepherd's voice is His word, and His word is not in secret, but is publicly declared. It's right there in what has been written for us, it's right there in the very public preaching and ministry of the Church. It is the proclamation of the Gospel, the administering of the Sacraments. It's what we have heard and received since the beginning.

And that's really so important, it's the difference between, "The word of the Lord, blessed is the name the Lord." and "I feel that God is telling me..."

I get it, like, it's really exciting to think that maybe I can have this direct conduit to God, and God is going to talk to me directly somehow. Maybe if I just try really hard then I'll be holy enough that I might receive a vision from Him, or a dream, or maybe these feelings I have right now are actually God prompting me. It's all very exciting, all very sensational. But that stuff is just inert gas. It doesn't mean anything. And, more dangerously, this is the stuff the devil uses to choke our faith.

The devil isn't going to come at you looking like Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, he's going to come to make you feel better about yourself, make you feel more spiritual. Or maybe, make you feel worse like you don't measure up. Either way works for him, what difference does it make if you believe yourself beyond the hope of redemption, or if you are so puffed up in your own sense of spirituality and piety that you can't be bothered to repent and confess your a sinner. Either way, you are being turned away from the Gospel, turned away from Christ--His cross and empty tomb.

I'm not saying the devil is giving you or any specific people false visions; but, even the product of our own minds can be turned against us. I may not need the devil to tell me I'm a dirty rotten sinner who has sinned too much to be loved by God, my own despairing flesh does that, but then the devil and my flesh are natural allies anyway, right?

Therefore turn your gaze to Jesus. Let us always have our eyes upon Jesus. Cast off those weights, trust in the One whose flesh was pierced and blood was shed, who descended into hell to cast down hell, crushing the devil, defeating death, reconciling us to God, and rising as the One who is alive forever and ever, who holds the very keys of death and hades in His hands.

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

-CryptoLutheran

oh, i agree wre need to test the spirits. but if the early church used prophecy does it not still apply today? we are in the Church Age still, the same age that Paul and peter etc were in? why would not God speak to us as we have the same anointing and Holy Spirit that christians did then?

What if i told you God had saved me from suicide through the way He has comforted me? saved me from condemnation, revealijg to me that i am His child and saved from His wrath? yes the Bible sys it, and i could have read it in the word, but i could not believe it. i needed Jesus to come to me and remind me what the Word says. i believed God was wrathful angry and punished me. i ha dno idea of my identity in Christ and that my sins had been paid for, all the sins i will ever commit as long as i receive that forgiveness and repent? i do not understnad those who say God doesnt speak to us today

also none of what God shows me is flattery. i never get prophecies fo rpeople saying "you are going to be rich and have an easy life." what i have heard is Jesus remind me that am His. and how much He loves me. there i snothing in Bible to contradict this. we, Abraham;s children, are the apple of His eye. accepted in the Beloved. i dont care if a demon spoke that truth to me, it is stil truth. all truth is Gods truth said St Augustine. even familar spirits speak truth (Acts 16)

 

[Junia]

Telling a believer they are accepted in the beloved and they are now part of a royal priesthood is not flattery. it is truth for all who have called on the name of Jesus and become saved. knowing who you are in christ is not being puffed up. it helps. if we love ourselves as Cjhrist loved us, we love others better. low self esteem leads to self pity which leads to selfishness.

heaven is not a place with ahandful of very holy people sitting around. it is FULL of al who have received Jesus and continued ot abide in Him until the day they died. we are eternalluy secure as long as we continue int he faith,. that is fact.