Why Christians Should Stop Saying “Prayer Works” (And 2 Other Things)
The number of people who never go to church or follow Jesus continues to rise, so what can we do about it? We can model humility, grace, truth, love, and a variety of other characteristics that characterize Christ-followers.
1. Prayer works
Prayer is not a button to be pushed; it’s a relationship to be pursued. The parade of saints throughout the centuries would have been shocked to see prayer reduced to God-doing-what-I-asked-him-to-do. For those explorers on the frontiers of faith, prayer was not just something they did; it was their lives.
2. God told me to …
The longer I follow Jesus, the more hesitant I am to say God told me to do something specific; the more outrageous the claim, the less likely it is to be true. For the record, I believe God does speak to people today. “God told me” is a phrase I frequently hear used to describe decisions that are contrary to scripture and designed to shut down debate.
3. I could really feel God’s presence
Many of us feel like we’ve turned into mini-experts on when God is present, but Jesus did explain that the Holy Spirit is a Person who moves freely, and that he is bigger than our emotions and not subject to our editorial commentary on whether or not he is present.
What if?
What do you think? Christianity could be so much healthier if we stopped saying things like this.
Can you sit and pray to God?
The Bible mentions bowing in prayer, kneeling on one’s face before God, standing, sitting, and walking, but the most important thing is the condition of the soul, not the position of the body. If the heart is attuned to God, one can pray in any position imaginable.
How should you sit while praying?
The right heel may remain lowered on the floor or propped up (similar to yokozuwari style sitting) when sitting with both legs off to the right and the left side of the hips on the floor during the prayer’s climax.
What does the Bible say about standing and praying?
The passage is translated as follows in the World English Bible: “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men.”
Why do we kneel to pray?
During Sunday worship and the celebration of the Eucharist, the Church began facing Eastu2014in order to look for the Lord’s second coming in the skyu2014as a gesture of humility and reverence, as described in Psalm 95:6 and Daniel 6:10.
What to say while praying?
You can address God as “Dear God,” “Our Heavenly Father,” “Jehovah,” or any other name you have for him; you can even pray to Jesus if you want. Recognize God’s greatness. If you believe in God, you believe he is the creator of the world and all life on Earth.
Can I pray in car?
No, you must pray in a clean place during Salah; a car’s floors are dirty because people step on them while sitting, and many people can come sit in your car as well; in Salah, you must pray in a clean place; you may only pray the nafila in the car.
Can you pray namaz while sitting?
During illness, Islam allows for flexibility in prayer positions, as Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “Pray while standing, if you can’t, pray while sitting, if you can’t even do that, pray lying on your side.”
How does Jesus say we should pray?
u201cDo not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners to be seen by men… but when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your father who is unseen,u201d Jesus taught.
What did Jesus say about wealth?
“How difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God,” Jesus says in response to the young man’s despair. “Who then can be saved?” they wonder.
What was Jesus last prayer?
Given that it is an intercession for the coming Church, John 17:1u201326 is commonly known as the Farewell Prayer or the High Priestly Prayer, and it is by far the longest prayer of Jesus in any of the gospels.
What does God say about kneeling?
One of the psalmists in the Old Testament exhorts us to u201cOh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!u201d (Psalm 95:6). Why? u201cFor the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all godsu201d (Psalm 95:3).
Why do we close our eyes when we pray?
Why do so many people close their eyes when praying? For many people, prayer is a private matter, an intercession between a person and God or another higher power, and closing your eyes while doing so allows you to block out distractions and concentrate on the conversation.
Is Father a prayer?
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.