Prayer

[Edwin]

Prayer means many things to many people. Some people say their prayers, some people read their prayers, while other people pray there prayers from their hearts. There are also varied intensities in prayers. There is just the causual prayer, where yes we mean them, and we are sincere, but there is no intensity that goes into that prayer. The Bible says that "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I believe that God hears everyone when we prayer, I think the person who lives to please God has a more effective prayer when he/she prays. So, the person praying makes a difference as well as the intensity of the prayer. There are times that we cry out to God, almost in desperation. There are prayers that are prayed with groanings. Sometimes we pray in the Spirit, and then the Holy Spirit helps us pray, because there are times that we don't even know how to pray. There are times that we pray in a language that God gives us.

We had a friend that when we first knew him, when it was time to pray over the meal, he would get a little pocket book out and read a prayer. I think he was sincere, but just didn't know how to pray, and he lacked the maturity to pray from his heart. He has been married to a lady who I think had more spiritual insight than he did, and from living with her, he is now praying his prayers, instead of saying them, or reading them. If you have to read your prayers, then by all means read them, or if you have to say a prayer from memory, then do that, but I think it is great when you can pray your prayers from your heart.

Do you remember prayers that you prayed when you were a little boy or a little girl? I was young enough that I don't remember how I came to know this prayer, but I think my older brother taught it to me. The prayer was, as I remember it anyway:

"Now, I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before another day, I pray the Lord my soul to take."

Very short, very simple, and almost poetic, and that is it.

[jadegil6]

I remember that prayer, but it was slightly different.


"Now, I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."

[Edwin]

Sir Michael, your version may be the actual one, because I was just trying to remember it, and I may not have remembered it exactly, correctly. Anyway, both mean close to the same, and your version actually rhymns better, so I will bet that you have the correct version. Thanks, Sir Michael!

[crisipicada]

The Scriptures says "Pray without ceasing", in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Also, "Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication let your request be made known unto God."

[cheryz]

An act of the virtue of religion which consists in asking proper gifts or graces from God. In a more general sense it is the application of the mind to Divine things, not merely to acquire a knowledge of them but to make use of such knowledge as a means of union with God. This may be done by acts of praise and thanksgiving, but petition is the principal act of prayer.

The words used to express it in Scripture are: to call up (Genesis 4:26); to intercede (Job 22:10); to mediate (Isaiah 53:10); to consult (1 Samuel 28:6); to beseech (Exodus 32:11); and, very commonly, to cry out to. The Fathers speak of it as the elevation of the mind to God with a view to asking proper things from Him (St. John Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith III.24); communing and conversing with God (St. Gregory of Nyssa, "De oratione dom.", in P.G., XLIV, 1125); talking with God (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. xxx in Gen.", n. 5, in P.G., LIII, 280). It is therefore the expression of our desires to God whether for ourselves or others. This expression is not intended to instruct or direct God what to do, but to appeal to His goodness for the things we need; and the appeal is necessary, not because He is ignorant of our needs or sentiments, but to give definite form to our desires, to concentrate our whole attention on what we have to recommend to Him, to help us appreciate our close personal relation with Him. The expression need not be external or vocal; internal or mental is sufficient.

By prayer we acknowledge God's power and goodness, our own neediness and dependence. It is therefore an act of the virtue of religion implying the deepest reverence for God and habituating us to look to Him for everything, not merely because the thing asked be good in itself, or advantageous to us, but chiefly because we wish it as a gift of God, and not otherwise, no matter how good or desirable it may seem to us. Prayer presupposes faith in God and hope in His goodness. By both, God, to whom we pray, moves us to prayer. Our knowledge of God by the light of natural reason also inspires us to look to Him for help, but such prayer lacks supernatural inspiration, and though it may avail to keep us from losing our natural knowledge of God and trust in Him, or, to some extent, from offending Him, it cannot positively dispose us to receive His graces.

[lyrehc]

Prayer is a form of communication, a way of talking to God .


The word "pray" comes from the Latin word precari, which simply means to entreat or ask. In fact, although pray is not often used this way anymore, it can simply mean “please,” as in “pray continue your story.

While we often still think of prayer primarily as asking God for something, prayer, properly understood, is a conversation with God or with the saints. Just as we cannot hold a conversation with another person unless he can hear us, the very act of praying is an implicit recognition of the presence of God or the saints here with us. And in praying, we strengthen that recognition of the presence of God, which draws us closer to Him. That is why the Church recommends that we pray frequently and make prayer an important part of our everyday lives.

[jadegil6]

Our Forum friend, m&m, has been stressed out lately because her mother is suffering from extremely high blood pressure, and has been hospitalized for it. I am asking other members to pray for her recovery, and for her family, including our friend, Mae.

[cheryz]

i include you in my prayers m&m and your mother. im hoping your mother will have fast recovery.
its really painful when your mother got sick and it really hurts when you seeing her in pain.

[wayne208]

I will continue to Pray For M&M's Mother . I hope She gets well soon

[angel]

oh.. im not really often to open now the forum thanks God i have time now. just count on me m&m prayers for you and your mother. im hoping she get better soon.