Importance of prayer?

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Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#21
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
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#21
Ariel82 said:
I heard someone God was calling who wasn't sure if God existed pray

"God if you are real, please show me that You are."

He prayed with a heart truly seeking and told me that God revealed himself and pulled him from the lies of aethism and an entirely atheist family.

So God listens even when we are unsure.
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Actually that is exactly how i first met him. Before I was a Christian I was in bed all alone sad and in tears I felt so unloved so uncared about and in my desperation I prayed to him saying Lord if your real I need you to show me because I want to believe I am not alone in this world. That very night when I fell asleep I was in this pure white place and God the father was standing right next to me, he didn't have a physical form but I knew he was right there next to me we were looking in front of us at a river made of all the colors of the rainbow but the colors were vastly more beautiful and more vivid than anything you will ever see on earth.

I have never seen something so beautiful that it made me weep and I mean just down pouring of tears but this river did it and he spoke to me without even using his lips saying this river was his plan. I don't know if he meant his plan for or for the world but all I could in my tears was thank him over and over and over again for showing me this.
Sadly this was not enough to make me come to him but I wanted to confirm your statement with my own experience:)
 
P

pottersclay

Guest
#22
#22
Prayer a holy occupation...by Oswald chambers.....might be a good read for you;)
 
U

umzza

Senior Member
#23
Jan 10, 2015
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#23
U

umzza

Senior Member
#24
Jan 10, 2015
389
65
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#24
Blain said:
You know I have struggled a lot inside and he was always the one who was there for me. When I felt like I was to much of a sinner to be with him he was there to show me different and because I had never known what its liked to be truly loved just for who I am he did and he showed this to me in many ways. even now I often times will imagine me in his arms as he looks down tenderly at his small adoring child he gave me strength and courage when I had none.

Think of him as the parent you never had the friend you have always wanted and the one person in whom every aspect of you is beautiful. Imagine in your mind you are a small little child scared and alone and a tall dark stranger is coming towards you to hurt you and suddenly bright light flashes and you see this king in white and gold clothing and his eyes are made of fire blazing intensely and fiercely as if to say you will not touch a single hair on my child's head


Imagine also that you are a small child who never feels good enough who just wants to be loved and to be special in someones eyes but you don't feel or see that when you look in the mirror yet suddenly a face appears with shining blue eyes and a tender smile in the mirror and it shakes it's head while smiling almost laughing even as if to say silly child let me show you what I see and he shows you the most beautiful girl you ever seen her beauty and light shines so brilliantly and she is so loved and adored the warmth of the love that surrounds her can be felt just by standing near her and you ask him who is that amazing person and he responds to you while tenderly holding your hand that is you my child this is who I see and who you are.

This is but a taste of who he is and who you are to him my friend :)
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It is a good thought. I tend to think about how God get's very angry though and it makes me question what He is really thinking or like. Idk.
 
Demi777

Demi777

Senior Member
#25
Oct 13, 2014
6,877
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#25
I didnt like praying at first so much lol now I can pray hours daily and love it. The closer you get to God the more you change lol..and thats one thing
 
U

umzza

Senior Member
#27
Jan 10, 2015
389
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#27
Dan_473 said:
I think you might be going about this the wrong way...

first, decide if God exists

then, decide how to pray



so starting from the beginning, do you believe anything outside of the physical world exists?
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Yes........
 
U

umzza

Senior Member
#28
Jan 10, 2015
389
65
28
#28
trofimus said:
Maybe you should try to ask God what He is like. And start to know Him not "from other people" but from your own knowing.
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Did that when I was very young. Would feel God but it would go away after a little bit. Realized I was still very lonely.
 
Desertsrose

Desertsrose

Senior Member
#29
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
#29
Demi, I didn't either. I was more shy than I am now, that was many years ago.
I didn't talk to people much either. :) I had a hard time just asking God to come into my life. I could write letters much easier.

Umzza, what I have found is that we grow in everything. We grow in our faith. We grow in our knowledge of Him. We grow in love. We begin as babes and grow into adulthood the exact same way a newborn baby grows. We grow in stages.

I would like to offer a suggestion. The more I read the word of God, the more I get to know my Heavenly Father. You know, the word, 'God' seems kind of abstract because there are so many gods in this world. False ones, but they still call themselves god.

Knowing God as Yahweh, I AM THAT I AM he told Moses, gives God more of a personality because He's not budda, or baal, or any of the other false gods. His name is Yahweh. I don't know if that will help, but he wanted the Israelites to know what His name is and that separates Him from every other god of this world.

Another thing that really helped me was thinking about God as my Father. Talk about personal.

I had a dad, but he left our home and divorced our mother so I didn't have a dad growing up and I didn't have a father/child relationship.

When I think of God as my Father it does something inside my heart. I think of myself as His child, I'm really one of His children. I think of a father hugging his child or bouncing them on his knee. And then I think of when Jesus said to the Jews, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.

Well, I'm willing and that visual gives me a warm feeling, a secure feeling. A feeling of trust and love.

I can just feel the arms of my loving Heavenly Father wrapping me close to His chest. It makes God more real to me.

So keep praying to your Heavenly Father and before you know it, you'll be praying more and more. If you don't know what to pray, you can pray the word of God. You can also ask God to help you pray.
SaveSave​
 
OneFaith

OneFaith

Senior Member
#30
Sep 5, 2016
2,270
369
83
#30
umzza said:
Do you think people are saved if they don't like to pray?
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No, I do not believe you can be saved if you never pray- we need fellowship with God for Him to continue to wash away our sins. But there are many types of prayer, some without words or physical gestures- such as folding hands or bowing heads. Therefore, only God can truly know if someone is praying or not. Jesus said not to pray for mankind to see, but in private- to go to the inner room of your house. But what can be move private than in your own mind?

When the Bible says to pray without ceasing- that is to be taken literally. God is always on my mind, every day, hour, and minute, even when I dream. We all make decisions during the day, we ask ourselves where to go and what to do, well the only difference with praying is you ask God where to go and what to do. Instead of thinking to yourself, you think to God. For example, if your bike gets stolen, you think "God, they just stole Your bike." (Everything belongs to God).

I have times when my prayer is extremely formal. I might physically lay on the floor- bowing as low as possible, or I might picture myself doing so in my mind while I pray, humble myself as much as I can, and pour my heart out. Then there's times I just remain still and fathom just Who God is. Then there are routine prayers- such as when I eat I thank God for my food, and for the food of others I was able to serve it to.

I pray when I hear sirens go by- that God will help all who are involved in the situation. And I pray at night when I go to bed, kinda as an accounting of my day, and my goals for the next day- Lord willing I or the earth have another day. Always being mindful of God, and feeling His presence in itself is a prayer, so is singing praises to Him with your lips and heart, or even just in your heart and mind, as you carry on with another task- such as washing dishes.

Stopping praying for even a second is like in the first Superman movie, when Lois Lane flew with Superman- as long as she was in touch with him somehow- a hug, holding hands, or even a fingertip touch, she would be safe. But the very second she lost touch she would start to fall. And falling happens pretty quick, and is short lived. No matter what I am doing- watching a movie, talking to someone, etc, my mind is ALWAYS also on God.
 
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trofimus

trofimus

Senior Member
#31
Aug 17, 2015
10,684
794
113
#31
umzza said:
Did that when I was very young. Would feel God but it would go away after a little bit. Realized I was still very lonely.
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I dont think it is about "feeling". Feelings come and go. And can be very misleading. It is better to know in your mind He is and that Christ was resurrected, that Bible is the word of God etc (all this can take some time and study) and then just love Him in your heart. Do not worry, you will love Him when you will know who He is.

Sometimes we will feel it,sometimes not. But it is not important, feelings are just a chemistry of our bodies.
 
p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#33
Sep 4, 2013
30,229
6,559
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#33
The importance of prayer is similar to the importance of breathing for a believer........one doesn't have to, but it sure helps.
 
JaumeJ

JaumeJ

Senior Member
#34
Jul 2, 2011
21,240
6,532
113
#34
When people do not pray, it would seem they are out of contact with our Father. This being the case, they probably never were in contact with Him to have been led to Jesus Christ.

Prayer is not always a formal situation, oft times it is just talking to our Father, and we all do this. Sometimes it is thinkg Godward.
 
Demi777

Demi777

Senior Member
#35
Oct 13, 2014
6,877
1,949
113
Germany
#35
Ive always been a social butterfly but ''talking into the air'' seemed weird to me lol

Desertsrose said:
Demi, I didn't either. I was more shy than I am now, that was many years ago.
I didn't talk to people much either. :) I had a hard time just asking God to come into my life. I could write letters much easier.

Umzza, what I have found is that we grow in everything. We grow in our faith. We grow in our knowledge of Him. We grow in love. We begin as babes and grow into adulthood the exact same way a newborn baby grows. We grow in stages.

I would like to offer a suggestion. The more I read the word of God, the more I get to know my Heavenly Father. You know, the word, 'God' seems kind of abstract because there are so many gods in this world. False ones, but they still call themselves god.

Knowing God as Yahweh, I AM THAT I AM he told Moses, gives God more of a personality because He's not budda, or baal, or any of the other false gods. His name is Yahweh. I don't know if that will help, but he wanted the Israelites to know what His name is and that separates Him from every other god of this world.

Another thing that really helped me was thinking about God as my Father. Talk about personal.

I had a dad, but he left our home and divorced our mother so I didn't have a dad growing up and I didn't have a father/child relationship.

When I think of God as my Father it does something inside my heart. I think of myself as His child, I'm really one of His children. I think of a father hugging his child or bouncing them on his knee. And then I think of when Jesus said to the Jews, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.

Well, I'm willing and that visual gives me a warm feeling, a secure feeling. A feeling of trust and love.

I can just feel the arms of my loving Heavenly Father wrapping me close to His chest. It makes God more real to me.

So keep praying to your Heavenly Father and before you know it, you'll be praying more and more. If you don't know what to pray, you can pray the word of God. You can also ask God to help you pray.
SaveSave​
Click to expand...
 
Dan_473

Dan_473

Senior Member
#37
Mar 11, 2014
9,054
1,051
113
#37
umzza said:
It is a good thought. I tend to think about how God get's very angry though and it makes me question what He is really thinking or like. Idk.
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Do you believe there is a god who gets angry, then?

How did you come to this knowledge?
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#39
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#39
umzza said:
It is a good thought. I tend to think about how God get's very angry though and it makes me question what He is really thinking or like. Idk.
Click to expand...
We tend to see his face strained from anger and eyes of wrath with a burning fire in them when in reality this is not how he is at all, there were so many times when I just knew he was shaking his head in disgust and disappointment and his wrath was inches from being upon me I expected a lightning bolt to strike me at any time yet I was confronted instead by eyes of tender mercy and love and he was shaking his but it was a you silly child kind of shaking.

His anger and wrath is often times what we think we see but the issue is we are looking through the wrong eyes. All i have told you is true and is his nature it is up to you if you receive and believe it. His heart is the most mysterious and misunderstood thing in all of creation and we often times think we see the truth but then he shows us different.

Things are hardly ever as they appear
 
U

umzza

Senior Member
#40
Jan 10, 2015
389
65
28
#40
Dan_473 said:
Do you believe there is a god who gets angry, then?

How did you come to this knowledge?
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Yes, the Bible says and has multiple examples where God gets angry.
 
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