Half hearted prayers

[Blain]

There is something I have been curious about when it comes to prayers. Lets say for instance that you see the prayer request forum and a person is asking for prayer as I am sure you all know the prayer request forum is abundant in them. Now here is a situation I myself have been in, i want to pray for them but mainly because I feel it is something we are supposed to do however my heart is not truly in the prayer it feels forced it really is not a good feeling. My question is even if it is a forced or half hearted prayer does it have the same chance of being answered and honored by God compared to a prayer that your heart is truly in?

I am not a prayer warrior I do pray for people but mainly only when I am lead to for the most part I give counsel encouragement advice and try to help people be able to stand on their feet again, prayer is not my strong suite but at the same time I feel that even if it is forced I should do it for people but when I search the motive in my heart I find i do it because it's the Christian thing to do kind of like how people tithe not because of their hearts but because it's the Christian thing.

 

[CherieR]

You don't have to pray for everyone. If you feel like you have to pray for every prayer request you see, you may feel less desire to go to that section and pray for anyone there. Some prayer requests you will feel more passionate about than others. For instance, if you can relate to what the person is experiencing, you are likely to put more heart into it than if you cannot relate. It does not mean that God does not hear that prayer spoken with less feeling.

Some prayer requests you will be drawn to more than others. I tend to be more drawn to people asking for prayer with anxiety or depression verses needing physical healing. That may be because I have dealt with both.

I am sure there are people who would like it if you gave some good advice in the prayer requests section. I asked for prayer once and also asked for advice on what to do if anyone had any ideas. Many people would love to be encouraged through posts.

I don't know what you mean by half-hearted prayer, but as a general rule, it is important to mean what you pray. It is always good to pray that God's will, will be done.

If you want to pray for someone, it does not have to be a long prayer either. It can be a simple prayer such as I agree with this prayer, help this person, or your will be done as some examples. Now if you desire to pray for someone for a long or extended period of time, you can do that too.

 

[Rosemaryx]

You don't have to pray for everyone. If you feel like you have to pray for every prayer request you see, you may feel less desire to go to that section and pray for anyone there. Some prayer requests you will feel more passionate about than others. For instance, if you can relate to what the person is experiencing, you are likely to put more heart into it than if you cannot relate. It does not mean that God does not hear that prayer spoken with less feeling.

Some prayer requests you will be drawn to more than others. I tend to be more drawn to people asking for prayer with anxiety or depression verses needing physical healing. That may be because I have dealt with both.

I am sure there are people who would like it if you gave some good advice in the prayer requests section. I asked for prayer once and also asked for advice on what to do if anyone had any ideas. Many people would love to be encouraged through posts.

I don't know what you mean by half-hearted prayer, but as a general rule, it is important to mean what you pray. It is always good to pray that God's will, will be done.

If you want to pray for someone, it does not have to be a long prayer either. It can be a simple prayer such as I agree with this prayer, help this person, or your will be done as some examples. Now if you desire to pray for someone for a long or extended period of time, you can do that too.

Hi Cherier...I can not read your post very well because your font is tiny, and I have my glasses on...Could you enlarge it as I know people like myself have difficulty reading such small writing, and then we miss what is being posted...I hope you do not mind me asking this...xox...

 

[Tinuviel]

There is something I have been curious about when it comes to prayers. Lets say for instance that you see the prayer request forum and a person is asking for prayer as I am sure you all know the prayer request forum is abundant in them. Now here is a situation I myself have been in, i want to pray for them but mainly because I feel it is something we are supposed to do however my heart is not truly in the prayer it feels forced it really is not a good feeling. My question is even if it is a forced or half hearted prayer does it have the same chance of being answered and honored by God compared to a prayer that your heart is truly in?

I am not a prayer warrior I do pray for people but mainly only when I am lead to for the most part I give counsel encouragement advice and try to help people be able to stand on their feet again, prayer is not my strong suite but at the same time I feel that even if it is forced I should do it for people but when I search the motive in my heart I find i do it because it's the Christian thing to do kind of like how people tithe not because of their hearts but because it's the Christian thing.

Well...what do you mean? You didn't feel prompted and filled and "in the mood" to pray? For me, that happens sometimes. It is a horrible feeling. But that doesn't mean that--just because I can't feel my prayer--I don't mean what I say. My feelings aren't engaged, but I can still mean what I say. When I pray for someone to be healed, I WANT them to be healed, even if I can't really feel what I'm saying. (If that even makes sense!)

And as always, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us in prayer, making it fit for the Father . (I'm so thankful for that!)

 

[CherieR]

( Larger print of previous post)

You don't have to pray for everyone. If you feel like you have to pray for every prayer request you see, you may feel less desire to go to that section and pray for anyone there. Some prayer requests you will feel more passionate about than others. For instance, if you can relate to what the person is experiencing, you are likely to put more heart into it than if you cannot relate. It does not mean that God does not hear that prayer spoken with less feeling.

Some prayer requests you will be drawn to more than others. I tend to be more drawn to people asking for prayer with anxiety or depression verses needing physical healing. That may be because I have dealt with both.

I am sure there are people who would like it if you gave some good advice in the prayer requests section. I asked for prayer once and also asked for advice on what to do if anyone had any ideas. Many people would love to be encouraged through posts.

I don't know what you mean by half-hearted prayer, but as a general rule, it is important to mean what you pray. It is always good to pray that God's will, will be done.

If you want to pray for someone, it does not have to be a long prayer either. It can be a simple prayer such as I agree with this prayer, help this person, or your will be done as some examples. Now if you desire to pray for someone for a long or extended period of time, you can do that too.

 

[Rosemaryx]

( Larger print of previous post)

You don't have to pray for everyone. If you feel like you have to pray for every prayer request you see, you may feel less desire to go to that section and pray for anyone there. Some prayer requests you will feel more passionate about than others. For instance, if you can relate to what the person is experiencing, you are likely to put more heart into it than if you cannot relate. It does not mean that God does not hear that prayer spoken with less feeling.

Some prayer requests you will be drawn to more than others. I tend to be more drawn to people asking for prayer with anxiety or depression verses needing physical healing. That may be because I have dealt with both.

I am sure there are people who would like it if you gave some good advice in the prayer requests section. I asked for prayer once and also asked for advice on what to do if anyone had any ideas. Many people would love to be encouraged through posts.

I don't know what you mean by half-hearted prayer, but as a general rule, it is important to mean what you pray. It is always good to pray that God's will, will be done.

If you want to pray for someone, it does not have to be a long prayer either. It can be a simple prayer such as I agree with this prayer, help this person, or your will be done as some examples. Now if you desire to pray for someone for a long or extended period of time, you can do that too.

Thank you sister ...I see this wonderfully...Your font is now bigger than mine lol...Awww thank you once again, and yes I agree, if we can understand the person who is asking for prayer and we have been through the same thing, we find it easier to pray because I think it can bring up past memories when we were going through the same thing, so we have more compassion, but saying that, I just read a really sad post from a lady who has lost her little boy, although I ever never felt a loss as she has, my heart was drawn to pray for her because I am a mother, and the thought of losing a child so young is unbearable ...

Iif we can not offer prayer, we can always offer Scripture because it is Gods Word and the truth, as for heartfelt prayers, I have tried that and would rather not do it...xox...

 

[followjesus]

There is something I have been curious about when it comes to prayers. Lets say for instance that you see the prayer request forum and a person is asking for prayer as I am sure you all know the prayer request forum is abundant in them. Now here is a situation I myself have been in, i want to pray for them but mainly because I feel it is something we are supposed to do however my heart is not truly in the prayer it feels forced it really is not a good feeling. My question is even if it is a forced or half hearted prayer does it have the same chance of being answered and honored by God compared to a prayer that your heart is truly in?

I am not a prayer warrior I do pray for people but mainly only when I am lead to for the most part I give counsel encouragement advice and try to help people be able to stand on their feet again, prayer is not my strong suite but at the same time I feel that even if it is forced I should do it for people but when I search the motive in my heart I find i do it because it's the Christian thing to do kind of like how people tithe not because of their hearts but because it's the Christian thing.

Prayer is a part of spiritual warfare, its a weapon and a shield, a part of the battle plan laid out by Our Lord. Jesus was always going off by Himself to pray and commune with God the Father. the prayers we are given in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, we see How spiritual they actually are and that He is most often praying for others. I believe that nothing pleases God more in prayer when we come to Him on behalf of others. Intercession is a consistant thing in the bible, when daniel, or david, or even Moses would come to God in prayer pleading for others, God always responds and honors thier prayer.

from when abram interceeded for sodom and gommorah, God said He would honor that intercession, abram had prayed and said " if i find 50 righteous in those cities will you not destroy it? the Lord agreed, then He asked if i can find 40 will you not destroy it? God agreed...he goes on all the way to ten God agrees to spare the cities if He can find 10 righteous....He didnt find ten righteous. Moses interceeded on bejalf of israel several times and God always honored moses request.....to me, when we are pleading from the heart in prayer, it comes because we actually do Love the others and care that satan is destroying thier life, or causing suffering in thier Life.

we dont always " feel" like doing the right things, we still do them because they are right and we Know our feelings are deceptive to let them lead us. Prayer should be habit part of our daily lives because we Know God is, and Know He hears us and is willing.

 

[CherieR]

Thank you sister ...I see this wonderfully...Your font is now bigger than mine lol...Awww thank you once again, and yes I agree, if we can understand the person who is asking for prayer and we have been through the same thing, we find it easier to pray because I think it can bring up past memories when we were going through the same thing, so we have more compassion, but saying that, I just read a really sad post from a lady who has lost her little boy, although I ever never felt a loss as she has, my heart was drawn to pray for her because I am a mother, and the thought of losing a child so young is unbearable ...

Iif we can not offer prayer, we can always offer Scripture because it is Gods Word and the truth, as for heartfelt prayers, I have tried that and would rather not do it...xox...

You are welcome...

You know that has got to be hard experiencing a loss like that. It reminds me of a twelve yr old boy who got ran over in MY neighborhood not but so long ago. He had his whole life ahead of him.

 

[Ezekiel8]

My question is even if it is a forced or half hearted prayer does it have the same chance of being answered and honored by God compared to a prayer that your heart is truly in?

Good question, and the answer is basically no.

 

[Tinuviel]

"My words fly upward, my thoughts stay below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go." Interesting man, Shakespeare. (Sorry, I'm feeling super random right now and this thread is reminding me of that quote. Anyway...)

 

[KelbyofGod]

My recommendation is to go to wherever you normally pray...take a few moments...and search your heart as to what you really can pray (NOT what you feel obligated to pray)...THEN pray those things. When done with that initial prayer, take a few more moments asking God "Is there anything more you'd like me to pray, do or be aware of?"...then listen... (not for noises around you but within your heart) for anything he may bring to your attention. If he gives you anything; pray, do or ponder accordingly...thank him for it all in Jesus' name...and go your way rejoicing.

1. Don't worry if you don't hear anything. God will definitely see you, and he may yet give you something during your day.
2. Don't fall into the trap of believing it is your responsibility to pray for everyone, or everyone equally. Let God be infinite, all-knowing, etc. It's OK to say "Hey God, I don't know where the biggest or most immediate needs are...but here am I, use me."


Isa_41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

 

[joaniemarie]

Praying in the Spirit (praying in tongues) solves this problem for me. I know exactly what you mean Blain. My mind can be so distracted and even the emotions that go with it. But when I pray in the Spirit., the truth that He will make the prayer perfect causes me to be uplifted to keep praying knowing it will be effectual.

 

[dcontroversal]

Hi Cherier...I can not read your post very well because your font is tiny, and I have my glasses on...Could you enlarge it as I know people like myself have difficulty reading such small writing, and then we miss what is being posted...I hope you do not mind me asking this...xox...

You can enlarge yourself.....hold the control button down on PC and use your scroll on your mouse to increase or decrease size of page

 

[KelbyofGod]

Praying in the Spirit (praying in tongues) solves this problem for me. I know exactly what you mean Blain. My mind can be so distracted and even the emotions that go with it. But when I pray in the Spirit., the truth that He will make the prayer perfect causes me to be uplifted to keep praying knowing it will be effectual.

Amen! Well-said!