lets talk about prayer

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M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#1
Those of you who read the Bible everyday, do you consider that prayer?
By the way, I for one will not be judging anyone for not having a consistent daily prayer life. I'm hoping we can encourage each others to at least try more often.
A priest once told us this story. When he was in the seminary he encountered a difficult person. He prayed to God to remove him from his life. God answered his prayer and the difficult person quit the seminary. But then another difficult person arrived. So he prayed again. But this time the guy stayed. So finally he decided to ask God for the ability to handle difficult people. And that prayer was answered too but not immediately.
I find that story very encouraging. And try to use the wisdom learnt in it for my own life. Not always successfully of course.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#2
heres another story. This one shows that persistence pays off in prayer. The mother of Augustine prayed for 17 years for her son to be saved from an atheistic, hedonistic life. Finally her prayers were answered. What patience! What a role model!
So if your prayers aren't being answered immediately, spare a thought for Monica. the mother of Augustine.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#3
The importance of prayer. I think if we truly pray, with all the sincerity we can muster, our relationships are bound to improve. (if they need improving that is)
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#4
The most important time to pray is the day before your death.
So, just in case you do die tomorrow, pray today.
(no intention to frighten more sensitive readers there)
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#5
then there is Contemplative Christian Prayer. some prefer this to the more scripted versions.
currently i like "real man to man prayer".
Talking to God but cutting to the chase. He can handle it. He's my boss. My employer but he is reasonable. If I want a day off he gives it to me.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,334
29,581
113
#8


The serenity prayer is a good one for all occasions also :D
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#9
I'm getting a strong sense that Magenta is a very prayerful, spiritual person.
Do you ever do free verse prayer Magenta?
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
113
#10
I try to talk to God whenever I think about it. I have prayed prayers when I was single and not knowing if God wanted me to have a partner or not. I would say to Him I don't know what to pray for. God chose to answer my prayer with Tourist who I met on this site and we were married in November 2014.

I have been angry with God and I remember walking across the parking lot leaving work one day saying I am mad at you and I'm not going to talk to you (God)…. I heard a chuckle and a question What are you doing right now? I honestly had to chuckle myself as I realized that indeed I was talking to Him even though I was mad...

I was on home plate up to bat in a softball game probably in my early 30's and I was praying Lord please help me make it to first base as I usually hit the ball toward first base and chased it to an out. At the same time thinking that God certainly had more important things to answer than if I got on a base or not and thought to myself this is a silly request. I hit the ball and it was kind of like I bunted it but didn't do it intentionally and started running toward first base. They threw the ball over first base and the coach yelled for me to run to second base and I did and also could hear the ball coming in the air and again they over threw second base and the coach was yelling run to third base and I did and there I stopped and I was jumping up and down on third base praising God as my lousy hit and the errors of over throwing the ball had gotten me to third base. Then I was reminded that God does hear our prayers and He answered mine and gave me much more than I expected. It is something I will always remember and be grateful for a silly prayer answered by a loving God. Saying to me that if it is important to us it is important to Him.

So I say just talk to God as you would talk to a friend and let Him know what is going on. He knows already but I think and am sure that He likes to hear it directly from us and He is big enough to handle when we are angry, or if we have a silly request, because He loves us and always has time to hear what we want to talk about with Him. He loves us so much and just wants us to love Him back.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#11
I try to talk to God whenever I think about it. I have prayed prayers when I was single and not knowing if God wanted me to have a partner or not. I would say to Him I don't know what to pray for. God chose to answer my prayer with Tourist who I met on this site and we were married in November 2014.

I have been angry with God and I remember walking across the parking lot leaving work one day saying I am mad at you and I'm not going to talk to you (God)…. I heard a chuckle and a question What are you doing right now? I honestly had to chuckle myself as I realized that indeed I was talking to Him even though I was mad...

I was on home plate up to bat in a softball game probably in my early 30's and I was praying Lord please help me make it to first base as I usually hit the ball toward first base and chased it to an out. At the same time thinking that God certainly had more important things to answer than if I got on a base or not and thought to myself this is a silly request. I hit the ball and it was kind of like I bunted it but didn't do it intentionally and started running toward first base. They threw the ball over first base and the coach yelled for me to run to second base and I did and also could hear the ball coming in the air and again they over threw second base and the coach was yelling run to third base and I did and there I stopped and I was jumping up and down on third base praising God as my lousy hit and the errors of over throwing the ball had gotten me to third base. Then I was reminded that God does hear our prayers and He answered mine and gave me much more than I expected. It is something I will always remember and be grateful for a silly prayer answered by a loving God. Saying to me that if it is important to us it is important to Him.

So I say just talk to God as you would talk to a friend and let Him know what is going on. He knows already but I think and am sure that He likes to hear it directly from us and He is big enough to handle when we are angry, or if we have a silly request, because He loves us and always has time to hear what we want to talk about with Him. He loves us so much and just wants us to love Him back.
informative post. thanks for sharing
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,334
29,581
113
#12
I'm getting a strong sense that Magenta is a very prayerful, spiritual person.
Do you ever do free verse prayer Magenta?
I had to look up what free verse prayer is... I did have a sense of what it is, though I do not think of myself as a very prayerful person in the way I think prayerful people are, for words often fail me, though my mind is very occupied with spiritual matters. I did put my hand to poetry many years ago at the outset of my spiritual seeking phase... Would you like to see some of them? They are here. :)
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#13
I had to look up what free verse prayer is... I did have a sense of what it is, though I do not think of myself as a very prayerful person in the way I think prayerful people are, for words often fail me. I did put my hand to poetry many years ago at the outset of my spiritual seeking phase... Would you like to see some of them? They are here. :)
i dont mean poetry. just regular free conversation with God like a friend
 
T

tasha66

Guest
#15
What do you do when you have prayed all yor life, and your prayers never seem to be answered?
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
113
#16
What do you do when you have prayed all yor life, and your prayers never seem to be answered?
Many times I have felt that my prayers went no higher than my ceiling, but we then have to listen to God. Sometimes He says no, sometimes He says yes and many times He says wait. He answers in His perfect timing not ours.

I have yelled at Him about being lonely, wanting to talk to Him face to face I hate this invisible thing just to know that He is real and out there.

It comes down to believing that He is faithful and that He is able to do what is best for us and that is just what He does. He will do whatever it takes to save us and He never gives up on us.

Maybe we are asking for the wrong things. The timing might not be right and God wants to develop our characters into His image for us to learn to love as He loves.

It's hard to pray for someone who has wronged you or hurt you and it is hard to forgive them but we are instructed to do so. If someone strikes you on the cheek turn the other cheek to them if they ask you to carry something for a mile carry it for two miles.

So sometimes I think that maybe I need to adjust my attitude that there might be something in me that's not quite right and God is working on that before He gets to my request. But I trust fully that He will answer and that the answer He has chosen for me is the very best option for me even if it turns out a different way than what I thought it should be.

When it is all said and done I think we will look back and see that God knows what is best for us and we would not have chosen a different answer than the one He gave us.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#17
What do you do when you have prayed all yor life, and your prayers never seem to be answered?
youve made curious what you are praying for. 😀
 

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
May 29, 2018
8,268
5,516
113
Anaheim, Cali.
#19
youve made curious what you are praying for. 😀
For all financial, famliy and legal obsticles to be clared so I can go to Canada to be with the woman I love and either get involved with or start a new ministry. To the homeless, alcoholics/addicts and mentally ill, that are on the streets and dying every day..
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#20
I don't understand this answer - can you clarify?
i just wanted to know what you were praying for. That God wouldnt answer that prayer. None of my business of course. Feel free to ignore Tash.