What comes first, the chicken or the egg?To follow up my earlier blunt answer above, I remember the Lord's Prayer was my very first prayer (age 25) I had sincerely prayed and it was at a time my eyes were opening up to the truth. It was also the first day in years things seemed to fall into place rather than continue to fall apart, as well as a sense of His presence persisted. And I simply read it as it was written in the Gospel...but with meaning.
It has been said that prayer and God's Word are like two wings of a bird, if one is missing the bird will fly in circles.
In which do you spend most of your time?
Does prayer come more difficult or easier that bible reading/study/devotion?
NOTE: This is not a debate thread.
What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
The Lord's prayer was learned from study--learned or hearing.
Yes, it does give us focus on Who we are praying to and adjusts our motive for praying in the first place.There have been times when I scrapped by with a wing and a prayer so I know where you're coming from. Bible reading / study / devotion can often provide clarity for what it is that you are really praying for. At least that's been my experience.
There's definitely no hiding secrets or pretending to be something you're not before God.David said in the pslams don't approach God with deceit on you lips. After several teachings on this and a bit of study this is what I found.
Express the truth about yourself, be as transparent as possible. If you don't feel the love say so. If you can't forgive say so. So many approach God with false pretenses. Remember he knows your heart.
Prayer is a expression of true feelings. The scriptures say if you lack ask....God wants to give you a new heart. The one we have is deceitful in so many ways. Make that closet of yours a holy place...undefiled....a place of safety. Never be afraid to express the truth to God.
It has been said that prayer and God's Word are like two wings of a bird, if one is missing the bird will fly in circles.
In which do you spend most of your time?
Does prayer come more difficult or easier that bible reading/study/devotion?
NOTE: This is not a debate thread.
There's a good point... Our perception of our neediness.if we say we don't lack
Some people think of prayer as a means to ask God for what they want Him to do for them, and Jesus did say we do not have because we do not ask, and yet I tend to think of prayer more as a means of aligning myself with God's will as opposed to asking Him to heed my own, and I know my will is being aligned with His when I make progress and grow in maturity as a person, even though I still often feel very much like a kid. I was brought up in a fairly strict Roman Catholic home that did teach prayer and Biblical principles, yet was seemingly very short on telling us Who Jesus really was, and what He did for us. This seems to be a common complaint of those who have exited the RCC. Of course I did not realize that so much when I rebelled against the church and her traditions as a teenager, for how could I know what I was not taught? I found out later.
I was also taught to pray many years later in the process of my recovery, and even while not Christian I did pray quite a bit, and very fervently. Now at meetings I sometimes good naturedly say I am a recovered Catholic. The 12 step program teaches people to pray, regardless of Whom they regard God to be, and this is a good thing. When I first cried out to God for help, I did not believe in the God Who answered my plea (which saw me getting clean and sober for the first time after twenty four years of drug and alcohol addiction), even though He had revealed Himself to me through unconditional love, absolute understanding, and forgiveness, when I sought knowledge of Who Jesus was at one of the lowest, most broken points of my life six years earlier. Praise God for His goodness and mercy!