The way in which believers communicate to God
14
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7answers
2k views
Why isn't God mentioned in Esther?
As you may know, God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, either by name (Yahweh), title (Adonai), or being (El). Neither is prayer.
Why not? I realize this is rather open ended, so I'll try to ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
How have Christians dealt with “I prayed my way to moral behavior”?
I was in discussion with some friends about sin. I believe that passages like "Be Perfect (Mt 5:48)", as well as many of the other tough sayings from Jesus, inform us that the continuing standard is ...
2
votes
2answers
70 views
Why do we only pray for things that are possible to happen? [closed]
Why don't we pray for something that is impossible for natural phenomenon to happen. Like for example when a guy has a POLIO and his feet got amputated why don't we pray that his feet grows again ...
3
votes
2answers
64 views
Why do Mormons/LDS refer to God as “Heavenly Father” rather than “Our Heavenly Father”?
I have noticed a very subtle distinction in the way Protestants and LDS refer to God. When Protestants pray to God, he may address Him as "Heavenly Father", but when they speak about God, they seem ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Can we pray from any position?
I enjoy praying lying in bed just before I sleep ... until I fall asleep. In church I usually pray with my hands simply by my side or even with my hands in my pockets. I just let them stay wherever ...
5
votes
1answer
71 views
Why does the Litany of Saint Joseph call him “terror of demons”?
A litany for Joseph, the husband of Mary, was approved by Pope St Pius X in 1909 (*). Most of the invocations are straightforward to understand, referring to his life (eg. "husband of the Mother of ...
18
votes
4answers
613 views
What is the purpose of Prayer?
We are having a lovely discussion in chat about the purpose and efficacy of prayer.
I am of the opinion that God has a plan and the future is completely set. However I also believe that you should ...
3
votes
2answers
69 views
Why do we explicitly need to ask for help through prayer? [duplicate]
Since God is omniscient not only does he know all of our hardships but he also knows that we want him to help us through said hardships. Why do we explicitly ask for help through prayer?
5
votes
2answers
89 views
To which Saints may a Catholic pray, and when can this begin?
The Catholic Church teaches, as I understand it, that a person may pray to a Saint, and this Saint will then intercede along with that person to God concerning the request (or something like that). ...
3
votes
2answers
133 views
Why worship saints / Mary / Angels?
When John falls down in his knees to worship the angel, the angel tells him immediately to stop because he is just a worshiper like him, so all the glory is for the Lord.
It is I, John, who heard ...
16
votes
7answers
312 views
How should Christians meditate?
In the recent years the word Meditation is used widely by everyone, and the word is used widely in non-religious context too.
Should we, Christians meditate? If yes, what should we do while ...
13
votes
2answers
5k views
What is the origin of praying hands folded?
I was taught in Sunday school to pray hands folded. On the other hand, there's no biblical mention of the practice (as far as I know). It actually doesn't seem to matter which position we pray in.
...
4
votes
2answers
55 views
Are there designated circumstances for making prayer to Jesus and making prayer to God?
The vast majority of Christians believe that Jesus is God, however, they are also mysteriously separate beings, yet the same as well (the Trinity). It is acceptable to those same Christians to pray to ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Can angels speak to us?
This is perhaps slightly related to this question, and specifically this answer which points out that "the worship of angels [is] false doctrine ... praying to angels arguably may not be worship, ...
10
votes
2answers
67 views
Is there any record of a visual method of prayer in the Bible?
Some context: I am deaf, though I can hear because of cochlear implants. As I have been able to hear since I was about 6.5 years old, I have an internal voice like pretty much every single ...
1
vote
3answers
160 views
Did Jesus pray to God in the Gospel?
Did Jesus pray to God according to the prevalent Jewish customs? How did he pray to God? What does the Gospel say about it?
6
votes
1answer
160 views
Is there a difference between prayer and petition?
Philippians 4:6 uses two words, possibly implying a difference between prayer and petition. Can someone explain what this difference is?
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about ...
10
votes
1answer
116 views
Do any Protestant denominations practice meditative or contemplative prayer?
Having read David's answer to How much are psalms and other prayers from Bible understood as actual prayer in Protestantism?, I wonder whether any Protestants practice meditative or contemplative ...
3
votes
2answers
70 views
How much are psalms and other prayers from Bible understood as actual prayer in Protestantism?
I know psalms and other Biblical songs are often sung as hymns, read and cited, but I wonder to which extent is this understood as a prayer by Protestants.
To be more concrete, is the use of psalms ...
8
votes
2answers
228 views
What substitutes for prayers for the Pope's intentions during sede vacante?
One of the requirments one must meet to obtain an indulgence is to pray for the [edit]intentions of the[/edit] pope. When there's no pope, what's the substitute? I guess it's the conclave and the next ...
4
votes
2answers
90 views
Why did Protestants abandon Liturgy of the Hours?
In Divine office or Liturgy of the Hours as it is practiced in Catholic Church there's nothing bad for Protestants (or at least nothing of which I know that Protestants consider bad); prayer is good ...
7
votes
2answers
130 views
How are doxologies formed for common prayers?
I'm not sure of the exact definition, but a doxology seems to be a prayer tagged at the end which consists of some sort of invocation of the Blessed Trinity.
I'm just wondering if the actual words ...
10
votes
2answers
186 views
Praying the Liturgy of the Hours in private; out loud
For the laity, when praying the Liturgy of the Hours in private, is it more in keeping with tradition to you pray out loud or silently or does it matter?
Also, do you change the way you repeat ...
5
votes
1answer
118 views
What translation does the Catholic Breviary of England use for Psalms?
I've heard that in England the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours uses a different translation for the readings from the U. S. (Specifically, the British use Jerusalem Bible in their liturgies ...
32
votes
5answers
566 views
Praying to people outside the Trinity
I understand that the Roman Catholic church direct some prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus. For me it would be strange to address my prayers to anyone outside the Holy Trinity. Do Catholics pray to ...
1
vote
2answers
40 views
What is the mental representation of God during prayer?
In the Bible, we find an internal representation of God, who is within us. For example:
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke ...
4
votes
2answers
226 views
C.S. Lewis's petitionary prayer paradox
The problem i am submitting to you arises not about prayer in general but only about that kind of prayer which consists of request or petition.... I have no answer to my problem, though I have taken ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
Making a vow and defaulting - is there forgiveness?
Sometimes we make vows to God that are hard for us to keep and the Bible advised (I couldn't remember this portion: Hosea or Malachi - and Google didn't help too) that we should not be rash when ...
5
votes
6answers
949 views
Which God do Muslims pray to according to Catholic, Orthodox and main-stream Protestant tradition?
Which God do Muslims pray to according to Catholic, Orthodox and main-stream Protestant tradition?
They believe that God cannot be One and Three at the same time. They believe that God can only be ...
6
votes
1answer
45 views
How are the persons of the Trinity distinctively active in a Christian's prayer?
Another way of asking this question is by saying, "When God interacts with praying Christians, how do the persons of the Trinity interact in ways that neither of the other two persons do?" I'm asking ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
Are silent prayers heard?
Growing up in the church, silent prayers are pretty much part of how I pray. However, challenging assumptions, I'm curious to know how biblical this is.
Every prayer I read about in the Bible is ...
-3
votes
4answers
323 views
Why not give credit where credit is due?
Why do people often seem to give credit to their God instead of themselves or those directly deserved of the credit?
For example, the food you eat likely came from a farm or store, why not thank the ...
7
votes
1answer
56 views
How much time did medieval Christians devote to prayer?
I was critiqued on this answer concerning it taking less time out of the day for someone to be a Muslim than a Christian, and that may be untrue for a majority of Christians today.
But how much ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Purpose of prayer?
Let's assume both a non-believer and a Christian has a fever. The Christian prays to God for healing of his fever. The non-believer doesn't do anything. 1 week later both recover from their fever.
...
10
votes
3answers
304 views
What is the Biblical or traditional precedent or command regarding praying before meals?
A very common Christian practice is to "say grace" or to "give thanks" before each meal. What is the Biblical precedent or command for this? In other words, why do we give thanks then and not before ...
12
votes
3answers
345 views
“I will lift Your Name”
Lots of Christian Rock songs have a curious metaphor about "Lifting Your Name". Is this a direct reference to the words of St. Paul, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend (Phil 2:10)?
...
3
votes
5answers
1k views
What does the Bible say about how we should pray?
Context
In Matthew 6:7-15, we see Jesus
telling his disciples to not use vain repetitions as the heathens do
giving a specific example of how to pray
It's furthermore noted that prayer is a ...
4
votes
2answers
338 views
Why do some traditions recite the Lord's Prayer word for word?
Why do some traditions recite the Lord's Prayer word for word?
I know a lot of Christians that do this, but I am having trouble understanding why. Is the Lord's prayer recited by anyone anywhere else ...
5
votes
2answers
143 views
When and where did Pope Paul VI say the “Mass is the most perfect form of prayer”?
I was trying to source this quote,
The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer - Pope Paul VI
but the Google, in her wisdom, seems to think I only want to see what my fellow zealous Mary lovers ...
8
votes
3answers
212 views
Are there any mandatory prayers in Christianity?
Does Bible impose any type of mandatory prayer that you have to offer at particular time or particular day? If so, what are some important prayers? Is a prayer at Church more worthy than a prayer at ...
4
votes
2answers
123 views
How to contemplate without the urge to have to comprehend
What makes people feel they have to figure it all out? How can someone strengthen their spirituality through contemplation while avoiding a desire to try to understand everything?
14
votes
5answers
750 views
Praying for someone's salvation. Is there a point?
According to I Timothy 2:4 (NIV), God "...wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth".
But since we have free will, God cannot make us choose to accept the salvation that is ...
5
votes
2answers
125 views
If miracles stopped after the Apostles, then why are there admonitions to pray over people?
There are a number of groups who believed that after the time of the Apostles, God withdrew miracles from the world (please correct me if that is the wrong understanding). But the book of James ...
5
votes
1answer
83 views
At what level of detail does God lead His children?
It seems that some people worry and pray about every aspect of their life, while others only sweat the big stuff. For example, I doubt any believer does not pray about whether they should marry a ...
4
votes
2answers
74 views
Is there a record of an association of prayer with pain?
It is well known and well documented that spiritual ecstasies (and the like) are present in Christianity (Paul caught up into heaven &c.). I am looking for theological works which expound on the ...
4
votes
2answers
121 views
Vacillating passion for Christ
Throughout a person's life they might experience some incredible highs in their relationship with Christ. They might receive answers to prayers and/or a bounty of unexpected blessings. A person might ...
15
votes
5answers
487 views
To whom should we pray? To the Father or the son Jesus or the Holy spirit?
While praying how should we pray? Should we praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to whom should we ask? To the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit?
John 14:14 (ESV) says
If you ...
5
votes
4answers
131 views
What is the “path” of a prayer?
When we pray, does Jesus hear us? Is there a direct point of contact or is it received by all three persons of the trinity simultaneously?
2
votes
1answer
120 views
Open my eyes so I may see
2 Kings 6:15-17 (KJV)
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, ...
5
votes
3answers
204 views
What biblical reasons are there for using the Lord's Prayer as a pattern for prayer rather than a prayer to repeat verbatim?
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gave the disciples what we refer to as "The Lord's Prayer", (though Jesus Himself would never have prayed this, having no sin to confess).
Some traditions use this prayer as ...
