The way in which believers communicate to God
5
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the meaning of “anything” in Matthew 18:19-20?
In Matthew 18:19-20, Jesus says:
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
How does prayer and action affect God's plan? [duplicate]
Here is a scenario to explain my question.
If God planned to give you a car on your 30th birthday but you did not pray for it, will he not give it to you?
Or what if its not in his plan to give you ...
11
votes
1answer
110 views
Why hold hands for grace?
My impression is that, among many Christians, people around a table saying a prayer thanking Jesus for a meal hold hands with one another. What is the origin of this practice, and are there any ...
1
vote
2answers
66 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 ...
10
votes
2answers
146 views
Do Roman Catholics believe Saints are omnipresent?
I understand that officially speaking when Catholics pray to saints, they are not supposed to really pray TO that saint, but rather are asking that saint to pray for them as you would ask any living ...
14
votes
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 ...
2
votes
2answers
82 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
111 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
86 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 ...
20
votes
4answers
699 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
72 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?
6
votes
2answers
104 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
139 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
322 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
6k 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
60 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
93 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
71 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
192 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
340 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
128 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
81 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
234 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
107 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
132 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
194 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
123 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 ...
33
votes
5answers
586 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
42 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
251 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
77 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
5answers
983 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
46 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
334 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
60 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
107 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
360 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
349 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
348 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
145 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
220 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
126 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
791 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
127 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
76 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 ...
