Questions tagged [prayer]
The way in which believers communicate to God
-4
votes
3answers
121 views
Why did Jesus ask for forgiveness?
If Jesus lived a perfect life, for what was he asking forgiveness when said the Lord's prayer? What "debt" or "trespass" had he committed that he felt needed to be forgiven?
If he was just giving a ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
Is there a prayer to rebuke storms at sea?
My mom comes from a family of fishermen and ship captains, the vast majority of all men in her city are still doing of those professions, I live in Lebanon, middle east.
She told me more than once ...
2
votes
0answers
117 views
How is praying understood within the “Death of God” theology?
Theologians like Hamilton and Altizer defend a "secular Theology" that tries to banish the Deus ex machina of traditional Theism. So far so good, but how does one pray before God etsi Deus non ...
4
votes
2answers
165 views
How do I know when to cross myself during Mass (Novus Ordo)?
I've been going to Catholic (Latin Rite) Mass my whole life and am constantly surprised by the different times that people will cross themselves during the Liturgy.
I only do it when the Priest says ...
1
vote
0answers
50 views
Why do Catholics venerate Our Lady? [duplicate]
This is a simple question. Why do Catholics venerate and pray to Our Lady?
God says not to do it.
2
votes
1answer
114 views
Modern Hesychasm in Christianity
There is a hindu contemplative tradition called self-inquiry, where a seeker of God asks "who am I?" to expose the person as unreal (a collection of self-image, body, identification, etc.) The ...
1
vote
0answers
184 views
Did St. Anthony of Padua write the “Be Satisfied with Me” prayer?
There is a prayer floating around online called "Be Satisfied with Me" that starts off as follows:
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
According to Jesus in the New Testament, where by name are the three places one ought to worship God?
Someone in The New Testament mentions two places where one ought to worship God. Jesus says that in the Messianic Era neither place will be where one ought to worship God. Which are these two places ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
Are there any trinitarian Christian denominations that believe one should only pray to the Father, not to Jesus?
Are there any trinitarian Christian denominations that believe one should only pray to the Father, not to Jesus?
If so, what are they and what is there scriptural basis for believing so?
2
votes
1answer
33 views
What is the justification for relying on faith healing and conventional medicine?
As a contrast to What is the justification for relying on faith healing over conventional medicine?, I thought I'd ask the opposite. What is the justification for relying on faith and conventional ...
6
votes
4answers
250 views
What is the biblical basis for praying to Jesus, as opposed to praying to God in the name of Jesus?
What is the biblical basis for praying to Jesus, as opposed to praying to God in the name of Jesus?
My question is based on John 14:13–14:
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the ...
5
votes
2answers
123 views
What happens to a rejected grace?
When I pray for someone's conversion and God gives him the grace to convert but he/she rejects it. He won't end up converting and constantly is rejecting God's grace. I can see that God was putting ...
1
vote
1answer
720 views
What was the Angelic Psalter that Our Lady told St. Dominic to preach?
In St. Louis de Montfort's The Secret of the Rosary he quotes the Blessed Virgin Mary talking to St. Dominic:
"I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been ...
1
vote
2answers
538 views
Is it only Catholicism that says grace on food?
edit:
Why is saying a prayer before eating called "saying grace?" God has grace in giving the food but wouldn't it be man's grace if we're "saying" it? or has it come from earlier when people were "...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
What do JW, Evangelicals and Mormons believe about hastening the Return of Jesus? [closed]
I've found some Protestant and Catholic articles about interpreting (Peter 3:12, Revelation 22:20, Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 18:1-8) as the opportunity, for Christians, to hasten the Return of the Lord ...
2
votes
0answers
39 views
How does the divine office compare between the different rites?
I'm wondering how the liturgy of the hours looks different in different quarters of the church. When Byzantine Christians pray the Divine Office, how is it different to when Latin Christians pray the ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
According to Lutherans, do angels pray for us?
I was looking at this question, and the answers don't really cover any viewpoints aside from that of the Roman Catholic Church. The second answer quotes Grudem, but the answerer's claim that he speaks ...
1
vote
3answers
360 views
Abraham's bosom and Praying to Abraham
I have discovered recently that some Christians believe Abraham's bosom is an literal place.
For those who have this view, was Abraham believed to be the ruler of this place? And was it perfectly ...
2
votes
2answers
164 views
Did the early church devote themselves to prayer or to “the prayers”, and if the latter, which prayers?
I couldn't decide if this fit better in Hermeneutics or here, but anyways:
Acts 2:42 NIV - They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
...
15
votes
8answers
8k views
Do Mormons secretly pray about you and then consider you included in their church?
I met two men on the street who were Mormons. We had a nice discussion and they gave me their book with a bookmark pointing to a verse in it.
Later that day I met with my friend and he said I ...
2
votes
1answer
229 views
How does “Lead us not into temptation” need to be interpreted? [closed]
When we Christians recite the "Our Father", we always say:
... and lead us not into temptation ...
From this quote I understand very clearly that God can lead us to temptation thus contradicting ...
16
votes
1answer
486 views
What is the earliest known instance of a petition directed to Mary?
A recent answer on this site says that "People have always prayed to Mary as a chief intercessor on their behalf." Such a statement will surely seem excessive to Protestants, who would normally ...
0
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0answers
79 views
How to propose a change in a prayer?
How can I go about proposing a change in a prayer? Or how can I have the change approved by the Catholic Church or their theologians?
I'd like to change the prayer of Hail Mary from:
Holy Mary, ...
7
votes
1answer
125 views
Has the Catholic Church ever attempted a local substitute for the word Amen?
The suffix 'Amen' has been in use in the prayers of virtually all Christian denominations across the world, though the pronunciation differs from place to place. Given that the names of God and Jesus ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Why pray to Jesus and not to the Father? (Catholic perspective)
Jesus always refers the Father as to be greater than himself.
For example:
You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to ...
0
votes
3answers
444 views
What is the biblical basis for the idea that God stores our prayers?
I've heard that God stores our prayers. Where does He store them; is it in a bottle, a scroll, a book? What scripture supports this claim?
3
votes
4answers
5k views
What is the Biblical support for praying for the dead?
In the question Absolution for a daughter an answer was posted that started by saying:
The Rites of the Church do include prayers for the dead. It's not
possible actually to absolve sins after ...
3
votes
1answer
707 views
Are LDS required to take their hats off when they pray?
Is it part of the LDS religion to remove your hat during prayer? Or is that just part of western culture as a sign of respect? Are LDS required to remove their hats when they pray? Or can they pray ...
5
votes
2answers
10k views
Why do LDS cross their arms during prayer?
When praying, many Latter Day Saints will cross their arms during prayer:
This appears to be in lieu of folding hands as has been done by protestants and Catholics for centuries:
What is the origin ...
4
votes
2answers
400 views
Are Catholics not supposed to pray the St. Michael Prayer?
I was looking up exorcism stuff on the Vatican website and stumbled across this from (then) Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)
From these prescriptions it follows that it is not ...
1
vote
2answers
214 views
What is the prayer of faith as recorded in James 5:15?
James 5:15 says that the prayer of faith will save the sick. Is there a specific prayer of faith?
1
vote
3answers
104 views
Is it ok to pray different prayers in conjunction to one another? [closed]
I would like to know if it's appropriate to pray different prayers in conjunction with another?
For Example:
The Litany of Humility
Rosary
Prayer to a specific Saint
bedtime prayer
22
votes
3answers
7k views
What's up with churches and guitars in this joke from The Big Bang Theory?
From The Big Bang Theory S10E12:
Mary: Thank you, God, for the food we are about to receive and for the nourishment of our bodies and bless the hands that prepared it. Amen.
Sheldon: Given ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the significance of a church being “consecrated”?
Related to this question. I've split it into two questions because I didn't want to ask too much in one go.
My local parish church has a sign out the front which says "Australia's oldest consecrated ...
2
votes
1answer
730 views
What is involved in the consecration of a Church?
What is actually involved in consecrating a Catholic church? Does a priest or bishop just come and say a prayer over/towards the building? If so, what is the prayer? Are there any liturgical gestures ...
2
votes
3answers
530 views
Is it permissible for a Catholic to pray the Salat?
I'm thinking of visiting a mosque on Wednesday. I've done this before a couple of years ago and it was a very valuable experience. The last time I visited I joined in the Salat and thought it was a ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Connection between the Jesus Prayer and chanting “Jesus!” during worship?
According to Wikipedia:
The Jesus' Prayer (Greek: Η Προσευχή του Ιησού, i prosefchí tou iisoú; Syriac: ܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܝܫܘܥ , Amharic, Geez and Tigrinya: እግዚኦ መሐረነ ክርስቶስ,Slotho d-Yeshu' , ) or "The Prayer" ...
3
votes
1answer
213 views
What Prayer/words are associated with the solemn sign of the cross?
With the normal sign of the cross you are supposed to say "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit/Ghost" as you trace the cross on your body.
The solemn sign of the cross is the ...
4
votes
1answer
369 views
How do small groups pray the Liturgy of the Hours?
At my troop's Federation of North American Explorers meetings, the leaders and the boys pray the Liturgy of the Hours together sometimes for our prayer at the end of meetings. We often do it with ...
3
votes
2answers
199 views
Why do Catholics ask for things from an omniscient and omnibenevolent God?
Prayer as praise is rational. It makes sense for people to tell a loving God that they love him too. But I don't understand why Catholics ask things of a God who is omniscient (“all knowing”), ...
8
votes
1answer
392 views
Can a devil use one prayer to prevent us from praying different one? (Catholic perspective)
We all know the importance of praying the rosary. But I have also been praying The Twelve-year Prayer of S. Bridget of Sweden.
I noticed one very important thing. Anytime I got into a temptation it ...
2
votes
2answers
81 views
No non-Latin prayers in European churches before Reformation?
Is this true that before the Reformation, all Christians in Europe would have to study Latin in order to understand the prayers pronounced during Masses in Roman Catholic Churches?
3
votes
2answers
366 views
Is falling to the floor during blessings or prayers supported in Roman Catholic doctrine?
In the Pentecostal Church and some other Christian movements, during blessings or prayers people often fall to the floor. This is critiqued by some people. But today I saw a Roman Catholic priest and ...
1
vote
1answer
549 views
Can I pray for the past to change certain aspects of life? (Catholic perspective)
I'd like to know if according to the Catholic teaching I can pray for the past events that didn't happen?
For example:
If a woman miscarried a child which means the child wasn't baptized and at that ...
0
votes
2answers
238 views
In Catholicism, do scripted and unscripted prayers have equal importance to one's spiritual identity and development?
By scripted prayer I mean prayers such as Our Father, Daily Bread, and Eucharistic prayers. I would also include prayers such as the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi and Prayer to the Holy Spirit.
By ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
Does God, according to Catholic theology, precondition His help on other people's prayers and if so, why?
We are told by the Church many times the importance of prayers for others. It would seem that we can help other people by praying for them, or, to be more precise, we can plead God's grace for those ...
2
votes
2answers
254 views
Does the Eastern Orthodox Church have guidelines on which language to recite the Jesus Prayer in?
Does it matter in which language the Jesus Prayer is recited, in order to bring about the Prayer of the Heart? I can find some reasons for using one's mother tongue, but also a few for using for ...
5
votes
1answer
695 views
What is the prayer roll at an LDS temple, and how is it used?
Latter-day Saints sometimes talk about "putting a name on the prayer roll" at their local temple. This practice is mentioned in Church magazines and on LDS.org, but is never explained in detail.
What ...
18
votes
3answers
740 views
When is the first time in church history we find a prayer ending with “in Jesus' name, amen”?
It is commonplace in Christianity today to close prayers "in Jesus' name, amen". I don't see any prayer in the apostolic writings prayed in this way. When does this first emerge in history?
14
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the origin of the Christian tradition of praying before eating? [duplicate]
This is sort of related this other question about holding hands when praying before a meal. However this question is more generally about the praying itself.
When looking at the origin of ...
