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OneJohn410 -> RE: Ever pray this way before? (9/16/2008 12:11:02 PM)
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quote:
perhaps I can find away to get alone and pray like that if i choose to. perhaps kids don't associate yelling with love, but perhaps i also wouldn't want to teach them to wear a mask either. As a spiritual leader, I wouldn't want to teach my kids false piety either. Brother, should I then pray a bunch of pretty and pious prayers even if I don't mean them? Brother, they're are even people that kiss up to God in trying times just so God will make things better for them. let me ask you something, is that effective?
I'm not making light of expressing emotion in prayer. I'm suggesting that when a brother in Christ has a problem with how another person is praying, that the fault-finder has a problem. None of us know how to approach the Lord in prayer, and for that very reason He gave His disciples and believers today someone to be the middleman for us, so that we could be heard-- the Holy Spirit. That's not my opinion, that's Scripture. So, any piousness, prettiness, yelling, anger, whatever... there's no telling what of that is really heard at God's end. We are told the Spirit groans. We don't even know if God hears how we situate ourselves in prayer, or how many masks we are wearing, or what mood we are in- none of that. All that's stuff of earth, how we view how we are at the time of prayer. Now, in a group setting, where everyone drops their head to their feet and mumbles though a prayer where the group can't hear what is being said- to me, that's almost worthless time. I can say I almost despise that. It ain't pious, but it doesn't share the love, or what's being said, to where the same thing doesn't get prayed for ten times. A group prayer should be able to be heard by the whole group, and people should put a little air behind their words and not use a childlike voice. That I don't understand. I know what it is to hear emotionless prayer, and if that's all that is heard from some people, then sure, it could be a hard thing, especially if you are an emotional prayer.
I don't think God appreciates false piety, or masks of joy and contentment that cover over true feelings. I don't know what about today's society challenges Christians to be brutally honest with each other in prayer sessions, and feel like they've got to guard things. I don't think God appreciates any showboating in a group prayer setting either. But for masks, and nighttime prayers of children before bed and such, I wouldn't lead my kids in yelling anger at God in order to get rid of it before bed. When there's a Holy Spirit on the scene, He's really on the scene, and He's taking the whole picture to the Father. It doesn't matter if you are wearing 18 masks and just had your third Cabriolet totalled, and your wife is in poor health, and you've lost your job. Silently sobbing to yourself somewhere is going to be the same as walking around the empty house yelling why you.
I would really caution you to not be measuring the effectiveness of your own prayers, or anyone elses. That's a mighty stance to take- I prayed like this so this should have been the result. That, to me brother, really screams of some spiritual deception happening courtesy of liar and company.
That's pretty much it, in probably twice as many words as I may have needed to type. We've obviously got different thinking about things, and I'm no master prayer warrior. I'm in prayer for you, that you can find a means of praying in a way that you are comfortable without being judgemental of others. Please pray for me, that I be more trusting and open with others when a prayer circle time comes.
In Christ,
OneJohn410
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