Category Archives: Prayer

by | January 31, 2016 · 12:02 pm

Repetition in prayer

It’s a common practice among Protestants to condemn Catholics for “praying as pagans do.” The passage they cite is Matthew 6:7. Here are some parallel translations:

  • “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (KJV)
  • “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (ESV)
  • “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” (NIV)
  • “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” (NABRE)

The key point is not whether or not a prayer is repetitive.

How often do we sing repetitive worship songs?

The key point is the nature of the pray-er’s intention.

  • “Vain” means to have no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment. I.e., “empty phrases.”
  • “Babble” means “talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way.” In other words, to spew hot air.

What Jesus was condemning was not putting your mind or heart into your prayers. He cited pagan pray-ers, but really … even a very short prayer is vain and empty, if it is said without thought or feeling.

Be a prayer warrior

I saw this piece by Frederica Mathewes-Green on her Facebook page. It gives a wonderful explanation for why, repetition in REAL prayer can be a good thing.

repetition

frederica

(continue reading here)

 

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by | January 5, 2016 · 5:27 pm

Worker of Mercy

Swiss Guard praying on job

It is a spiritual work of mercy to pray for the living and the dead.
https://polination.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/the-extraordinary-jubilee-year-of-mercy/

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by | December 20, 2015 · 11:09 pm

Prayers please

I’ve been really sick this week.

CAT fat sleeping

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by | December 15, 2015 · 3:49 pm

PRAYCOTT!

“Don’t get mad. Get even.”

It’s not what Jesus taught. His version would be, “Don’t get mad. Get praying.”

What he actually said was “pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44), but close enough, right?

So I had this thought … you’ve heard of boycotts, where people refuse to shop somewhere, and buycotts, where people go out of their way to shop somewhere, right?

How about if we declare a Christian praycott?

When we are attacked, we will refuse to nurture anger or pursue revenge. Instead, we will go out of our way to pray that God will shine His light of Truth on the sins of our enemies and that He will call them to repentance and conversion before it’s too late.

JESUS I like where this is going

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by | December 6, 2015 · 9:26 am

Okay is not good enough for God

This week, Dearest replaced an old, dim, buzzing fluorescent light over the sink with a bright, white LED one that is blessedly silent. The up side is obviously that there’s no hum and the light is bright enough at the sink now that I can see clearly. The down side is that I discovered the sink area was not actually clean. Ahem.

2015_12 05 D put in new kit light

I had a little spiritual ah ha moment from the Lord during my Bible time today on this topic. Two of the readings mentioned light … Jesus is the light of the world and God shines His light into the darkness and reveals hidden truths.

My kitchen light revealing subtle splashes and schmutz I hadn’t been able to see before reminded me of St Teresa of Avila’s thing about spiritual growth being like gardening. She said that, first, God goes in with us and starts ripping out the ginormous weeds. When that’s done, He wants us to tackle all the middle sized weeds we couldn’t see before. When those are gone, He wants us to get down and really dig into our consciences to get at those small and hidden things that lurk like bits of crab grass root.

I’ve noticed that the more a person works at being truly holy, the more humble they seem to become. I think I get now why that is. 🙂

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by | December 4, 2015 · 12:05 pm

The correct response is not outrage

I’m seeing a lot of righteous outrage concerning the Daily News cover page and the CNN newscast that pimped it. And while I understand and empathize with the desire to turn over tables, I think the correct response for all Christians should be a thorough self-examination, followed by a sincere confession and commitment to conversion and prayer.

2015_12 03 Left disses prayer

This is a good aid for examining your conscience, regardless of whether you confess privately or to a priest.
http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html

Source:

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by | November 20, 2015 · 1:45 pm

Prayer Request for Blogger Down

BloggerDown
Freedom1781 has been a familiar conservative blogger and patriot for most of the Age of Obama, starting out at HillBuzz and then migrating to Motley’s HoneyTrail and the Conservative Treehouse, then to For God, Family & Country and most recently PoliNation and other forums. She is fine, but her husband just recently sustained life-threatening injuries. He’s a good man I’ve met on several occasions, and he’s not just a proud patriot, but he’s a direct descendent of American revolutionary war heroes.

ad39f320ee1b0115f60483a7f081ced9Unfortunately, that “white privilege” didn’t keep him from working outside under dangerous conditions a few weeks ago and taking a long fall that crushed his spine and pelvis and one of his arms. After some reconstruction, he faces a long road to rehabilitation, and he has a wife and young daughter who face a lot of heartache and difficulty. She asks for prayers. God bless these good people.

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by | November 17, 2015 · 4:16 pm

As for me and my house

Dear Lord, Please place a hedge of protection around all our law enforcement and military members that no harm may come to them. Grant them wisdom as they determine which leads are worth following, that they may be successful in averting disaster. Amen.

2015_11 16 Coin of two realms by Terrell

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by | November 16, 2015 · 9:42 pm

MYTHBUSTERS: Jesus did not teach pacifism

Jesus did not say we should be doormats for every bully that comes along.

When He said, “Turn the other cheek”, he was using a common rabbinical teaching tool known as ‘hyperbole’ in order to accentuate an important point.  Other examples of hyperbole from the Sermon on the Mount include:

  • “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away” (Matt 5:29).
  • “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matt 5:30).

To correctly interpret Jesus’ words, we must consider everything we know about what He said and did. Consider John 18:22-23 for example, where Jesus does not meekly turn the other cheek when someone smacks Him.

One of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”

WWJD turning tables

And far from condemning military service, Jesus praised the faith of the Roman centurion (Matt 8:8ff) and told the apostles to “take up a sword” for self-defense (Luke 22:36-38).

Pope's army false meme

To correctly interpret Jesus’ words, we also need to ensure we have them translated properly.

Thou shalt not kill

Ecclesiastes 3:1,3,7,8 says,“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Jesus whipped the money changers, then rebuked Peter for using violence to try and stop His arrest.  He talked back to the temple guard, then quietly submitted to His undeserved torture and death. Given such conflicting examples, the only way we can be sure we are making good choices in our daily lives is to be in constant communication with the One who knows everything.

In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:6-7

Source:

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by | November 13, 2015 · 9:54 am

The Power of Prayer

Yes, God really is stronger than evil! But he’s not some helicopter parent who throws his weight around to make sure his precious darlings always get participation awards and blue ribbons for shoddy work. He’s more the stern, but loving Drill Instructor who drives his troops through PT because he knows how hard the battles will be.

For the Christian, prayer is PT.

Case in point: The Planned Parenthood facility in Bryan, Texas, is … no, wait, make that WAS … the PP that Abby Johnson managed for 8 years until her dramatic conversion to the pro-life cause. It is also the PP where 40 Days for Life began. 40 Days for Life is now in 559 cities across all 50 states and 27 countries with more than 625,000 participants.

This month, that same building that was once a place of death and despair has reopened as a place of life and hope, housing Hope Pregnancy Center and 40 Days for Life.

Hope Pregnancy Center

“This news shows what God can accomplish when His people pray,” Shawn Carney of 40 Days for Life said.

Hope Pregnancy Center, which is the majority owner of the building, cares for women, offering pregnancy testing, STD testing, ultrasounds, counseling, medical information – all completely free, with ultrasounds performed by a full-time registered nurse under the supervision of a licensed physician.

Tracy Frank, Executive Director of Hope Pregnancy Centers of Brazos Valley, told LifeSiteNews, “For over 15 years, we have prayed that God would remove the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic and give it to us. To many, it sounded like a prayer too big to believe, but God did indeed answer that prayer!”

Carney said 40 Days for Life will use their space in the building to grow the pro-life vigil movement “to help other cities become abortion-free.”

Frank noted that the costs were high for purchasing the building and renovating it, and asked for pro-lifers across America to pray. “Please pray for us, for God’s protection and provision,” she said. “We would like to clear the remaining debt on the building, $261,000, so we can be focused on doing God’s work, God’s way.”

Since the use of tax dollars makes sharing Jesus problematic, Hope Pregnancy Centers rely exclusively on private donors and churches for funding. All of their services are free and confidential.

Sources:

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