My annual Memorial Day thread (6 Viewers)

[SaintsBrazil]

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

What is your opinion on unspoken prayer requests? My wife’s Facebook page has a lot of those.
I’m not religious, but I can’t imagine praying for someone to get whatever their desired outcome is when they won’t share what it is.
They might be hoping for bad things.
Seems weird to me.

Like Abigail wanting Goodie Proctor dead
- Consequences

 

[Bleu Raeder]

... and say you will pray for someone, do you actually DO it? I do but not always and feel like a fraud because I don't know what to say to God. I don't know why I always feel disingenuous though I feel like a genuine person.

In that moment I pause to offer prayer. It only takes a moment.

 

[Madmarsha]

Prayer is talking to God. It's all about praying in faith, honestly, and humbly. If you don't want to talk to God, than don't pray. If you want a relationship with God, than pray. God already knows what your gonna say and what's on your heart, so pray with fear to our mighty God. Just remember HE loves you. God bless!

I talk to God all the time but I believe this, too, that he already knows my heart. I guess I'm worried what my heart is saying.

 

[tomwaits]

What is your opinion on unspoken prayer requests? My wife’s Facebook page has a lot of those.
I’m not religious, but I can’t imagine praying for someone to get whatever their desired outcome is when they won’t share what it is.
They might be hoping for bad things.
Seems weird to me.

When I see those requests, I pray that God would speak into their lives and give them peace. They are having some kind of distress in their life and even if I don't know what it is, God knows and I would pray that he would intervene in the way He knows is best not for any specific thing that the person is hoping for and is unspoken.

As for prayer overall, its a gift from God for us, not for Him. I know people will often say they are not sure how to pray or what to pray for. Romans 8:26-27 explains that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness when we don't know what we ought to pray. Prayers are not meant to impress God, but for us to help us in our trials to align with the will of God. They can also help us to love one another when we pray for each other.

 

[SaintSpyNDallas]

Prayer is so important. Communication is key in a relationship. Tell me a close relationship that has no communication? Prayer is talking to God. It's all about praying in faith, honestly, and humbly. If you don't want to talk to God, than don't pray. If you want a relationship with God, than pray. God already knows what your gonna say and what's on your heart, so pray with fear to our mighty God. Just remember HE loves you. God bless!

Hmmm...

Don't think of it like "I'm afraid of getting physically hurt if I don't". It's not like that. It's a reverent fear. Sort of like you would have for a parent. You recognize their authority and don't want to disappoint. Just see it as respect.

 

[sonicboom]

I talk to God all the time but I believe this, too, that he already knows my heart. I guess I'm worried what my heart is saying.

Sometimes it's best to just fess up. Don't be afraid of the good or bad that's in you, be afraid of not being honest with God, and not confessing your sins. When someone asks me to pray for them, I just pray something like this. Let me say this first, I'm a terrible prayer warrior, but I try.

O.k....

I will pray something like this..... God, I don't know what's going with this person, but I hope your will is done. I hope this person acknowledges your ways and becomes closer to you in this experience.

That's about it. I wish there was more depth, but that's it. I think the biggest lesson I learned in faith is.....I'am a weak, but HE is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. It's a song. lol

 

[SystemShock]

Don't think of it like "I'm afraid of getting physically hurt if I don't". It's not like that. It's a reverent fear. Sort of like you would have for a parent. You recognize their authority and don't want to disappoint. Just see it as respect.

Fear is fear. Fear and respect are two very different sentiments.

 

[rajncajn]

I don't pray on a daily basis, though I know I should, but when I say I will pray for someone I typically do in that moment. Then again usually when I check on their status afterward depending on the need.

 

[rajncajn]

Fear is fear. Fear and respect are two very different sentiments.

It's a pretty simple concept. Did you fear disappointing your parents when you did things that were morally wrong or against their wishes? I'm not talking about fear of punishment, but rather fear of hurting them?

 

[superchuck500]

Even if I don’t for my own life, anytime someone asks for prayers, I always pause and say a little but genuine prayer for them.

Last night, long after I wrote this, I realized that it was full of sheet. I do pray "for my own life" - I just don't do it unless something is really bad or worrisome. I have been quite fortunate in my life as to not need to pray for myself like that very often . . . but it is a complete charade to pretend that I don't seek God's help at those dark times. What I should be doing is also thanking God for the good fortune that I have managed to live my entire life in good health, with the good health of my loved ones and children, and without want or unfulfilled need.

After all, if a lack of true faith doesn't keep me from asking to be saved, why should it keep me from being grateful?

 

[SystemShock]

It's a pretty simple concept. Did you fear disappointing your parents when you did things that were morally wrong or against their wishes? I'm not talking about fear of punishment, but rather fear of hurting them?

No. And certainly I didn't ask anything of them (pray) in fear.

I should probably leave this thread...

 

[coldseat]

It's a pretty simple concept. Did you fear disappointing your parents when you did things that were morally wrong or against their wishes? I'm not talking about fear of punishment, but rather fear of hurting them?

My son often gets scared or fearful when he has to confess something to me that he's done wrong. Sometimes I can see something is wrong and I have to drag it out of him. Even so, he's always eventually confessed and just about always been honest with me (one time I can remember that he wasn't).

The first thing I always tell him is that I never want him to be afraid to come to me to confess something he's done wrong or to ask for help. I tell him that it's much more important for him to be honest with me than to be perfect, because ultimately I want him to be able to trust me and for me to trust him. I tell him there may be consequences for his actions, but that those consequences will always be worse if I find out he's lying to me. Because the objective of the consequence isn't to punish him, but so that he can understand the effects of his misdeed.

To date, I have found that this approach has really opened our lines of communication and increased our trust between us and led to a better relationship. I would say that fear is a completely unnecessary part of a relationship if there is mutual trust, communication and love.

Just my 2cents.

 

[crosswatt]

I do. I find that prayer in and of itself is a calming and comforting action, almost like a mini meditative space. So I could find the practice beneficial even if I didn't believe that there was an entity on the receiving end of my request.

 

[sonicboom]

It's o.k., it really is fine to fear God. I'm not ashamed of my faith. Those who don't understand spiritual things and think it's for fools, is their right. Those who find Salvation in faith, is our right also.

The meaning of life for those who ever wondered..

Ecclesiastes 12:13

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

*Bold lettering added for emphasis.

I respect those who think for themselves and make their own decisions. Right or wrong I respect people. This is what made America great, freedom of religion. Those who want to serve God can, without being tortured or killed. In other countries in the past, not so much.