Matthew 6:5-15 Prayer

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

...Have we seen Jesus tell the people that we are all His children yet? I don't think so. He's saying to us.... talk to God like you are talking to your Father.... Naturally...

You're right. People must become children of God; we're not all His children (as many think):

12 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God". (John 1)

13 "...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God...The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...". (Romans 8)

8 "...In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring". (Romans 9)

26 "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus..." (Galatians 3) [NIV1984]

Originally Posted by Radiant1

7] "The example of what Christian prayer should be like contrasts it now not with the prayer of the hypocrites but with that of the pagans. Their babbling probably means their reciting a long list of divine names, hoping that one of them will force a response from the deity".

:rosary:

[Radiant1]

Originally Posted by ItalianScallion

:rosary:

Nice try, but the rosary doesn't fit that bill. We've been having nice ecumenical discussions on the gospel of Mathew without derisiveness. This is your first post in these threads and you've already ruined it. Get behind me Satan.

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Radiant1

Nice try, but the rosary doesn't fit that bill. We've been having nice ecumenical discussions on the gospel of Mathew without derisiveness. This is your first post in these threads and you've already ruined it. Get behind me Satan.

Nice try but Satan wouldn't tell you the truth...

[Radiant1]

Originally Posted by ItalianScallion

Nice try but Satan wouldn't tell you the truth...

Neither did you.

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Radiant1

Neither did you.

Check your sources; You know I wouldn't lie to you...

[hotcoffee]

I asked my preacher one time...

"Why do we teach our children a memorized prayer?"

His response was simple and I think it applies here. We teach our children discipline. To pray before eating is a way to thank the Lord for supplying our needs. To pray on our knees before going to bed is to teach us to talk to the Lord on a regular basis.

I've seen Rosaries mentioned here. That may have the same purpose, discipline, practice....

IMHO though... there's nothing like talking to God anytime, anywhere, in quiet, alone.... and naturally, as you would talk to your Father.

[Radiant1]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

I've seen Rosaries mentioned here. That may have the same purpose, discipline, practice....

The rosary is a meditation on the mysteries of Christ so, yes, it has purpose, and it does not consist of reciting a long list of divine names as IS is claiming.

[Zguy28]

Originally Posted by hotcoffee

I asked my preacher one time...

"Why do we teach our children a memorized prayer?"

His response was simple and I think it applies here. We teach our children discipline. To pray before eating is a way to thank the Lord for supplying our needs. To pray on our knees before going to bed is to teach us to talk to the Lord on a regular basis.

I've seen Rosaries mentioned here. That may have the same purpose, discipline, practice....

IMHO though... there's nothing like talking to God anytime, anywhere, in quiet, alone.... and naturally, as you would talk to your Father.

Yes, its most definitely a both/and and not a either/or. Its the same reason to teach kids (and adults) catechisms. You want to inculcate truth and discipline.

[onel0126]

Too many non-Catholics dismiss the rosary due to the 50 Hail Marys alone.....they fail to realize that while reciting each decade of the rosary we are focusing on a different mystery/event from the Gospels. And yes, all 4 mysteries and the 5 events that make up a mystery ARE from the gospels!

[hotcoffee]

Originally Posted by onel0126

Too many non-Catholics dismiss the rosary due to the 50 Hail Marys alone.....they fail to realize that while reciting each decade of the rosary we are focusing on a different mystery/event from the Gospels. And yes, all 4 mysteries and the 5 events that make up a mystery ARE from the gospels!

The reason I mentioned rosaries is that I saw it mentioned in the posts here.

IMHO I believe prayer is a way of talking with the Father. It should be a natural one on one prayer... not a quote, quip, poem, or verse.

Those are all fine... and they all have their purpose... but to me prayer is part of a conversation.... we talk, He listens, and He answers.

When I was a kid, the family would travel from Gales Ferry, Conn., to Front Royal, VA for the holidays. I can remember one particular trip when my sister and I saw a sign for an ice cream stand that my parents had stopped at on previous trips. We got all excited, anticipating the stop.... and Daddy drove right past it. Years later, I mentioned that trip to my dad. He asked me "Why didn't you say something?"

IMHO it's the same thing with God. Sure He knows you would love to stop the ride [because He's God and He knows everything].... but we have the power to ask or not to ask. If we don't ask.... He may not provide....

We'll see more about prayer as we read on through the New Testament. Just thought I'd throw that out there.



Please pray for me this afternoon... all of a sudden I don't feel like myself.... kind of down and just a hint angry.... and I don't know what is causing it... pray that whatever this is passes.... it's not a good feeling.... thanks....