I don't know what that is, not my will but thine? I point to the lord's prayer because of the elements it brings forth in consciousness, consistent with seeking first the kingdom of god, of loving god with all heart, mind, and strength. To abandon our reliance on the search for material satisfaction for the grace of the holy spirit. To exercise the redemption of true value, getting the money changers out of the temple, through forgiveness. My own prayer is beyond symbols but it is motivated by these principles. I offer this perspective in contrast to the public and petty prayer often offered by our religious institutions.
Call me a cynic, and without wishing to offend - it seems to me that the most commonly used prayer - to whiTchever Faith one has, is a one word sentiment : - "HELP"! eace:
Why would you need to pray that prayer more than once? What god gives is truly given. Regardless, certainly as you will, when the first becomes the last then there is the kingdom of heaven. If help is always the first and only prayer, instead of a last resort.
i cannot for the life of me find this by net search, but i recall reading about some man who walked across russia (i think) praying the lord's prayer. it was an interesting story....
My favorite prayer is to Mother Earth. Its a Hindu prayer so maybe this is the wrong forum to talk about it. Dear Mother Earth, Forgive me today for walking on you with my feet. Its a humbling prayer.
Ukr, I really like that one. I have found myself praying something very similar before. However, the Lord's Prayer is so ingrained in me at this point, I cannot imagine going a day without saying/thinking it. It covers everything...but then I find the one you gave us 'bout covers it all, too, Ukr.
I would recognize it without the a sinner on the end. I would ask of this prayer also, why would you have to ask it more than once? What god gives is truly given. It seems as though we would be asking for healing to be repeated. I actually practiced that prayer as a teenager as a mantra. I would say in my mind, lord jesus christ on the inhale and have mercy on me, on the exhale.
I would say, dope, that I also sometimes use a certain prayer or verse or even an inspired saying as a mantra...to help me focus, to help me see and feel the good in something. I say the Lord's Prayer more than once (when I say it >once), because it helps me, and yes, I feel God understands that. At times, I have felt like it invoked His power, if that makes sense. I totally agree that what God gives is truly given...it's just that as long as I am in this flesh, I cannot help but have the desires and insecurities associated with being human. Therefore, asking more than once for something is just something most humans do, if their master is God. Also....there is biblical precedence for praying for something more than once, regarding the petitioning prayer, in the parable in Luke 18:1-8. Then there is the verse in Thess. regarding pray without ceasing. Also other places prayer is really encouraged...these were just closest to the top of my head. :sunny:
This thread is in response to GreatestIam's thread on the futility of prayer and his narrow perception of what prayer is. He is making a valid point about the quality or efficacy of certain types of devotion. Humans do a lot of things Lynnbrown that I would not encourage. I don't buy the idea that humans are deficient or weak willed. More, they are confused about what is and what is possible, forgive them they know not what they do. We have been instructed that humans are inherently unworthy until they prove themselves to be worthy through some achievement, excel at school, be a good, productive member of society, etc.. That lesson of unworthiness is suspect, not the holy creations of god. One of the reasons for doubt and confusion are the mixed messages we receive from every quarter. On the hand you are loved simply for what you are, as a parent would love their child. On the other hand people are proud or disappointed based on what you do. Turns out though that no matter how proficient you become in doing things that people might appreciate, it is never enough and you are always suspect that at some point you will fail because "nobody is perfect," and you are not loved at all. This is the cause of our confusion, the way we conceive ourselves with a split mind, not god's infidelity. So Lynnbrown, you would not feel the need to ask repeatedly for healing if you had not first judged yourself unworthy. This is one reason the lord's prayer was given in the form that it is. One reason we are instructed specifically how to pray, how to focus our thinking. This prayer takes you out of the cycle of self recrimination and focuses on bringing the solution to bare. We are dealing with the creative mind, a mind that creates worlds We are brought up hearing examples of prayer from our church gatherings that are specifically discouraged by jesus because they make god's presence seem obscure. Don't pray for the things you think you need, your father in heaven knows what you need. Don't pray in public using many words in order to be seen and heard by men, etc.. So we go to church and we hear the same kind of vacuous petitions over and over, we get a sense that if god answers prayers it must be in some excruciatingly subtle form because we don't see the answer. To what shall I compare this generation, we piped for you, and you did not dance.
The prayer is menat to bring one to inner stillness resting the soul in the contemplation and presence of God.
ah, yes! thank you! i'm enjoying reading the wiki...had forgot how to find the story...and it's a great story... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_a_Pilgrim
