What does prayer look like?
@HeroicArchangel (15)
United States
March 31, 2008 1:25pm CST
This is probably going to get really good responses, and probably some really angry ones as well... but I'm going to ask anyway. It's actually an excerpt from some thoughts that I posted on my blog, which you can read the whole thing at lifesizeteddy.blogspot.com, but here is the question.
"What does prayer really look like? I mean, the good, authentic, 'This is my heart, I'm bearing it all to you God' kind of prayer. Does it really look like the many times I've seen it presented as? This 'Dear God please help us with this and that, and Father God, I would like this...' It just seems so boring. When I hear people pray like that what I really hear is, 'I want to feel comfortable again, so give me the things I want,' and that just doesn't seem to be like the way I know God to work. Has our prayer turned into something superficial?
(Keep in mind that this question is directed mainly at Christians, but everyone is welcome to share their opinion.)
2 people like this
5 responses
@casita (237)
• United States
1 Apr 08
Prayer can and should take all forms, shapes and colors.
The "dear God, I want. . .i need. . gimme, gimme, gimme. . " well, that's a prayer.
But prayer is also a spontaneous conversation with God. As carefree and simple as picking up the phone and calling a friend.
Prayer is intense. . .asking God about the war in Irag, why people die because of the war. . .
Prayer is a searching for answers, not just for things in one's own life, but also the much greater questions.
Prayer can be a song. . . I often pray this way, singing. . . .
Prayer can be simply silence. To do this well is difficult, but very profound.
In the end, prayer must be a sincere communication. And communication is not just a one-way thing. We can ask for things, but then we also have to listen. And I think that is where many struggle.
@HeroicArchangel (15)
• United States
1 Apr 08
these are very similar to things I said in my blog when I spoke of prayer. I just wanted others opinions because I don't know how others view prayer. My time with God isn't boring, it is very much a conversation with God. Thanks for sharing.
@megaplaza (1441)
• Nigeria
31 Mar 08
hey, i guess thats not necessary, where ever it goes doesn't matter what matters is, is it being answered.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
2 Apr 08
My prayer looks a lot like talking to a friend or a family member, to be honest. Sure, there's some amount of "help me with this" or "please watch over my son" but there's also a lot of "I saw a pretty bird today" or "I found a nice stone on my walk"... things I am grateful for or found interesting.
I suppose since I sort of pray all day long instead of just at specific times or when I need something, it's a little different. Talking to my Gods is just like talking to people I know, and it's just as casual and easy. I might say "Today I saw a crow, and I remembered you watch over me," (because my primary Goddess is associated with crows and ravens) or "I'm tired of the snow, but today I talked to an avid skier who will miss it, and put myself in his shoes."
Of course the Gods know all these random things without me telling them, but it's a sharing and bonding thing.
@Ashbiz (148)
• Mauritius
31 Mar 08
Irrespective of how your prayers look like, it needs to be sincere. Once it is done with sincerity you know that you have actually prayed the Lord. To keep yourself from getting bored I suggests that instead of repeating your prayers as a parrot to recite them as if the Lord was before you. That will help into making your prayers more lively than boring. By the way, I'm not Christian, I'm Muslim.
