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| Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Theological Q&A > Ask and you (and you, and you...) shall receive? | Forum Quick Jump
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Laplace
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 138
| Posted 10/25/2004 5:10 AM (GMT -6) |   | Jesus said that if someone asks God for something, and has sufficient faith, then it will be done according to God's will. Also, He said if 2 or more ask in His name it will also be done.
In other passages, it clarifies this saying that wrong motives could cause a prayer not be answered.
My question specifically is that in many instances, people pray to God for mutually exclusive things. It may be the outcome of an election, asking for an organ transplant when the possible donor who is dying may be praying not to die, or as "trivial" as a flight being delayed whilest another prays it is on time.
For many of these requests, they are made by people (I believe) with pure motives and may be very strong Christians. However, for some of these requests, it is impossible for some to be answered in the possible because saying "Yes" to one means a "No" to another.
Given this, one can say that God's sovereign will trumps the will of those petitioning. But if that is the case, then why would Jesus make such a statement regarding prayer? Would it be more honest to say, "Pray, but don't hold your breath"? Sometimes it's not because of lack of faith or impure motives, but simply because God doesn't want to say "Yes". This ties in with the question, "What good is prayer?" So I guess I would like an explanation regarding these Bible passages.
"I say we blast the meatbag, Master" -HK-47, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | | Back to Top | | |
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PotOnWheel
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 9890
| Posted 10/25/2004 5:31 AM (GMT -6) | | Christianity is a team sport.
Issues of individuals praying AS INDIVIDUALS, FOR THEIR INDIVIDUALITY should be identified as such, and avoided.
But praying AS the Church, WITH the Church is unstopable.
quote:
Standing with the Mind in the Heart Before God
St. Theophan the Recluse, a nineteenth century Russian saint, wrote that prayer is standing with the mind in the heart before God. Ultimately, prayer is not about words, whether formal or extemporaneous. Rather, it is the state of being in God's presence. The Patristic tradition of the Church teaches us that prayer can eventually become infused prayer, wherein we learn to "pray without ceasing," as St. Paul enjoins us.
The end of spoken prayer is silence. Silence is an unwelcome phenomenon in modern life and we have effectively eradicated it from society. Television, radio, media, 24-hour news channels, Muzak, cell-phones, pagers, wireless internet; all of these modern contrivances ensure that we need never face silence. However, Christians are encouraged to include as part of their daily prayer life a Rule of Silence. This helps us to maintain a disciplined mind and gives us time to hear God speak to us in the ordinary day-to-day activities of our lives.
In summary, a daily rule of prayer is essential for the health of our soul. A rule of prayer helps to keep us oriented toward the Kingdom of God and creates a Christian context to our lives. The tradition of the Church in terms of a minimum standard is three times a day: morning, noon, and evening. A rule of prayer can include but is not limited to; the Trisagion prayers, prayers appropriate to the day, the Nicene Creed, Ps. 51 as a daily confession, and a general petition to which should be added our own specific needs. Consider beginning with the Morning and Evening prayers offered in this section, and eventually adding either First Hour or Third Hour (the Noon Office). A rule of prayer should also include a time of silence. And a fruitful relationship with one's pastor and spiritual guidance is essential in the development of a rule of prayer.
Prayer is the bedrock of our spiritual life. Without it, the soul languishes and withers. With it, the soul can breathe and flourish. Resources dedicated to prayer abound, including those in the Spirituality section of our web store which offers numerous books by gifted theological and spiritual writers.
"Prayer is the living water, by means of which the soul quenches its thirst."
http://www.liturgica.com/html/growCh.jsp?hostname=null
So, remember, you are joining "a service already in progress."
quote:
Worship begins in heaven.
The Holy Scriptures record numerous instances of the drama of heavenly adoration taking place before the very throne of God. It may be that for the person familiar with Scripture, some of these are so apparent they are overlooked. The concept of heavenly worship begins with God's revelation to the children of Israel about the building of the Tabernacle, and the manner of worship to take place within it. This revelation formed the basis for the Old Testament worship of the Jews. Worship on earth was to reflect worship in heaven.
http://www.liturgica.com/html/litEChLitHW.jsp?hostname=null
Worship on Earth — As It Is in Heaven
Worship on earth, then, is to be an extension, a reflection, of that in the Kingdom. It is to be a window to heaven.
The Ascent to Heaven
Both of these truths, that of worship as "heaven on earth" and of the Church as the presence of the Kingdom of God, are crucial to understand Early Christian liturgical worship in its fullness. Worship is an entrance into the dimension of the Kingdom.
PRAY WHAT THE WHOLE CHURCH WANTS TO PRAY FOR, AND THEN BE ASSURED THAT THEY ARE PRAYING WITH YOU TOO.
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