How do you pray? What does prayer mean to you? How has it changed over the years as you mature

[Guest shiloh357]

6 minutes ago, Davida said:

I know you mean well mark but this is called Contemplative Prayer and it is a New Age Spiritual Technique and it is not Christian and Christians should have no part in it.  What Yown posted was the Truth. It is not a matter of opinion it is a fact. Saying it is a matter of opinion is like someone who doesn't know dogs  calling a Doberman Pincher a  - chicken-- and when the person who knows about "Dogs" says - "No, man, that is not a chicken it is a Dog - called "Doberman Pincher " and the other guys says,  " Well, that's just a matter of your opinion. "

Yes, that was introduced by John Merton a priest who wanted to be the best Buddhist he could be.   It is totally pagan.

[Guest Teditis]

When I was young in Christ my prayers were uniform and static like Bonnie describes. There

were also a lot of "thee's and thou's" in them because I studied the KJV of the Bible. I used

different methods of prayers like the acrostic A.C.T.S. (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and

supplication.) I also tried to say all my prayers in the kneeling position as a sign of reverence.

I prayed for my spiritual growth and knowledge of Him; prayed for my family and friends, pastors

and country's leaders, my health and things like that. Well rounded prayers that focused on my

perceptions and immediate environment.

But over time things changed... I began praying wherever I was at and at any time. Prayers slowly

turned into rolling conversations with God and I prayed about every little thing that popped into

my head and about random people that I observed. I smile and thank God for whatever made me

smile, I pray for friends if I reminisce about them and ask God to reveal Himself to them, take care of

them and keep them in His thoughts and hands.

I like the idea of all these types of prayer... they all have their place before God but nowadays the way I

pray makes it feel like I'm talk to a real live Person that loves me and loves to hear my voice. It's a great

relationship that I have with my God and my prayers feel heard and answered. The concept of clearing

my mind with breathing techniques isn't new to me either... I think that it's a wonderful way to prepare

ourselves to address or Creator... nothing New Age or Pagan about it. As I grow older I suspect that I'll

incorporate all these styles into a daily routine as my God is multi-faceted and so am I.

Blessings Mark... wonderful thread as usual!

[Guest Teditis]

If you stop breathing while you pray you must not pray very long. LOL.

Anyone can google proper breathing techniques and see that many are verified by

leading medical organizations throughout the world. There are techniques for

breathing during exercise and relaxation. Proper breathing for child-birthing and

for eating and sleeping there are important aspects regarding breathing. Many medical

analysis show that "normal breathing" is something that must be studied because clinical

trials show that most people don't even do that very well... which has repercussions on

our health and deprive our brains of oxygen. Breathing is vital... for everything.

It's over-zealous people with a superior sense of religiosity that would automatically

suggest that concentration on proper breathing it a thing of the Devil. Totally laughable. 

[existential mabel]

my focus is on God and stopping the incessant thinking something that i have been doing more recently. and it is giving me peace in amongst the storm.

i used to do all the breathing stuff and yes it does help... but that is not my focus now. my focus is on God and only God can calm me and it is a deeper calm and more sustainable. i have noticed the difference.

[markdohle]

4 hours ago, Davida said:

Ignorance is Not Bliss......Welcome to the Emergent Church with it's New AGE Mystical Techniques. This Meditation practice and Prayer  is a False Teaching.

This is demonstrates the New Age and Occultic infiltration into the Church - the RCC which promotes Mystical approach to GOD but it is spreading into the Protestant Church also. This is the Church  opening the door to  New Age Spiritual Prayer and Meditation Techniques. That "mindfulness"  causes spiritual defilement, it  is peddling Eastern Mysticsm techniques.

That breathing technique is a type of Meditative Self- Hypnosis technique which opens people to demonic influences -that is why Occultists practices it.   This is not harmless . So inform yourself and Please Stop promoting New Age Spiritual Meditation techniques that are UNBIBLICAL and SPIRITUALLY DANGEROUS to people.   These are not Acceptable Christian Prayer techniques. This is NOT how JESUS CHRIST taught His followers to pray.  These New Age Spirituality Techniques originated in Eastern mysticsm - practiced in  Hinduism, Buddhism and Transendental Meditation and the Occult teach these forms of meditation. It amounts to opening yourself to demonic spiritual influences! 

Jesus Christ our Lord  warned us, the Bible warns us. False Christs, False teachings, Doctrines of demons, the falling away.

   I Corinthians 10: 21, 22 “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils; you cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and of the table of devils.

Breathing is what we do, so it is natural to simply pray with the breath.  How you get all the above with my post is amazing to me ;-).  Is OK my brother.  I guess you think that the statement:  "Be still and know I am God" is new age as well.  We are to pray always, no two people pray alike and Jesus said nothing about how we can accomplish that.   If prayer is centered on Christ Jesus then it is Christ centered and not what you call new age.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Peace
mark

 

[markdohle]

3 hours ago, Davida said:

I know you mean well mark but this is called Contemplative Prayer and it is a New Age Spiritual Technique and it is not Christian and Christians should have no part in it.  What Yown posted was the Truth. It is not a matter of opinion it is a fact. Saying it is a matter of opinion is like someone who doesn't know dogs  calling a Doberman Pincher a  - chicken-- and when the person who knows about "Dogs" says - "No, man, that is not a chicken it is a Dog - called "Doberman Pincher " and the other guys says,  " Well, that's just a matter of your opinion. "

Actually it is a matter of opinion. Contemplative prayer is firmly established in Christian tradition, though in the Protestant tradition it has almost disappeared, which is a pity.  I do not expect you to agree with just about anything I write my friend, but many non-catholic Protestants are deeply commited to contemplative prayer.   I respect you very much as I do all here, but there is room for disagreement.

  Christian contemplative prayer dates back at least to the 4th through 6th centuries when the early Desert Fathers and Mothers were active in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. If a single scripture text can be said to sum the philosophy of these early teachers is was Jesus' teaching that the sum of the Law was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and your neighbor as your self." At the time of the Reformation contemplative prayer declined or disappeared among Protestants, and went into long decline in the Catholic countries. Under the influence of rationalism, the mystic direct experience of God became suspect. By the 19th century the contemplative prayer tradition had almost disappeared except among the cloistered Catholic religious orders, and it was marginalized even there. Christian contemplative practice began to revive among the Benedictines and other monastic orders. During the mid-20th century interest in contemplative practices increased, with the most popular writer on the subject being the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. Nonetheless meditation was more generally associated with eastern traditions such as Zen and yoga, and many who wished to explore the contemplative life turned to Eastern teachers who were beginning to establish themselves in the West.

Jesus taught no specific method, but did regularly withdraw to be alone with God. The fruits of prayer described by Paul the Apostle are love, joy peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and purity. (Galatians 5:22-23). According to Thomas Keating, the fruits of centering prayer are freedom from self-centered motivation, action in service to others, a sense of interconnectedness with all creation, dis-identification with our self-image, healing of fear, conviction of our basic goodness, and capacity for union with God.

[markdohle]

3 hours ago, Teditis said:

When I was young in Christ my prayers were uniform and static like Bonnie describes. There

were also a lot of "thee's and thou's" in them because I studied the KJV of the Bible. I used

different methods of prayers like the acrostic A.C.T.S. (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and

supplication.) I also tried to say all my prayers in the kneeling position as a sign of reverence.

I prayed for my spiritual growth and knowledge of Him; prayed for my family and friends, pastors

and country's leaders, my health and things like that. Well rounded prayers that focused on my

perceptions and immediate environment.

But over time things changed... I began praying wherever I was at and at any time. Prayers slowly

turned into rolling conversations with God and I prayed about every little thing that popped into

my head and about random people that I observed. I smile and thank God for whatever made me

smile, I pray for friends if I reminisce about them and ask God to reveal Himself to them, take care of

them and keep them in His thoughts and hands.

I like the idea of all these types of prayer... they all have their place before God but nowadays the way I

pray makes it feel like I'm talk to a real live Person that loves me and loves to hear my voice. It's a great

relationship that I have with my God and my prayers feel heard and answered. The concept of clearing

my mind with breathing techniques isn't new to me either... I think that it's a wonderful way to prepare

ourselves to address or Creator... nothing New Age or Pagan about it. As I grow older I suspect that I'll

incorporate all these styles into a daily routine as my God is multi-faceted and so am I.

Blessings Mark... wonderful thread as usual!

Thank you my friend.  It is really called the prayer of quiet and many christian do it, they just do not call it contemplative prayer.....

Peace
mark

[markdohle]

2 hours ago, Yowm said:

Our  access to the Father is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ...no breathing needed.

You kind of amaze me my friend ;-).

Peace
Mark

[markdohle]

2 hours ago, existential mabel said:

my focus is on God and stopping the incessant thinking something that i have been doing more recently. and it is giving me peace in amongst the storm.

i used to do all the breathing stuff and yes it does help... but that is not my focus now. my focus is on God and only God can calm me and it is a deeper calm and more sustainable. i have noticed the difference.

Whatever quiets the mind is beautiful.  Your breathing probably slows down.  Yes contemplative prayer is totally focused on seeking God, for the Christian that is a deeper union with Christ Jesus.

Peace
Mark

[markdohle]

2 hours ago, Yowm said:

Quite awhile ago I read "A Time of Departing". 

Also, I was mixed up with a lot of the Eastern mumbo jumbo and Esoteric religions before my conversion, so I am pretty sensitive to that sort of thing.

Fine but that does  not mean those who seek deeper prayer are part of that.

Peace
Mark