How should we pray

[Guest man]

You are missing the point of what Jesus spoke of.

He wasn't saying it is a sin to make a spectacle of yourself in prayer - only if you are doing so to seek attention and win brownie points from others.

I never said it was a sin either.

So no, I didn't miss the point.

After all, like I mentioned, Jesus made a "spectacle prayer" outside of Lazerus' tomb!

Now if Jesus could make Himself vulnerable like that, why can't we?

John 11

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,

[Guest man]

Do I think it matters in any particular situation? Sometimes it does matter if we vocalize the prayer, and sometimes it matters not to vocalize the prayer.

It all depends on the situation.

Can you give me an example of when God wouldn't or doesn't listen to a silent prayer?

[Floatingaxe]

I love the way David spoke to AND WITH God---freely, in shouts of praise, with loud wails of despair, shouts of adoration, dancing for joy (using His body!),

Do you pray like that in public?

Often, in concert with hundreds of other prayer warriors.

So you actually go out into the streets and do this?

That's kind of a question with an agenda behind it. Why would I do that, unless there was an open air prayer meeting of intercessors?

No, we as a church pray together aloud whenever we come together for a half-hour to an hour before all services, and when called for prayer any other time. we pray aloud in groups, often, sometimes in only groups of three or five or ten, up to 400 and 800. If the pollster would have added, "both", I would have gladly voted.

[sheya joie]

Well, I can't resist adding this:

The Prayer of Cyrus Brown

by Sam Walter Foss

"The proper way for a man to pray,"

Said Deacon Lemuel Keys,

"And the only proper attitude

Is down upon his knees."

"No, I should say the way to pray,"

Said Rev. Dr. Wise,

"Is standing straight with outstretched arms

And rapt and upturned eyes."

"Oh, no, no, no"

Said Elmer Slow.

"Such posture's too proud.

A man should pray with eyes closed and head bowed."

"Seems to me his hands should be

Austerely clasped in front,

With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,"

Said Rev. Dr. Blunt.

"Last year I fell in Hitchkin's well,

Headfirst," said Cyrus Brown,

"And both my heels were stickin' up

And my head was a pointin' down.

"And I made a prayer right then and there,

The best prayer I ever said.

The prayin'est prayer I ever prayed

Was standin' on my head."

[OneLight]

That sure is cute, sheya joie!

On a serious note, we should pray as He leads us, through His Spirit.

[ayin jade]

I couldn't answer the poll, because speaking to God aloud and silently is important and it does matter that we do both.

I have to admit Im puzzled by this. And your later posts dont clarify your statement.

[ColleenLovesMischief]

I couldn't answer the poll, because speaking to God aloud and silently is important and it does matter that we do both.

I have to admit Im puzzled by this. And your later posts dont clarify your statement.

I really don't get it either.

[Floatingaxe]

I couldn't answer the poll, because speaking to God aloud and silently is important and it does matter that we do both.

I have to admit Im puzzled by this. And your later posts dont clarify your statement.

I think they do. The point is not to be ambivalent. God wants us to talk to Him in all ways. To say it doesn't matter about any of the ways, when all are important to be doing, is not an option I would answer in a poll.

[nebula]

Do I think it matters in any particular situation? Sometimes it does matter if we vocalize the prayer, and sometimes it matters not to vocalize the prayer.

It all depends on the situation.

Can you give me an example of when God wouldn't or doesn't listen to a silent prayer?

Where in the world did you get the idea that I said God wouldn't or doesn't listen to a silent prayer?

The second part of my sentence was referring to silent prayer, in case you didn't figure that out.

[nebula]

Man -

It sounds to me like you have a problem with people praying out loud and/or in public.

Is this true?

You are missing the point of what Jesus spoke of.

He wasn't saying it is a sin to make a spectacle of yourself in prayer - only if you are doing so to seek attention and win brownie points from others.

I never said it was a sin either.

So no, I didn't miss the point.[

But your words come across as saying that Fa, you, I, and the whole lot of us should not pray in public and/or out loud. So what does that make it?

After all, like I mentioned, Jesus made a "spectacle prayer" outside of Lazerus' tomb!

Now if Jesus could make Himself vulnerable like that, why can't we?

John 11

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,