Prayer

Teach Us To Pray?

/ Jim / 2 Comments

I saw a tweet by a persom I follow on Twitter that was what I consider an interesting comment:

The idea that someone would have to be taught how to pray to an all-knowing, infinitely powerful, and loving god is absurd.

That made me pause because what I think he is referring to is the scene in. Luke (11:1-4) where we’re introduced the what has become known as “The Lords’ Prayer”. The chapter begins with one of the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray. This is where Jesus provides the template for prayer. I say template, only because this is the way I was taught. Certainly what’s written is a prayer itself , but the context of the scene is Jesus breaking down for the disciples what is the required (expected?) format of supplication.

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You Can’t Pray Away Catastrophe

/ Jim / 1 Comment

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I was speaking with a friend recently (on the phone, of course)  talking a. little bit about all of this staying at home that is going on and how much of a pain it is. Well, it’s really not, at least for me, because I’m not a person that just gets out in the car and drives around town just for the heck of it. But I agree that having to plan my outings more carefully (grocery store, etc.) is something that just after a couple of weeks, I haven’t quite mastered – but I will. I hadn’t heard from this friend in a few weeks so it was nice to hear from him, if only for a 5 minute or so conversation. What was interesting to me was how the conversation began get to end, when he said, “Well, I guess we all just have to pray that God will deliver us from this pandemic.”. Huh? I actually didn’t know what to say for a few seconds and that was because I had never heard this guy talk prayer, or God, or anything religious before – and I’ve known him for 10 years.

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