Prayer
Most of us were taught at an early age how to pray: close your eyes, bow your head, fold your hands, start by addressing God, and finish with “in Jesus’ name, Amen”. Prayer became an event, something that had a definite start and a stop to it.
Listener Heather posted on our Idea Submission page that she would like to hear our thoughts on what prayer is, and so in this episode, Ray and Steve talk about some ideas regarding prayer. What is prayer? What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Are there formulas that we should follow? What does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ name”?
All of these questions and more get batted around in various forms as Ray and Steve dialogue about this topic. What are your experiences with prayer, listener? Comments are open below for you to share.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:20 — 25.6MB) | Embed
October 17th, 2008 at 11:19 am
You guys are awesome! I was turned onto your show from someone (I can’t remember who) on twitter. I jumped in with Everyday spirituality and subscribed from there. I love the Baptist rosary idea. I have a long and somewhat ugly history with my ex – the church which I told on a few of my older episodes. It is nice to hear not one but two people from the church who are questioning things, bringing reality, and who seem to live in what you bellieve. You make me laugh, and you give me hope for those who still “operate inside the system”. I will be following you and learning what I can. Thanks for a great show and bringing unabashed truth.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:39 am
A little story about prayer – I knew a college age church secretary who truly believed that if you didn’t pray out loud the devil couldn’t hear you and couldn’t “mess” with you.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
Wow! Amazing how we as Christians become so superstitous! It’s bad when you are so scared of the devil that you can’t even talk to Father.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Thanks Big C for listening! We are so glad to have you on the journey with us!
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:00 am
You guys are awesome! May not agree with everything you say, but you guys cause me to think about what I believe, why I believe it, and if those beliefs hinder the abundant life that Christ is wanting to give. Haha I used to believe that same way about prayer. Well…I was taught that if you prayed aloud then the devil could hear you and he would do all he could to mess things up in you life. Later when my family began going to a non-denominational church I was taught that the whole purpose of tongues was to confuse the devil. You could pray in your prayer tongue and satin couldn’t understand it. Now as I have grown and matured I realize that satin has been defeated, and holds no power over me. So now I pray out loud or how ever I feel like praying. Prayer for me has moved on beyond being a tradition. Beyond bowing my head and closing my eyes. Anyways I enjoy the podcast and PLEASE NO KAREOKIE!!!! Haha.
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 am
Nichols,
So good to see you over in these parts! 🙂 You mean you don’t agree with everything we say…Hmmm 😉 You know me well enough to know that the karoke is probably not going away anytime soon 🙂 Funny how we have been taught to be so afraid of a defeated foe, huh? Come on back and see us now, ya heah? 🙂
February 19th, 2009 at 6:52 am
It got to the point where in my prayer time, I would literally say to God “Ditto from yesterday. It felt like a “Honey-Do” list.
I’ve heard recently something on the idea that if you have something that you’re struggling with, you shouldn’t tell anyone but God because the devil will hear and will know that it is affecting you, thereby making it easier for him to know which tactic to use against you.
February 19th, 2009 at 7:22 am
OCD? Really? Wow! I’ve had bits and pieces of OCD throughout my life but could it be that religion has intensified it to the nth degree?
These podcasts want to make me laugh AND cry with what we’ve put up with. I thought there was something wrong with me in “Why don’t I like to pray with a list?” Why does it bug me to hear God being addressed every other word in a spoken prayer “Father God, thank You for being here, Father God, we love you, Father God and God…” We don’t do that in our relationships, why do that with God?
It is always said that when two or more are gathered, He will be in our midst. He lives inside of so I’m sure He’s always in our midst. Is that verse NT or OT?
February 19th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Yabadabadoo, welcome to the podcast, listener Yabadabadoo. And, Yabadabadoo, I agree with your comment, listener Yabadabadoo, about repeating “God” or “Father God” over and over again, listener Yabadabadoo. 😉
By the way, the verse you mentioned is NT – Jesus said it in Matthew 18:20.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for the idea submission, too.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Yabadabadoo,
I definitely believe that bad religion has intensified my tendencies toward OCD. My prayer life is still challenged by a tendency to fall into “vain repetitions.” I would love to hear more about your journey. You can email me if you would like at ray@beyondtheboxpodcast.com
September 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
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September 17th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Prayer has ceased to be an event, and instead is a continual conversation…. This is true for me too!! : )