Prayer
I think this group may benefit (be edified) by a conversation on prayer. I am only interested in ideas about prayer that come from a biblical perspective, and as a Christian practice. I am aware of other non-christian practices, but for this discussion I hope to limit it to the Judeo-Christian understanding. I have personally grown by considering the prayers recorded in The Bible, looking at the person(s) praying, the specific setting, the situation, and the motivation (as far as it can be discerned). I would like to get other believers perspectives on prayer, not necessarily opinions (…to me, prayer is like…), but how The Holy Spirit of God has formed a prayer life as a normal expression of a genuine and active relationship.
If I were to say: “This morning I prayed”, what do you primarily think I did?
(1) Asking / petitioning: I was asking for God to change some situation, or to protect some plans I have made.
(2) A monologue / expression: I was telling God something about myself, or about how I see Him. This includes praise, adoration, thanksgiving, reliance, acceptance of His works, and details about my life.
(3) Conversation / dialogue: I was speaking to God on some subject(s) and expecting Him to respond in some way. I was both speaking and listening with expectation. I experienced times of expression (giving out) and times of ingesting (receiving in).
(4) Something else: This may include things like recitation, ritual, speaking scripture, bodily posture, or anything else that is not included here.
While the etymology of our English word “pray” comes from the idea to “ask” or “entreat”, we use the word in modern parlance to encompass a larger scope than to “request”. How do you use the word; what do you mean by it; and how close is your practice of prayer to those we find recorded in The Bible?
Hoping to grow from your perspectives.
KP