Cyzewski Theology Without Prayer Analysis

In chapters four through eight of Jacobsen and Sawatsky’s book, Gracious Christianity, there is an in depth analyses of the Holy Spirit, the church, the Bible, and the future. There was so much information that I read over, so I took a concept from each chapter that I found significant and analyzed it. There are many fantastic points made that really got me thinking about the life around me and how I am executing my own life.

He is trying to put aside any of his biases, whether he has one or not, to fully discuss each viewpoint without giving off a preference. Though he acknowledges his “westernized mind”, he tries to go about each religion as if he is a follower (Smith 14). He also warns the reader that “the book is not a balanced account” of all religions, which leaves the reader to believe that they can not based their opinion on religion from just him (Smith 11). If he were to make it a true account, the book will never end and will be filled with all the faults of each religion which will affect the viewpoint of the reader(Smith 12).He knows that with each religion that there are people who have differing opinions and respects that and wants the reader to come to their own

The first view that he talked about was the Christ or church against culture. In this view, Christ is perfect and sinless, while culture is manmade and imperfect. The church should not mingle with an imperfect society. Those who follow this view have a rejection of culture. This mindset typically creates a “Holy Group.” Which is one challenge with this view is that a “Holy Group” has never been achieved, but

Prayer will have a profound effect on the children. Those that are of younger ages will develop an attitude of gratitude because someone taught them to pray. They can be introduced to other gods if they chose to. They will renew the founding fathers’ ideals of what the United States of America was built on as far as God goes. In God we trust. Morals and values have almost disappeared completely in the public schools. David Barton wrote “ The schools have declined since prayer was removed in 1962. Teenage pregnancy rates have gone up 500%. SAT scores have steadily declined each year for 18 straight years since 1962. The United States is rated 15th among the industrialized nations.

I had always felt that to pray there had to be some eloquent way to convey the things that you wanted to say to God. I also was often frustrated, as I questioned that if God was all knowing, why was it necessary to pray to him and tell him things he already knew. Throughout my time at NCYC I came to understand my relationship with God less like a human and omniscient being relationship, but more as a parent and child relationship. Though He may already know what you have to tell Him, it is about building the communication and the friendship, so that He can work best in your life. The best analogy that I have heard about this was from one of the leaders of the trip, and he compared life to being in a marching band. From the point of view of the musicians, it seems chaotic and as though people are going in every direction for no apparent reason; however, from up

In Shaped by the Word, by Robert Mulholland Jr., one finds a way to read scripture in order to provide a deeper understanding of God and allow His Word to shape one’s spiritual life. In the Introduction, in chapter 1, the reader is introduced to the idea that there is a movement in the church that seeks to become deeper and stricter in spiritual formation. He claims there are many books written for this purpose, and his intending purpose for this book is for God to use however he may want in the reader’s spiritual life. Mulholland provides the reader with a prayer to pray in preparation of reading this book and states there may be points where God is knocking and calling the reader’s attention to something new.

Prayer is an essential to any kind of religious faith. Over the years and years of believing in a higher power,

As Christians we partake in rituals that consist of prayer, baptism, and the eucharist. Prayer is used on several occasions and for conveying distinct concepts. Prayer can be used as a way

Not so long ago, a typical school day would begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. Today, a simple prayer is considered offensive and unconstitutional. A prayer is meant to be a conversation with God; a personal connection to a sovereign being of choice. I personally believe that prayer is beneficial. Prayer calms my mind and gives me the chance to thank God for all of his blessings. Granted, not everyone believes in the same God that I do. I believe most people would probably agree that there is some form of higher power that everyone has to answer to. One of the things that I love about being an American, are the freedoms that I have. I am free to worship the God I choose and to pray at anytime or any place that I choose.

He rejects the notion of "good" people are supposed to pretend that religions are all pretty much the same because we get along by acknowledging, understanding and respecting our differences and not by pretending we are all the same.

Believers need to avoid disunity at all costs unless the arguments concern the fundamentals of the Christian faith. As time goes on, more and more divisions unfortunately occur over trivial matters. I believe that, regardless of its denomination, every church should look to the Bible as the only source of spiritual guidance. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, Paul explains, "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." We as Christians should not interpret the Bible based upon man's understanding; rather, we must meditate upon the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts. I look forward to the heavenly day when all believers can worship and glorify our Father in pure

Without the information He gives us through His Word, we could only know the things about his character revealed in nature, and even that is a gift from him. It is amazing to me, that God is so big and complex, he is the only one who tell us about himself. Lastly, Cottrell delves into an area that I personally already had questions about; he discusses the value of theological sources outside

(Hamlet I. v. 121-122) In the bible, it’s said that praying is quite religious. “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22).

In response to this Donald McGavran cites Paul by comparing the different denominations and emphases of the church to actual body parts as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 12 (McGavran, 2012). About differing views on biblical matters, he states “Nevertheless, Missouri Synod Lutherans and Southern Baptists ought to believe that the other denomination is a genuine part of the body of Christ”( McGavran, 2012). He also points out that while many of these churches recognize each other as other parts of the same church they also tend to favor themselves as more correct in their beliefs or interpretation (McGavran, 2012). It could be compared to an eye or ear of Paul’s illustration recognizing the importance of the eye, ear, or other body part but then still treating the self as superior to the other part. The parts need to work together for the body to

Having been a Christian for many years I thought that I had a fair knowledge of what it meant to pray. I was amazed and humbled by the idea that through Jesus’ restorative act on the cross I am able to come into God’s presence - and not only come but be welcomed and even longed for. I believed that prayer is a powerful tool to petition God , a vehicle to praise Him , and an instrument to increase our intimacy with Him . I understood that people pray in a variety of ways, based on the teaching they have received, their experience, and even their personality. Most commonly, I engaged in prayer as a conversation with God.