Is Praying Wrong

Things aren't right here on planet Earth. We all know this. Sickness, poverty, injustice, and oppression are not God's intention or design. Many of our prayers will be devoted to fixing what is wrong in our bodies, our finances, our relationships, our world. The children of God continue to pray, even though many wrongs have not yet been corrected. Does it do any good? Does all this praying have any traction with God?

A third benefit of school prayer is that it can decrease the natural egocentrism (concern for your own interests and welfare) to which all mankind is prone. Praying for others can cause students to think more of their peers than of themselves. It can also foster the idea that living for others is better than living for one's self. Prayer also fosters the concept that we all are dependent upon God. This sense of dependence will also lead to lives lived in thankfulness. In short, prayer in schools may produce better people as well as better students.

We also pray that God will watch over our people and make them feel comfortable with him and in him. God, we know that you are watching over us and that you will make sure we are safe in your care.

Christopher Raines, I appreciate your emphasis upon prayer. It is something I myself often emphasize while talking with others and think it is a critical aspect of the Christian’s life, both leader and follower. I often see posts on Facebook and hear people saying things like “I’ll pray for you” or “I’m praying”, and while I appreciate the sentiment it is often only that, a sentiment. Saying “I’ll pray for you” has, for many, become just a nice though, what they are really saying is “I’m thinking about you” but prayer is much more than sentiment.

W. Pink defines the design of prayer in his book, The Sovereignty of God, by saying, "Not that God's will may be altered, but that it may be accomplished in His own good time and way. It is because God has promised certain things, that we can ask for them with the full assurance of faith" (172). In prayer, Christians recognize the importance of how Christ is the sustainer and ruler of all things by fully depending on him. They show this submission by putting their faith and trust in Christ when they ask him for things. Many people in prayer, Christian or not, usually ask for safety throughout travels, for healing when a loved one or themselves are sick, for comfort through hard times, for wisdom and discernment in making a decision, etc. What people do not realize is that they are simply proving the very fact that Christ is completely sovereign and in control of everything when they ask him to keep them safe, or to heal them or their loved one, or to comfort them when they are going through a trial, or to give them the wisdom in making any decision. By stating and asking those things, they are unknowingly acknowledging He is in control of every single one of those

Matthew 5-7 are the chapters of the bible that talk about love for God and how to ask Him for help. In the Catholic culture you must love God and “let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven” (Matthew 221). We must not only pray to God, but praise him; the golden rule for these chapters states that we must “ask, and it will be given to [us]” (Matthew 225). Asking God for help in prayer is important because he will always be there for us when we need Him.

Take a moment to think about ten of them. If I asked you, where in the world is the hardest place to pray, where would you say? The hardest place would be here in the United States. Why? Awesome question! As Americans, we’ve become so caught up in a culture of always doing “something” that it’s hard to slow down and pray for any length of time. It feels uncomfortable or feels like we’re wasting valuable time. Our society has placed such a high premium on accomplishments or on being productive that prayer sometimes goes against the grain of our society. Do we see any accomplishments in prayer? Are we being productive when we pray? Prayer is nothing more than talking to God, but how many of us feel like it’s hopeless or useless? We pray for healing only to continue in sickness. We ask for victory over sin only to find defeat. What good does it do to pray? Another problem with the American culture is our attention span. When we’re not working, we’re watching television, playing video games, surfing the Internet(s) or on our smartphones. The next time you go to a restaurant or to the movie theaters, look around to see how many people are on their phones. Being still and quiet is not in the American culture. Sin is another “thing” which keeps us from praying as we ought to. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Act III, scene iii, Hamlet sneaks in to kill King Claudius, who killed his own brother and Hamlet’s father. At the end of the scene, Hamlet realized he cannot kill Claudius and sneaks back out of the room and we hear Claudius say, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain low. Words without thought never to heaven go.” Claudius tried to repent for committing murder, but he couldn’t. We see him kneeling in prayer, but he couldn’t feel any sense of comfort or mercy from God. There’s a realization that because he had no intentions of confessing to the crime or even changing his life, his words were empty

Prayer is often a thing that is neglected because of various reasons. We are told in Romans 12:12 to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” This is similar to Matthew 6: 5-8, which talks about how and where to pray. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” After explaining this, Jesus says the Lord’s Prayer and talks about forgiveness. Prayer is very crucial part in your relationship with God. Through prayer, you are able to talk to God and tell him about your fears and struggles. This is why you should be devoted and faithful in prayer.

​I pray because of what I was taught about prayer and because of what I have experienced. Prayer has always been something that was important to my family as well as myself. Prayer was always encouraged and presented to me as a means of communicating with God. If fact, in our relationship with god, prayer is the only thing we have absolute control over. I was taught that prayer was not only a conversation with God but it is the intercourse of the soul with God.

Prayer is a vehicle through which Jesus is able to nurture and sustain a relationship with God which further provides a source of his wellbeing and inner peace. Christians try to emulate Jesus’ devotion to prayer in order to achieve the same sense of peace and serenity. Prayer is an opportunity to reflect on past events to gain strength to face and overcome challenges of internal conflict. Ministry is seen as the practical expression of the life of prayer and an essential adjunct to the contemplative

Cyzewski makes a great point in chapter 7 when he says “ Theology without prayer is like trying to drive without gas or a destination.” I have heard this before and it is true. Prayer is the glue that holds our relationship with God together. I view prayer as a key element to having a deep meaningful relationship with God. In church when I was younger I heard more sermons than I can count on the importance of prayer. Ranging from praying in public, to praying with others and how prayer keeps your connection with God close.

how people live their lives in the way God wants them to. For Christians, prayer is a tool that is used for guidance, spiritually and personally through all the challenges that Satan brings. In the school system, prayer lays a foundation that is upheld with the values taught there. Understanding that school and spiritual life is on two different spectrums,

All faiths believe in prayer. The Jews prayer is the Shema, which is the most important part of the morning and evening prayer. Christian’s prayer is the Lord’s Prayer which is derived from the book

In the movie the, prayer was sacred to them, especially when Colton becomes sick. The whole community partaken in this act to support and provide hope for the family. Everyone having the same goal of wanting Colton to get better brought the whole community together. It started by Colton's mom calling a couple of friends and continued until tons of people joined to pray. The community provided support and made

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.