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fakename
Guest
Do prayers work, because of the way they’re said? Or do they work by some other mechanism?
Why are prayers written in a certain way?
Thanks
Why are prayers written in a certain way?
Thanks
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Apollos
Guest
They work by the same mechanism of asking someone to do you a favor. Ever asked anyone a favor?
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Vico
Guest
All goodness is from God. Prayer requires submission to God, and we are able to submit due to the Holy Spirit. The good Angels and Saints pray to God for us when we ask it of them, and God grants all according to his great mercy and wisdom.
Prayers work because of our attitude of love, respect, and humility, and willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, rather than like a “magic formula”.
The prayers are written in such a way as to convey the correct attitude of love, respect, and humility towards God, but following traditions.
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Angels_Eyes
Guest
This is a very interesting post.
I am a recent revert to the Catholic religion, and so have ‘forgotten’ a lot of my younger Catholic days. I never forgot the Our Father and Hail Mary though.
I have a little prayer book with some lovely short prayers that I sometimes say if I am short of time. I always start my prayers thanking God for what he has given me, my family, my health, my house and the food I eat each day. I belive that we need to be greatful for everything we have first, then ask for help in other areas. I actually try not to pray a lot for myself but more for others, again, I feel this shows compassion and a selfless act that I believe God would be happy with.
I am certainly no expert, as I said still only recently returned to the Church, but I hope this helps a little.
God Bless you
I am a recent revert to the Catholic religion, and so have ‘forgotten’ a lot of my younger Catholic days. I never forgot the Our Father and Hail Mary though.
I have a little prayer book with some lovely short prayers that I sometimes say if I am short of time. I always start my prayers thanking God for what he has given me, my family, my health, my house and the food I eat each day. I belive that we need to be greatful for everything we have first, then ask for help in other areas. I actually try not to pray a lot for myself but more for others, again, I feel this shows compassion and a selfless act that I believe God would be happy with.
I am certainly no expert, as I said still only recently returned to the Church, but I hope this helps a little.
God Bless you
C
Christine85
Guest
I believe that prayers work by faith. You ask God for something and you have faith that he will hear and answer in the way he does. Also, I think putting your wants for others and yourself out there into the universe puts the energy of the prayer into motion. Im not sure this is very Catholic but its kind of like the law of attraction in a way/Cause and effect also. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect…where it is believed that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world can cause an earthquake in another. Were all part of the world together and I believe when we dedicate any amount of time in speaking out our wishes and have faith in them, that they will come true in some shape or form.
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Petergee
Guest
God is eternal and unchangeable. Nothing we say or don’t say to Him can change him. Prayer is meant to change US and the people we come in contact with by making us more in tune with God. That’s how prayer “works”. God is not a slot machine where you put in just the “correct change” of the right prayers said so many times in so many ways result magically in exactly what we want popping out. You will occasionally find pamphlets left in churches claiming such magical certain results for certain combinations of prayers. Ignore and destroy them, they are unCatholic superstitions.
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Jenniferolg
Guest
Well said! But we do have some examples in scripture of God changing in response to prayer.
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Christine85
Guest
very true!!
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mgreen77
Guest
But isn’t asking God for anything basically questioining His will?
If my friend gets sick, do I have any “right” to pray and ask that she get better… since it’s “God’s Will” that she got sick?
I know, I know, a slippery slope where people stop seeing doctors, etc. which isn’t good.
But I can see praying for forgiveness, and prayers of adoration, but I always feel guilty asking for “favors” since it seems to say I don’t trust God
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Apollos
Guest
But what if his will is that you should ask? Gotcha!But isn’t asking God for anything basically questioining His will? If my friend gets sick, do I have any “right” to pray and ask that she get better… since it’s “God’s Will” that she got sick? I know, I know, a slippery slope where people stop seeing doctors, etc. which isn’t good. But I can see praying for forgiveness, and prayers of adoration, but I always feel guilty asking for “favors” since it seems to say I don’t trust God
In practice, we don’t always know if something is by his permission or by his intention. But we are always safe asking for what is necessary and useful for salvation, because it is certain that this is his will.
Tell me, do you feel guilty saying any of the parts of the Our Father?
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mgreen77
Guest
Sure, I feel a little guilty saying…
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
Because I trust that He’ll do this if it’s His will, and by asking I’m suggesting I want something I haven’t earned
“and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”
Because I assume it’s my responsibility to avoid temptation and evil, and yet if He thinks I need a “test” now and then, who am I to question it?
I feel kinda rebellious and untrusting when saying anything much more than praising Him, thanking Him or asking for forgiveness. The rest (favors, strength, Grace, healing, etc.) I always kinda thought was up to me, consequences (not “rewards” though) of my honestly striving to hear and follow His guidance and will.
I’m much more comfortable with, and feel more a “call” to praying Ave Maria…
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Apollos
Guest
Even if you don’t understand, you at least know in your head by simple logic that if Jesus himself ordered you to pray that way, then you know there’s nothing wrong with it.Sure, I feel a little guilty saying… “Give us this day our daily bread…” Because I trust that He’ll do this if it’s His will, and by asking I’m suggesting I want something I haven’t earned
What is it about you that makes you undeserving of good things?
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mgreen77
Guest
You make a very good point
Well it’s just that I don’t think in terms of “deserve” really. I mean sure, if I work hard at my job, I “deserve” to be paid for it. But with God it’s different, I don’t think He owes me anything.
If I strive to always do the right thing, good things do to tend to come along with it. But I try to not focus on that part, and instead focus on that feeling of inner peace in my conscious when I sense (hope) I’m following His guidance… and whatever else happens… happens, lol.
In a way, I guess I think of my life, as it’s lived, as an ongoing 24/7 prayer
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Apollos
Guest
It’s true, God owes us nothing, but do you see the logical trap you’re in? Maybe it’s not all about deserving versus not deserving. Why would God create you in the first place?Well it’s just that I don’t think in terms of “deserve” really. I mean sure, if I work hard at my job, I “deserve” to be paid for it. But with God it’s different, I don’t think He owes me anything. If I strive to always do the right thing, good things do to tend to come along with it. But I try to not focus on that part, and instead focus on that feeling of inner peace in my conscious when I sense (hope) I’m following His guidance… and whatever else happens… happens, lol. In a way, I guess I think of my life, as it’s lived, as an ongoing 24/7 prayer
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Alan55
Guest
Jesus told us to pray, and the specific prayers that Jesus taught, particularly the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has specific requests. When we attempt to fit God into the box of Greek philosophy in which God is unchangeable, then there are difficulties. But God does answer prayer and Jesus encourages us to pray “without ceasing” and ask for what we need, which, he says, “glorifies the Father.”
How prayer works? We ask God, and God either does what we ask, does something different, or does nothing that we can perceive (not the same thing as doing nothing). We understand that God loves us and wills our good. Therefore, we can go to him and ask, as a child asks his or her parents, and we don’t worry too much that our prayer seems self-centered, extravagant, crazy, etc. Frankly, who are we fooling anyway? God knows our hearts and desires. We can have confidence that God will hear and answer our prayer in a way that is for our good. No, or not now, or not that much, or not that way is a perfectly reasonable answer for a loving, wise Father, as any parent can attest.
In my experience, God sometimes shapes our prayer, that is, helps us to pray according to his will for us if we persevere in prayer and are attentive to the ways that God leads us. I’ve seen that in individual and in group prayer (for a number of years I was involved in intercessory prayer groups). You start in one place and seem to end up in a different place, praying a different way than you started.
I think that God wants us to ask for what we need and want. I think that there are things that God wills for our good that we obtain by asking God for them and would otherwise not receive. Asking God for what we need and want builds faith and strengthens our sense of God’s goodness and provision for us. God is good.
How prayer works? We ask God, and God either does what we ask, does something different, or does nothing that we can perceive (not the same thing as doing nothing). We understand that God loves us and wills our good. Therefore, we can go to him and ask, as a child asks his or her parents, and we don’t worry too much that our prayer seems self-centered, extravagant, crazy, etc. Frankly, who are we fooling anyway? God knows our hearts and desires. We can have confidence that God will hear and answer our prayer in a way that is for our good. No, or not now, or not that much, or not that way is a perfectly reasonable answer for a loving, wise Father, as any parent can attest.
In my experience, God sometimes shapes our prayer, that is, helps us to pray according to his will for us if we persevere in prayer and are attentive to the ways that God leads us. I’ve seen that in individual and in group prayer (for a number of years I was involved in intercessory prayer groups). You start in one place and seem to end up in a different place, praying a different way than you started.
I think that God wants us to ask for what we need and want. I think that there are things that God wills for our good that we obtain by asking God for them and would otherwise not receive. Asking God for what we need and want builds faith and strengthens our sense of God’s goodness and provision for us. God is good.
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Petergee
Guest
Don’t take that literally. It is a poetic way of expressing **man’s **salvation history. God never changes His mind. If He did, He wouldn’t be God.
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Monica4316
Guest
Ultimately God decides if a prayer will or will not be answered. Prayer isn’t magic… assuming that what you’re praying for can potentially be in God’s will (so it isn’t anything wrong or evil) - then the prayer becomes more effective if you pray with trust and perseverence
it can also be more effective if you ask others to pray for you, especially Mary and the Saints and your Guardian Angel.God bless
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Ben_F
Guest
I read a good book about prayer once. In it, it said why pray. The answer was, because Jesus did. Mary changed God´s mind once in the Bible. I read what Pope Benedict said about the Lord´s prayer. Basically it covers everything we could possible ask for. Teresa de Avila said it best. It´s not how we pray, but if we do. All prayers are answered. Sometime the answer is wait. I don´t think it´s no a whole lot of times, but occassionally it is. Be careful what you pray for, because you might get it. God bless:thumbsup:
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RosalieM
Guest
This is exactly what I thought when a prayer of mine was recently answered.Be careful what you pray for, because you might get it. God bless:thumbsup:
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