Now I lay me...revisited! well....kinda....

[imroc]

Hey all! Following up with the simple prayer, “Now I lay me…” thread, kinda. I was thinking about “The Lord’s Prayer” while praying the Rosary tonight. Since it’s been repeated by us millions of times, I’m sure it could be considered repetitous. But! Since it’s a prayer taught to us by our Lord, I’m assuming that all Christians, orthodox, catholic, “protestant”, etc pray this (gee…I hope so, anyway!). Well, aside from it being repetitous, I thought about it as a whole and it doesn’t sound like a good case for the whole, “faith alone” idea. Honestly, who in their honest heartfelt belief system would find “faith alone” in this prayer? Asking forgiveness? Asking not to be led into temptation and to be delivered from evil? Why would one ask for these things, if they are saved no matter what? For the good of all who are on earth? If that is so, then there goes the idea that faith alone won’t matter, because asking these things for the good of all is an ACT/WORK of faith! Wow! This hit me like a ton of bricks tonight while praying the Rosary. I usually pray the Rosary and hit the hay, but I just HAD to get this out there so I can hear what you think.

 

[Kevan]

imroc:

Why would one ask for these things, if they are saved no matter what?

You are confusing “faith alone” with “eternal security.” They differ.

“Faith alone” says that good works cannot atone for sin, but God saves a soul on the basis of his faith, and solely on that basis.

“Eternal security” says that salvation is irreversible: once in the family, forever in the family. Many, perhaps most, evangelicals do not believe in eternal security. But all evangelicals believe in salvation by “faith alone.”

If someone did believe in eternal security, he woud still pray the Lord’s Prayer because he wants to be well-pleasing to God and to maintain fellowship with him. Such people consider “forgiveness” to be like a father forgiving a son: it doesn’t make the son any more a son, but it restores fellowship.

 

[NiceFundamental]

imroc:

I was thinking about “The Lord’s Prayer” while praying the Rosary tonight… Asking forgiveness? Asking not to be led into temptation and to be delivered from evil? Why would one ask for these things,…This hit me like a ton of bricks tonight

Hello imroc, funny this prayer hit me like a ton of bricks as well the other day. 1st, we do not recite the Lord’s Prayer, however, perhaps do cover most of it “in our own words” when we pray either silently or in a group. It does not bother me if one prays it word for word over and over. I think the danger in repeating a prayer word for word is that the genuine sincerity might be diminished after time. Just my thought. But I have nothing against anyone praying it as often as they want. I have never heard it prayed in my congregation though.

The thing that hit me though was here was Jesus, telling us to pray to God the Father and ask that our sins be forgiven. To me that was a prime example of not needing “confession”. However, I am sure there are a million different opinions on that. But it is fact he instructed us to pray to God the Father “and forgive us our trespasses” …doesn’t say the non-mortal ones etc… Just my thought that hit me like a ton of bricks.

As for asking God to “not lead us into temptation and deliver us from evil”…I believe I need all the help I can get from God and the Holy Spirit to resist the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. To not succumb to evil thoughts, actions or anything that would offend God. I cannot do it on my own. I need to pray to God daily for the strength and ask him every time I pray for that strength, power, energy, motivation, wisdom, knowledge, discernment, courage…all to resist Satan and his evils.

 

[imroc]

NiceFundamental:

…The thing that hit me though was here was Jesus, telling us to pray to God the Father and ask that our sins be forgiven. To me that was a prime example of not needing “confession”. However, I am sure there are a million different opinions on that. …

Great reply! Very insightful. I just have one question though, where in the Bible does it say we are not supposed to “confess” our sins? I understand your point and it’s got a bit of clarity, but like you said, there are a million different opinions. But! Even that statement makes me a bit uncomfortable, being that the situation is fairly new in Christian history. I guess the real question would be, “When was the idea of NOT needing confession first developed?”

I’m am not trying to engage in a debate about confession at all, just raising more questions. Thanks again, because it was a good reply