What is prayer?
By Pose123
@Pose123 (21635)
Canada
October 5, 2007 9:36pm CST
For most of my life I thought I knew how to pray. It was talking to God, and was done at certain times, like in the morning, and at night, and of course when you went to church. I knew too, that almost everyone prayed when they were in trouble. Well, in recent years I've changed my mind about a lot of things, and one of them is prayer. Now, I know that many people will disagree with me, but I now believe that our whole life is a prayer. Every thought, every word, everything we do is a prayer. Desire is prayer, how can it not be? I now try to to think positive, rather then negative thoughts. I watch more carefully the words that I speak, and I am careful over the things that I do, because I feel that the things that I do to others will come back to me. I smile more, I am a happier person and I try to spread that happiness around. If our life is a prayer, there can be no pretence, no double standard, no saying one thing and doing another. My prayer will never be perfect, because my life will never be perfect, but it will be me. Blessings.
4 people like this
13 responses
@alamode (3071)
• United States
6 Oct 07
I have heard of life as a tribute... to life! The words are different, but the idea is the same. What we do is to better our lives and ourselves... negativity does the opposite, and I have never seen the attraction. Depression does make us dwell on the negative, so I work actively to keep it to a minimum, even though I have plenty of reason to go there and stay.
You are speaking of honesty, primarily to ourselves. We know who we really are, and if we teach ourselves to use the positive rather than negative response, we will still see both sides, but will choose the positive as being in our own best self-interest.
Taking care of ourselves, physically AND emotionally, is our job! Way to go, my friend!
@Mirita (2668)
• United States
6 Oct 07
I agree with you in regards to prayer because our whole life is really a prayer. Everything we say or do affects us and others. We need to be positive and spread happiness instead of misery to others. Everything we do in this world comes back to us.
@kikiss (429)
• Australia
6 Oct 07
I pray also , but i think at the moment my faith is going downhill. do u always get your pray answers ? Do u ever watch the DVD 'The Secret' talks about basiccally what ever you thingking , you will manifest , i v seen it . i things is good. maybe it simmillar to pray?
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
6 Oct 07
Hi kikiss, Thank you for responding. I've heard about the secret, but have never watched it. I know about the concept, and I agree with most of it. I suggest you read The Conversation with God books by Neale Donald Walsch. You should start with Book 1. You may or may not agree with it, but read it anyway. Blessings.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
6 Oct 07
a prayer for me is like a living breath... in fact, it should be a living breath for every christians just like if we stop breathing, then we will die... it shows my dependency on God as well and i surrender my whole life to Him... so that's why a prayer is very important for me...
2 people like this
@qiaodiyuzhimen (15)
• China
6 Oct 07
i am a Christian,i often prayer to GOD,i think even it is not necessarily to achieve,but we can hope for somethings ,and to do it more fighting spirit.
@jbrooks0127 (2324)
• United States
7 Oct 07
Wow...very well said Pose.
I had not thought of it this way but I think you are right on. What Jesus taught was how to become a better person....to love our fellow man, not hate.
This is exactly what you are talking about and in doing so we bring ourselves more in line with God for the example we set is our prayer.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Oct 07
Our whole life, if we are children of God, is a prayer. We do not need to get down on our knees all the time, we can pray to God in whatever situation we are in.
We live our lives so to please God, not just to please man who have their own agenda and so we watch what we say, and what we do, and do our work as best as we can as pleasing to God and not to man. That is leading a prayerful life.
@Cosepqueenie (385)
• Philippines
7 Oct 07
prayer is a form of talking to God where you can say things that you want and you can anything and you can do anything...
@jessemt35 (294)
• Qatar
6 Oct 07
Well I agree with your thoughts with regards to prayer that our very life is a prayer is quite right. Saint Paul says that whatever we do whether we eat or drink we should do it for the glory of God. Prayer is not just words that we recite or we memorize it is the internalization of our faith and lifting it to God in thoughts, words and deeds. The famous saying of the Father of the Benedictine monks St. Benedict say "Pray and work, work and pray until your work becomes your prayer." God bless!
@glhens2129 (30)
• Philippines
6 Oct 07
I agree with you. I realized the same thing too, in fact in the office, some of my officemates used to tell me, "why give so much of my time and effort in doing my work you will not be promoted anyway." I guess their right, but I am not working because basically because I want to be promoted. I work because the way I do things not just in the office but in every moment of my life is my PRAYER. Every move I make is my way of communicating with GOD... My work is my prayer.
2 people like this
@izathewzia (5134)
• Philippines
6 Oct 07
I like the way you consider prayer now. It really makes sense. Yes, life is entirely a prayer. And it is up to us how we will "say it by heart". Just like you did, we should be more positive, happy, and contented. We should avoid doing bad for it will come back to us. Living is like praying.
@jennwhite07 (130)
• United States
7 Oct 07
Prayer is a conversation between you and the good lord. ANd in all honesty, I pray several times a day. I find that I have a lighter heart for it. I can be driving down the road, and just start praying. Nobody can ever be perfect, but always remember to ask forgiveness for you your family your friends, whoever when saying your prayers
