Something that has beenÃ? irritating me recently is the use of the word ‘just’Ã? in prayer.
Now I know that it is often challenging and takes someÃ? courage to pray outloud in some groupÃ? situations. That can mean having some predetermined phrasesÃ? that helpÃ? enable us to express what is on our hearts, but am I the only one that thinksÃ? using the word ‘just’ in our prayers (for example: Father we just ask…. or Jesus we just want…) is notÃ? givingÃ? GodÃ? enough credit for beingÃ? the creator, the saviour and the hope of the world?Ã?Â
The bible teaches usÃ? in Matthew 18Ã? vs19 “I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
I am asÃ? ’guilty’Ã? as anyone of praying without fully thinking about what I am saying, possibly not with the use of the word ‘just’, but most certainly in praying things without engaging bothÃ? my brain and my heart. I think its very key to pray with our intellect and our knowledge of the bible as well as using the passion and fire in our hearts.
As in Corinthians� 14: 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
Any thoughts?Ã?Â
Nope you aren’t alone, I do it. It’s all a case of habit. It’s the way we learnt to do it. And how do we do that?, By learning from those that teach us.
If you had spoken what what you had written it would of come across in a different way. There would of been a lot of ‘erm’ and ‘ah’ and pauses, you would of had the same senitment of what you have written but it would have a bit of a different content. We have lots of niuances in our speach. Phrases that help us collect our thoughts and add accentuations and the more.
So does it really matter that we say ‘Just’ all the time. If that’s the case, then does God get annoyed all the times when we say ‘lord’ (I think he knows we are talking to him) after every sentence, or ‘Lord Jesus’ or ‘Father’ at many points during the prayer. I don’t believe he does, I think he is pleased that we are talking to him. I think he knows our hearts and what we are trying to say in our imperfect human way.
I don’t think we are disrespecting God. If we are saying God is a God that sees the heart then i believe that he certainly sees that he sees the the true heart behind our prayers.
I also think that if we are in relationship with God then there will be times for intelligent and thought out prayers. But then there will be times for Passionate of the moment prayers. That’s the thing about a relationship, there are lots of sides to it. I don’t speak to you in the same way, because I don’t have a 1 dimensional relationship with you.
With reference to the corinthians scripture, it’s about balance. It’s about being mindful of what you pray when you pray.
The message says:
1Co 14:14 If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted.
1Co 14:15 So what’s the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind.
It’s about being mindful of what you pray when you pray. Because to pray in tongues isn’t using your mind and that is what our God wants to hear more than anything.
Although
Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?
I don’t think Jesus spent much time thinking about this prayer to his father.
A few of my thoughts
I see your points Mr T, and I agree with you! I think I was having a rant (based on emotion!)
Let me try and explain where I am coming from!
(intellectually!)
I would like to see more prayers in services that are constructed with a more intellectual edge. God gave us amazingly complex brains to understand cool things and sometimes I feel that I’m basing my faith just on my feelings and emotions……
I find the majority of services to be ‘emotion based’ and what perhaps is sought as a ‘successful’ service is an emotional response? I address this point to challenge our thinking, not to point fingers
I agree that we need to respond to God’s Mercy and Grace with our hearts and that involves being truthful, which can hurt and in the moment, doesn’t leave the time for thinking too much about it!
As Matt Redman sings, ‘Our hearts respond to Your revelation’. New revelations come to me in my intellect and this increases my understanding of God which paves the way for a deeper personal relationship, and I know that if I am only looking for the next emotional high, then my walk with God is not going to move forward.
I certainly am discovering new insights about myself by talking about this!
Sunday mornings are about making people feeling included and welcomed and that ‘deep stuff’ has the arenas of cell group or our personal walk to be investigated to the extent that we feel comfortable with, but hey whats wrong with shaking things up a little bit?
On a related theme, maybe some really deep teaching from the word that makes the whole body of the church really have to use our brains to get to grips with it would be appreciated by some on a sunday morning……..