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None of us pray enough for sure. By God's grace have tried to follow what I believe to be a biblical example and have a time of prayer morning, noon and evening. Sometimes they are extended but most of the time they are shorter periods of time. How much time I don't know for I have never timed it. That would weird me out.
None of us pray enough for sure. By God's grace have tried to follow what I believe to be a biblical example and have a time of prayer morning, noon and evening. Sometimes they are extended but most of the time they are shorter periods of time. How much time I don't know for I have never timed it. That would weird me out.
What does the bible have to say about the importance of regular private prayer times that are long and deep? This has been a source of great legalism for myself and many others and I've come to think that the bible puts the emphasis on our growth as an outworking of our participation in the public means of grace in faith. Just today I spoke with a friend on campus who was complaining about her friend who tried to give spiritual advice "without having met with the Lord yet today." What is the biblical case for the necessity of such personal piety?
What does the bible have to say about the importance of regular private prayer times that are long and deep? This has been a source of great legalism for myself and many others and I've come to think that the bible puts the emphasis on our growth as an outworking of our participation in the public means of grace in faith. Just today I spoke with a friend on campus who was complaining about her friend who tried to give spiritual advice "without having met with the Lord yet today." What is the biblical case for the necessity of such personal piety?
What does the bible have to say about the importance of regular private prayer times that are long and deep? This has been a source of great legalism for myself and many others and I've come to think that the bible puts the emphasis on our growth as an outworking of our participation in the public means of grace in faith. Just today I spoke with a friend on campus who was complaining about her friend who tried to give spiritual advice "without having met with the Lord yet today." What is the biblical case for the necessity of such personal piety?
What does this mean David? the bible puts the emphasis on our growth as an outworking of our participation in the public means of grace in faith.
I do not know what the public means of grace in faith is. Now, it sounds very scholarly and pious in itself
The Apostle Paul is crystal clear on how prayer ranks in the life of the believer. It is indispensable.
Okay, okay, not nearly enough. I'm burdened by my lack of prayer. I find that the more I'm involved in people's lives I pray for them throughout the day, and am reminded of them during times set aside for meditation/devotion/prayer.Fundy Joe says: said:As a tither I make it a point to read my Bible and pray a minimum of 2 hours and 24 minutes each and every day. Everyone should. If you don't then you don't really love Jesus, are selfish and most likely are lost. You perceive your sufficiency in yourself. You need to change your ways sinner. Repent!
Here's what Gill has to say about praying without ceasing:Since we are told to pray without ceasing, how does the fit into all of this?
I assure you that I wasn't trying to sound pious or intellectual with my statement about the means of grace. That is just the confessional language for the ways by which God communicates grace to us. I'm sure the phrase or something like it can be found in the Heidelberg Confession as well.
Does the scripture talk about meeting with God other than "in the assembly"? Paul talks about gathering together, singing psalms to each other, hearing the preached word, communion, etc. I've never seen much of an argument made for the modern-day primacy of individual devotional experience over corporate worship and the means of grace other than saying "hey look, Jesus went off by himself to pray." I certainly agree that it's noble to take time to pray for various needs. Sometimes I just get wary because I am prone to constantly judge myself on the basis of the frequency or "depth" of my "quiet times," surrounded by people who say things like I quoted above, that someone who hasn't "met with the Lord today" can't add anything edifying to a religious conversation.
I don't disagree that prayer is discussed in the New Testament. But again, what is clear is that our main sources of growth/sanctification are the preaching of the word and administration of the sacraments, both of which take place during public worship. Forgive me if I'm being reactionary to my previous experience in the charismatic church but I just get easily on edge when people start making what appears (to me at least) to be an unnecessarily big deal over prolonged times of personal prayer.
Just curious if anyone would be willing to share how much time (on average) do you spend praying on a daily basis?
Nicholas, I don't think David is suggesting that our growth comes "solely" from our corporate worship. The New Testament really doesn't seem to emphasize "quiet time" as much as some of us used to think, but it's still helpful to have one.
Augusta, sorry about your kitty!
Since we are told to pray without ceasing, how does the fit into all of this?
I am amazed at your responses. The majority of you have set up a nebulous and unattainable quantity of prayer that would be sufficient to please God or make yourselves feel worthy that you have done enough. We, the reformed should have gotten beyond this long ago. Why does the question of prayer elicit so many guilty feelings?
Prayer is the act and attitude of acknowledging God in all we do. When we are stressed we pray and bring our troubles to God for there is no other place to bring them. You all do this.
We pray before we eat to acknowledge the giver of all good gifts and sustenance. You all do this.
We pray to intercede for a friend or loved one or pastor or church. I bet you all do this.
The rest of the time is living with an attitude that God is sovereign over all things, that we are fully encompassed by his watch care and love. Prayer is the conscious and unconscious awareness that in Him we live and move and have our being and THIS is prayer without ceasing. The Reformed should understand this before anyone else.
The problem is we are so unconscious of our acceptance of God's sovereignty in all things that, like fish in water, we hardly realize that we are doing it.
I'm not trying to justify laziness but ya'll pray far more than you think you do. It is good that God's spirit is keeping your conscience tender and concerned for your spiritual sanctification. A true believer ought to question whether he is doing all things well for the glory of God. But don't turn prayerfulness into a test. If you believe in the total sovereignty of God then every breath you take is a prayer because you would quickly acknowledge that God gave you that breath.
Prayer is the spoken and unspoken confession of your heart, the innermost core of your being. Prayer is surrender to the revealed will of God.
Since we are told to pray without ceasing, how does the fit into all of this?
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.