Prayer

[Lily]

I think prayer can take many forms. Sometimes poetry is prayer, as can be painting, and some physical actions. Meditation is a form of prayer to some.

I've heard surfers say it's like prayer for them. It can take many forms, and impact us all differently.

I've posted on my prayer before, which is mostly open conversations with God as if He were really listening. It doesn't matter that He's not, because I am. It helps me process, and let my thoughts settle. It gets me in the right mindset, which seems to have an impact even beyond what I may do. I don't ask for favors, but I'm not afraid to openly express my desires, or what I deem to be right, and sometimes these things just seem to fall into place, if I have the right mindset. I don't know why it works, but it's happened enough that I'm sure it works.

[Yehya]

Greetings

It always amuses me slightly that people who claim God is omnipotent also think He only listens when they are talking directly to Him. Like it's some form of telephone He only answers when they decide to call him and otherwise He can''t hear them.

I think the idea is to try to live your life like every moment is a celebration of God, that each moment is a prayer, and understand that although we aren't always listening to Him He is always speaking to us. Although I am not so good at following my own advice.

Peace - Yehya

[Inner Prop]

Greetings

It always amuses me slightly that people who claim God is omnipotent also think He only listens when they are talking directly to Him. Like it's some form of telephone He only answers when they decide to call him and otherwise He can''t hear them.

I think the idea is to try to live your life like every moment is a celebration of God, that each moment is a prayer, and understand that although we aren't always listening to Him He is always speaking to us. Although I am not so good at following my own advice.

Peace - Yehya

WOW! I mean WOW, that is SO true. I grew up Catholic and anything you did, didn't do, or even thought that was naughty you could get punished for. For some reason that was automatic, but talking to God, and even offering up your suffering (putting up with it) as a testament to God and to earn Graces for yourself or others in Purgatory, that had to be done officially.

Hmm, it's kind of like a physical prayer.

It's like when a "married" couple "make love" all day long, by cooking for each other, talking, holding hands, calling each other on the phone just to say I love you, picking up the other's laundry, gently reminding the other of something, sitting together, and then going to bed together and holding each other. When you fight you fight fair, and you forgive.

Sure there is the other meaning of "making love" but both of these are needed for a long standing, loving, enjoyable and healthy relationship.

So both "physical prayer" of living your life as a prayer, and "prayer" are needed. Now, who exactly are we in a relationship with?

Sometimes I love my wife so much, just because of the way she is and the way she loves our children. I'm sure she would say the same thing.

If God is non-interactive and non-communicative in this life, maybe our true, interactive relationship is with each other. "'They' will know we are Christian by our love." and "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me."

Also, I exercise, in a large part to make sure I'm healthy and will stay healthy for a long time, with my wife. I want us to have a long and healthy, active life together. It's not just for me, and I am not getting all "buff" to attract a mate, but I suppose that the analogy would hold for attracting a mate as well.

Analogically (is that a word), we have to strengthen ourselves through prayer so that we are strong and healthy in our relationships with others around us and eventually with God, when and if we gain communion with Him.

Ha, I like this analogy, prayer is for community and for ourselves, yet it is also for God, whether God is listening or not.