Why Christians don't pray like Jews?

[Adstar]

one time when i was scared, which doesn't happen often, i went to my knees to pray, and as soon as they hit the floor god bellowed at me, "GET UP!" it really startled me, and i guess, kind of snapped me out of it. he didn't want me to be afraid, or seem weak. that's what i make of it.

Was anyone else around when this happened? Like could anyone see you?

If it was God bellowing at you it would have probably been for two reasons.

1) You where praying like the heathens do. Assuming an outward sign of submission and that can only ever be a show off to other human beings.

2) Fear denies Faith. Those who trust God do not live in fear.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[S.A.M.]

How do Jews pray?

 

[Adstar]

To have God personally admonish you is quite an honor. Never mind that Haiti is shaking, God took a few brief seconds out of His day because Lori was on her knees. God is all about priorities. I earlier said that I could not ever believe God would care about shit like praying but I guess He does. Wow! Jeez, you wouldn't think that God's unhappy because Lori wasn't praying properly.

I don't pray at all and God doesn't say anything to me. I guess I'm doing something right. Still, it would be nice to hear from Him once in a while.

God like a loving Father admonishes His childeren.

Proverbs 3
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects. Just as a father the son in whom he delights.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[GeoffP]

Those who care do, those who don't care don't.

Now if you don't care why did you post?


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Because you're talking bollocks.

 

[Medicine*Woman]

*************
M*W: Really, people! As an atheist, I don't call it "prayer." I call it "positive thinking," or "creative visualization," or even "manifestation of the spirit." Even atheists "pray," but not to a deity, so how can there be a wrong way to pray if the intent is a positive one to "first, do no harm?"

 

[PsychoticEpisode]

God like a loving Father admonishes His childeren.

Proverbs 3
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects. Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

So I have a better chance of hearing God's voice as long as I pray incorrectly. My prayer could be the greatest prayer ever heard yet God would sooner scold me than listen just because my legs were crossed or something. Prayer etiquette takes precedence over content I guess.

Seriously Adstar, I never heard anything so stupid about God than that in my entire life. Do you guys know what you're doing?

 

[joepistole]

Its a simple question....

Why don't Christians pray like how ancient Jews used to pray, as Jesus prayed like the old prophets namely he 'fell on his face'...

Almost all of Christian praying style in the church seems made up to me that is why I'm wondering why is that?

Peace be unto you

And where do you get this falling on face stuff? Do you have any proof of same?

 

[earth]

one time when i was scared, which doesn't happen often, i went to my knees to pray, and as soon as they hit the floor god bellowed at me, "GET UP!" it really startled me, and i guess, kind of snapped me out of it. he didn't want me to be afraid, or seem weak. that's what i make of it.

You were to rebuke the fear so you could recognize it's leaving. The fear was placed on you somehow, sort of like a curse. You were to overcome the fear by commanding it to leave. Therefore the command stating to "get up" because you were taking the wrong approach.

 

[krazedkat]

Didn't Jesus tell us how to pray?

How does that work? The Jews were around PRIOR to Jesus.

I pray as a Jew (mostly because I AM one)...:shrug:

 

[786]

And where do you get this falling on face stuff? Do you have any proof of same?

Matthew 26:39 "And he (Jesus) went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

As for OT prophets:

Joshua 5:14 "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?"

Ezekiel 9:8 "And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?"

2 Chronicles 20:18 "And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD."

Ezekiel 11:13 "And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?"

Does this help?

Peace be unto you

 

[GeoffP]

Yes, but all those lads were in more direct communion than we are. We pray on knees and with bowed heads. If God chooses to smite me for that, so be it.

 

[786]

Yes, but all those lads were in more direct communion than we are.

Well I only gave references to prophets, but ancient jews (normal folk) also prayed with a prostration to the ground... Also if you note one of the verse says whole of 'Jerusalem' 'fell' did the same.. Anyhow I thought Christians claimed to be much closer to God, you do talk about a direct connection with God through Jesus and so on... so aren't you 'in more direct communion'.

We pray on knees and with bowed heads. If God chooses to smite me for that, so be it.

lol...Anyhow that is not really my question... why did the church have to make things when they have precedent which they could easily follow. Which Jesus also followed it seems.

I guess the person who said that the Church wanted to totally separate themselves is probably a good explanation but I would still expect them to keep what Jesus himself did.

Peace be unto you

 

[joepistole]

Well I only gave references to prophets, but ancient jews (normal folk) also prayed with a prostration to the ground... Also if you note one of the verse says whole of 'Jerusalem' 'fell' did the same.. Anyhow I thought Christians claimed to be much closer to God, you do talk about a direct connection with God through Jesus and so on... so aren't you 'in more direct communion'.

lol...Anyhow that is not really my question... why did the church have to make things when they have precedent which they could easily follow. Which Jesus also followed it seems.

I guess the person who said that the Church wanted to totally separate themselves is probably a good explanation but I would still expect them to keep what Jesus himself did.

Peace be unto you

Because the apostles of Christ were given the powers to act for Christ on Earth. So things did change. The Sabbath was moved to Sunday. Most Christians honor Sabbath all day on Sunday versus Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.

Most Jews I know do no fall on their face. They sit, stand, etc. Christ also gave instructions on how to pray, and I don't recall once where he said anything about people falling on their faces.

My view of Christ's message was that what is in our hearts and actions is far more important that outward demonstrations of piety.

Peace be unto you.

 

[Photizo]

How does that work? The Jews were around PRIOR to Jesus.

Wait a minute...Jesus makes this statement: "Truly, truly, before Abraham was born, I am."

Jesus declares Himself to be "around PRIOR to" Abraham, who was "around PRIOR to" the Jews. How does THAT work?

 

[Medicine*Woman]

Wait a minute...Jesus makes this statement: "Truly, truly, before Abraham was born, I am."

Jesus declares Himself to be "around PRIOR to" Abraham, who was "around PRIOR to" the Jews. How does THAT work?

*************
M*W: The sun. It provided heat to melt the ice caps and promote agriculture. It heated the ocean so life could crawl upon the land, to be fruitful and to multiply. It created intelligent life that would eventually create sun-worship which evolved into man-made religions.

What else do you want to know?

 

[Lori_7]

Was anyone else around when this happened? Like could anyone see you?

If it was God bellowing at you it would have probably been for two reasons.

1) You where praying like the heathens do. Assuming an outward sign of submission and that can only ever be a show off to other human beings.

2) Fear denies Faith. Those who trust God do not live in fear.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

no one else was around me...that i could see anyway.

i was going through a strange time. one i've spoken of here on the forum. one that really rocked my world, and the catalyst was spiritual in nature.

i had just received a phone call from my ex-husband, who was on anti-psychotic meds, drunk, and stoned at the time. when i questioned him at a later date, he did not remember the call. he spoke to me in a taunting voice and inflection, not of his own. and he spoke of, or insinuated to things that i was going through at that time, that he had absolutely no way of knowing about. it really freaked me out. i'm normally a very placid person, and even when i am afraid or stressed out, i don't show it overtly. when i got off the phone with him, i felt as though i had just spoken with the devil himself. like something else had taken over him in his "absence". and i was shaking so hard i looked like i was having a seizure. i've never been so scared.

i just didn't know what else to do. normally when i pray, it's either the lord's prayer or something very conversational in nature, or a combination of both, and usually, i'm in bed or just wherever i may be...nothing ritualistic at all. but when it's serious...when i'm saying to god, "hey, this is serious, and i really need your attention", i get down on my knees. this was the epitome of one of those times.

he absolutely bellowed at me. i had heard his voice many times before, but never so loud and emphatic. not angry, just authoritative. i just don't think, and especially given what i was going through, that he wanted me to be weak in any way, or to show weakness or fear.

and it helped.

 

[Lori_7]

You were to rebuke the fear so you could recognize it's leaving. The fear was placed on you somehow, sort of like a curse. You were to overcome the fear by commanding it to leave. Therefore the command stating to "get up" because you were taking the wrong approach.

i agree with you, and felt much stronger after the command.

 

[Lori_7]

How does that work? The Jews were around PRIOR to Jesus.

I pray as a Jew (mostly because I AM one)...:shrug:

i'm referring to the lord's prayer, and that he told us not to make a show of it. that it is something personal, between you and god, and indicative of a real relationship, not just some ritual or ceremony.

there have been times when, metaphorically speaking, i was on my face in front of the lord. prostrate. this has to do with pure sentiment, and not a physical ritual.

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

Thanks for clarifying that with those apostrophes

What Jews refer to as "Jewish law" consists of the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), which they believe to be commandments from God; plus the Talmud, which is a collection of writings of scholars; plus rabbinical law as it has been codified over the ages. Thus to a certain extent it is a living code which can be modified (although not the God parts) and interpreted for application to conditions not foreseen in the Bronze Age. Jewish Law applies to all facets of life: religious and secular, personal and social.

i agree, and by the same logic, Muslims are perfected Christians.

Muslims count Jesus as a prophet, but they reject his divinity. I'm pretty sure this disqualifies them from being any kind of Christians. Note that they strongly object to the name "Mohammedans," which is what we called them when I was a kid, since Mohammed was a mortal just like (in their view) Jesus.

They regard Abraham as the original prophet, and believe that much of the Old and New Testaments have been distorted by inaccurate transcription and/or interpretation. Perhaps it would be less of a stretch to also call them "perfected Jews," but it seems like an inflammatory phrase to toss around just to make a fairly silly point. I don't mind offending religious people but I like to at least have a good reason.

wasn't abraham ordered to kill his son?

Apparently that was a test, which he passed. I find it odd that fundamentalists don't take more counsel from that story. If you hear God telling you to do something that seems really stupid, maybe it's another test and he expects you NOT to do it!

How do Jews pray?

Sam, you're always pontificating about Jews and their history. Your impeccably balanced insights into the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict alone identify you as a leading scholar in judaica. Obviously you must know many Jews personally in order to have such great knowledge. Why don't you just ask them?

 

[Adstar]

So I have a better chance of hearing God's voice as long as I pray incorrectly. My prayer could be the greatest prayer ever heard yet God would sooner scold me than listen just because my legs were crossed or something. Prayer etiquette takes precedence over content I guess.

Seriously Adstar, I never heard anything so stupid about God than that in my entire life. Do you guys know what you're doing?

You not reading my reply in context to the letter it was responding to. Or you do not wish to read it as a response. You simply and disingenuously move the point of view.

Seriously. I cannot take you seriously.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days