Prayer Question/Help

Check Out This Verse and Seek an Answer....

Romans 1:16-32 Amplified Bible (especially the slanted/bold red print I showed you):
16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.
18For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification],
21Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and [c]godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
22Claiming to be wise, they became fools [professing to be smart, they made simpletons of themselves]. 23And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin], 25 Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).
26For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, 27And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own [d]bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome, 29Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.

Hebrews 11:1 - "1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]."

It is my opinion that it is not in the physical things of life that our faith is made strong. If you decide to use these things, you must make sure they don't become your "god."

I'm sure others, here will have some very good answers for you, so please pay close attention to what is offered up, don't get offended, and most importantly, allow the Holy Spirit to be your influence in the end.

By the way - WELCOME to the board. :wavey:

 

I don't know why not, if the prayer does not depend on whatever you are using. Don't let it become an idol.

 

It's not an odd question. One can usually find something of this sort in charismatic or pentecostal style churches, and it's generally more prevalent among the women than the men, who, in most cases, are there for the women.

It's superstitious. It's felt that these things somehow add an effectual element to their devotions.

 

I would want to know why they would want to use these things. We have a mediator that is far greater than these, Jesus Christ. Usually the purpose of these things is to serve as some sort of mediatorial role. If that is the case, the person using this has a very low view of Jesus Christ. A great study in Hebrews should help correct those misunderstandings.

 

In agreement fully with Aaron here!!!!

 

To be able to answer that question one would also probably have to answer questions along the lines of, "Why do we meet in a church with a steeple on top?" Or, "Why do we have a cross presented in our churches?"

Unless we all adopt a part of the regulative principle and go to the utmost in plainness, tossing aside every aspect of culture (impossible. by the way) and of comfort, digging in and calling this practice wrong will be difficult.

I would side with the ones that suggest to be on guard for idolatry. When the rug, means, and direction one's backside are pointed become the most important things, something is greatly amiss in the prayer life of the individual.

 

Question to ask would be 'WHY?"

We have no need to pray and use any external things in our prayers to the Lord, as we just nee to have the Mediator jesus between us and the Father...

IF you want to use it to "focus your thoughts" upon God, would be fine for you, its just not really required nor needed!

 

What about using a rosary? :laugh:

 

The answer is no it is not all right. First God is not in Jerusalem. He is in heaven and hears us no matter if we are on our knees, standing, setting or lying down looking up, down, or any direction. He even hears us while driving if we are His Children.
Facing a certain direction seems to suggest that God only hears people who follow certain protocols. The same with the rug. Unless it is used to keep the knees clean or for padding it is worthless. All those things you mentioned border on satanic worship and need to be avoided as they have no benefit for a Christians prayers being heard or answered. If God wanted us to use those things he would have stated it so don’t get trapped into ritualistic prayer and be lead away by demons.

 

Because there is no such thing as a prayer rug and God is not honored by facing a certain direction. If you want to be reverent then do it according to the bible, not by following some satanic ritual as those who follow Islam.
Pray in this manner;
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Using this as your pattern and praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ while you live a holy life will honor God all you will ever be able to honor Him. Rugs, shawls, and direction will only open the door to satan as God has not requested such. We are to pray in the spirit, not on a rug or facing a certain direction.

 

Your welcome. :jesus:

 

I see it as getting hung up on stuff rather than the Lord. All you need is a quiet, private place if you want to engage in deep prayer. Or you can talk to God all day long like I do. I talk to Him whether I'm driving, washing dishes, doing laundry....ect. He is always there and many times my prayers can't wait until I'm in my "closet".

 

YEP :thumbs::thumbs: