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Praying...!?? hmm....

copticcross3copticcross3
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
soo,
Matthew 6 :5-14

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.


I have had this question for a longg time, and now that i read this verse, it kinda answered it, but i wonder why people say differently.
anyways..the issue is.... Why do a longgg mass, and prayy for a longg time and tell God everything in our lives, and what we want and ect. this verse says he knows and you don't need to tell him all about it. i asked my parents why i can't just say "our father who arts in heaven" before bed and take a few minutes to repent and read the BIBLE. they feel that i should be giving at least 1 1/2 (praying and Bible together) hours to God everyday. it makes no sense to me. And why would their be an agpey if it's not necessary?? am i understanding this verse wrong?

Comments

  • Unknown
    Your parents are right about the 1 1/2 hour but there is no way you are going to pray indepently for that long even if you read the bible for an hour but you need the agpya. the agpya and long liturgies are used to strengthen your spirit and guid you on what to say. Also without a long liturgy we cant accept the body and blood of christ, the long liturgy makes you realize that you are a sinner ad must ask christ to forgive you. If you to the liturgy because your parents make you and get nothing when you leave the liturgy then you wasted your time and GOD's time but rather then looking at the clock every two seconds ( I do that as well) pay attention to the liturgy try to understand what the priest is saying even in some parts recit with the priest but NEVER LET YOURSELF BE HEARD say it in your heart and mind not with your voice. Even try to learn what abouna is saying trust me it well help you pay attention in the liturgy. Also you need to take your time when you pray and read the bible. If you read as a family and pray as a family that is great but you still have to pray and read the bible by yourself. Meditate repeat a word or phrase that you like memorize it even. Also saying things long is part of tradition you cant all of a sudden make up your own rules. Also just after taking your time reading and understanding the bible and praying the agpya take AT LEAST 5 minutes praying indepently.

    GOD BLESS YOU
  • copticcross3copticcross3
    hmm, thannks. i honestly do try to pay attention, but there's usually soo much on my mind, i end up thinking about school, bands, friends, problems and such. Besides the liturgy having to be long, i still don't understand why i have to pray from the agpya, most of the psalms repeat basically the same things, and idk, i feel that im just reading random words, unnecessary waste of time (and i totally know i should not say that..but it's really what i think). doesnt that verse say Not to do that?? confuzziled. ??? does this make sense to anyone or am i just sounding really ummm silly?
  • davidschanterdavidschanter
    You have to first understand the real importance of prayer before you take the action. Notice that He said for us to call him "our Father." Notice the humility that your God is having for you. You are calling Him, and despite the fact that he is the Most High One, he immediately listens to you. If he is listening to me and answering me that quick, i think i should show some more humbleness and pray unceasingly.
    You say you are getting distracted and thinking about other things. The bible also gives us the wise advice that we should glorify and praise God in ALL that we do.
    God bless
  • copticcross3copticcross3
    ..hmm..i see..but still,, you could just replace our father, with ..uhh..our holy and mighy and highest of the highest God, still doesn't mean you hafta stand there for like 30 minuutes praying, it honestly gets boring..and makes it un-fun..=/..how do you bless God?? ..of glorify him?
  • Unknown
    god apperantly nos everythin ur to say, do. hee wants u to hav a relationship w/ him. he luvs u wants u to be with him n not the devil

    "He who finds his life will lose it and he loses his life for my sake will find it"
  • PopeKyrillosPopeKyrillos
    Old topic, but very critical and Important. In the making of the Agpeya, The church Fathers didn't just stick random psalms in the agpeya for you to read and a random passage of the Gospel to read after the psalms and boring litanies for you to read and so forth. They actually thought really hard to see what should be put in each of the seven hours. Prayer is the relationship between you and God. If you don't pray, you have no relationship with God. When I was younger, I didn't really enjoy praying. It was one of my least favorite things to do. Probably because I had absolutely no idea what I was reading. Now that i'm older, i enjoy praying. I feel alone and unsafe without praying first thing in the morning. I understand a lot more about God, and I also understand the psalms. According to H.H. Pope Shenouda, the psalms are one of the most powerful things in the bible if not the most powerful. In the Orthodox Study Bible, they put commentaries on every single psalm. I started reading them and I found that every psalm in the agpeya corresponds exactly to the hour it should belong to in the Agpeya. I found psalms that were prophecies of the Resurrection of Christ that were in Prime the first hour. That hour is commemorating that event. I found psalms that dealt with trials leading to death which belong in the third hour when Christ was facing Pontious Pilate. Everything in their has a meaning. In the psalms, David says that seven times everyday, he will praise God. That's why there are seven hours in the Agpeya. The Agpeya is also there to not only to pray with but also to remind you of Christ's suffering in each of the hours. Every hour, there is something that we are remembering about Christ. Reserection, Coming down of the Holy Spirit on everyone and Christ's trial, The crucifixion, His Death on the Cross, Taking Christ down from the Cross, his burial in the tomb and the Midnight prayer which is to remind us of Christ's second coming.

    This video might help you even if it is Greek Orthodox. 
  • ArchdeaconArchdeacon
    Jesus said when you ask something of the Father, ask it once and He will hear you.  Don't keep on asking it as He didn't hear you or as if the more you ask the more likely it will be granted to you.  But at the same time, hopefully you won't spend your entire prayer time asking God for stuff.  God doesn't want to be just who you go to when you want to ask for something or when you have trouble, God wants to be a part of your life; not just a part, the whole.  God wants you to focus your entire life on Him.  He wants to be with you all the time and He wants you to want to be with Him.  Think about this: you spend hours on end with your friends on the phone or IM talking about things.  What things you talk about, I don't know; I do know that somehow, someway, you find something to talk about.  Try to treat God the same way.  This is obviously easier said than done but it is the reason for the 3 hour long masses and 1 1/2 hours of prayer.  It's hard, but possible.  And Christianity is all about going the extra mile, so don't say "It's hard, I'm not gonna do it."  If there are people who live in the desert, spending their entire lives with God, then I'm sure the rest of us who are still stuck in this world can squeeze out an hour or two for God.
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