"vain Repetitious" Prayer

[johnnydigit]

does anyone know any examples of "vain" or "empty" prayers that would be condemned, specifically the ones the Gentiles actually did use?

perhaps virtually any prayer you can think of is included because it is directed to a false god, whereas every intercessory prayer of ours is directed to God, whether through a Saint or each other..


EDIT: found this
[indent]"Ancient pagans feared that if they did not invoke the “correct” titles of that day, their fickle gods would not hear them. To them a god was a person with human feelings, appetites, and caprices. By cleverly appealing to these changeable qualities they could influence or even oblige a god to act in their favor. For the pagans, prayer was nothing less than an attempt to manipulate a powerful ruler. In contrast, through the repetition of the Rosary we “manipulate” ourselves to a quiet and focused state. “Needless to say, repetition of such a simple prayer as the Rosary is by no means discouraged provided it does not become mechanical. We use repetition not to secure God’s attention, but to sustain our own.”[2] Also, the words of Jesus emphasize that prayer to nonexistent gods is necessarily vain and useless. Aside from being violations of the First Commandment, such prayers fall on deaf ears. One example is the repetitive prayer of the worshippers of Baal in 1 Kings 18:26-29. They took the bull given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying “O Baal, answer us!” Later, “they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances . . . they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice.” Surely this was vain repetition and babbling."[/indent]
[url="http://www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=1585"]http://www.cuf.org/LayWitness/online_view.asp?lwID=1585[/url]

Edited February 3, 2009 by johnnydigit

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1770858' date='Feb 3 2009, 05:21 AM']does anyone know any examples of "vain" or "empty" prayers that would be condemned, specifically the ones the Gentiles actually did use?[/quote]

I think it's hard to give example because this is a heart matter. The Rosary can be vain and empty if you aren't meditating on the mysteries and especially if you're just doing it to feel good or win favor from God. Any prayer can be that way, but I think repetitious prayers can either be especially powerful when our heart and minds are engaged in them or especially vain when we're just droning on and on, rolling our eyes around the room, and ignoring the words dribbling out of our mouths.

[thessalonian]

The four living creatures

"Rev.4

1. [6] and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
2. [8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, a[b]nd DAY AND NIGHT they NEVER CEASE to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!" [/b]Figure 10 seconds to say it, 6 per minute, 60 per hour, 8640 times in a day. I don't think God is bothered by repetition as long as the prayer is from the heart.

Good catch on "the same words". We can also look at luke 18 and the blind beggar who says over and over "Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.". The apostles get annoyed but Jesus heals him.

God bless

Edited February 5, 2009 by thessalonian

[thessalonian]

Oh yes and have you ever listened to protestant music. They do use refrains. "our God is an awesome God....". Full of repetition.

[LouisvilleFan]

Most Protestants don't have a problem with repetitious prayers. Only the hard core fundamentalist Baptist types make that accusation, and a lot of our Protestant brothers think they're crazy too.

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='thessalonian' post='1773221' date='Feb 5 2009, 02:50 PM']Oh yes and have you ever listened to protestant music. They do use refrains. "our God is an awesome God....". Full of repetition.[/quote]

LOL

[Selah]

I find it funny that fundies harp on us about repetitive prayer when most praise and worship music is so stinking repetitive.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Selah

[LouisvilleFan]

The Rosary is probably what they usually have in mind, which is easily misunderstood, especially if you don't know about the mysteries that you're supposed to meditate on. It's not the fact that we're praying to Mary so much as the praying it over and over and over in a dull tone of voice. The style is very different from anything Protestants can relate to, thus the confusion.

Edited February 6, 2009 by LouisvilleFan

[thessalonian]

One who sings prayes twice.

[Deb]

[quote name='Selah' post='1773758' date='Feb 6 2009, 08:15 AM']I find it funny that fundies harp on us about repetitive prayer when most praise and worship music is so stinking repetitive. [/quote]


Amen to that!!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, I get to hear it in my Church all the time. Two verses, sung four times each. I don't think Jesus likes it either. He prompts me to cry sometimes at a clappy song cuz it is so offensive.