Comments on: Babbling on like pagans http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:15:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Phil http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1676 Phil Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:28:41 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1676 "Babbling like the pagans" could mean to pray in a language foreign to God, in a sense a language that communicates nothing to God. The only true language of prayer is the language of faith, a heart that speaks to God out od a deep trustand a great desire to know form God what it is God wants to give. After all the person of faith believes that God already knows what he needs before he ask. Therefore the prayer God hears is the prayer of those who only have a question for God: What do I need from you today?l “Babbling like the pagans” could mean to pray in a language foreign to God, in a sense a language that communicates nothing to God. The only true language of prayer is the language of faith, a heart that speaks to God out od a deep trustand a great desire to know form God what it is God wants to give.
After all the person of faith believes that God already knows what he needs before he ask. Therefore the prayer God hears is the prayer of those who only have a question for God: What do I need from you today?l

]]> By: vos http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1670 vos Tue, 07 Feb 2006 04:40:30 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1670 I think I hear a lot of this babbleprayer, but then again this perception could be influenced by my tendency to want to be as short, succinct, and efficient as possible. I think I see this type of verbal prayer happening when in the presence of others, when feeling the need to satisfy our worldly desires of positive image by impressing those around whom we pray. My difficulty is in trying to maintain a positive heart in the presence of this babbleprayer. What can I do? If I can't do anything, then I start having negative thoughts, even if the person in question has right intentions. I think I hear a lot of this babbleprayer, but then again this perception could be influenced by my tendency to want to be as short, succinct, and efficient as possible. I think I see this type of verbal prayer happening when in the presence of others, when feeling the need to satisfy our worldly desires of positive image by impressing those around whom we pray. My difficulty is in trying to maintain a positive heart in the presence of this babbleprayer. What can I do? If I can’t do anything, then I start having negative thoughts, even if the person in question has right intentions.

]]> By: Megan http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1623 Megan Thu, 12 Jan 2006 12:14:30 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1623 Thanks to everyone for your thoughts! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts!

]]> By: Kristen http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1622 Kristen Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:28:36 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1622 This is a good topic to bring up. Everyone needs to pray- I thnk we would all agree on that. And, perhaps there are times when we have found ourselves babbling or preaching- then we need to recognize that in ourselves and take it to the Lord in prayer and confess (personally, not necessarily in the group). However, we need to be careful not to judge others in their prayers. It is hard to know what is going on in the heart of a person when they pray. Some people have flowery prayers, some have simple prayers- that does not make one prayer more sincere or less preachy than the other. So pray your hearts out in private or in groups (Matt 18:20) and trust that God hears our prayers. This is a good topic to bring up. Everyone needs to pray- I thnk we would all agree on that. And, perhaps there are times when we have found ourselves babbling or preaching- then we need to recognize that in ourselves and take it to the Lord in prayer and confess (personally, not necessarily in the group). However, we need to be careful not to judge others in their prayers. It is hard to know what is going on in the heart of a person when they pray. Some people have flowery prayers, some have simple prayers- that does not make one prayer more sincere or less preachy than the other. So pray your hearts out in private or in groups (Matt 18:20) and trust that God hears our prayers.

]]> By: Ben http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1621 Ben Wed, 11 Jan 2006 19:21:38 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1621 I call it the "pastor prayer", though it's not just pastors that are guilty of this, and not just wannabe pastors, but i think a lot of people who have been around for a while can fall victim to this temptation, I know I have and as hard as I try not to, i still can. I have been in group prayer when someone starts praying but before you know it they are giving a mini-sermon to the rest of us. I know this distracts me in a major way. I think doing the "mini-sermon" prayer can be effective in the right setting. For instance, if You are in front of a large group of people "leading" them in prayer, i think it is good to speak what is on your heart for those people to God, because for some they may not be able to articulate what they feel or need, but you might speak something to the Lord that God uses to connect to that person and in an instant they feel just as connected to God as anyone else. As far as babble prayers... those are frustrating if they are coming out of an undiscerning heart, but if someone just has trouble with words or tends to carry on naturaly I'll usually try to grant some extra grace... but we all know that some people carry on just for the sake of carrying on, and in that I think we jeapordize our fear of the Lord and try to bring him down to our level, though he chooses to come to our level, we shouldn't try to demand it of him or try to put him below us by our careless words... just my quick thoughts ;o) I call it the “pastor prayer”, though it’s not just pastors that are guilty of this, and not just wannabe pastors, but i think a lot of people who have been around for a while can fall victim to this temptation, I know I have and as hard as I try not to, i still can.

I have been in group prayer when someone starts praying but before you know it they are giving a mini-sermon to the rest of us. I know this distracts me in a major way.

I think doing the “mini-sermon” prayer can be effective in the right setting. For instance, if You are in front of a large group of people “leading” them in prayer, i think it is good to speak what is on your heart for those people to God, because for some they may not be able to articulate what they feel or need, but you might speak something to the Lord that God uses to connect to that person and in an instant they feel just as connected to God as anyone else.

As far as babble prayers… those are frustrating if they are coming out of an undiscerning heart, but if someone just has trouble with words or tends to carry on naturaly I’ll usually try to grant some extra grace… but we all know that some people carry on just for the sake of carrying on, and in that I think we jeapordize our fear of the Lord and try to bring him down to our level, though he chooses to come to our level, we shouldn’t try to demand it of him or try to put him below us by our careless words…

just my quick thoughts ;o)

]]> By: Pat http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1620 Pat Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:43:49 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1620 Discussion Question: Could it be that one of the reasons we "babble" is because of over-emphasis of our relationship with God and underemphasis of his... well, God-ness? If prayer is viewed as a chat with a buddy, it certainly seems that long, scattered conversations would follow. Note: just a question, not an answer. Discuss amongst yourselves without being offended. Discussion Question:
Could it be that one of the reasons we “babble” is because of over-emphasis of our relationship with God and underemphasis of his… well, God-ness? If prayer is viewed as a chat with a buddy, it certainly seems that long, scattered conversations would follow.
Note: just a question, not an answer. Discuss amongst yourselves without being offended.

]]> By: nate http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1619 nate Wed, 11 Jan 2006 06:13:53 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/babbling-on-like-pagans/#comment-1619 good points megan and matt! sarah and i have been talking about this alot lately, because when we pray together i like to pray out loud, and she prays silently. at first it was wierd because she felt like i was dissapointed with her not praying out loud, and i felt like she was just humoring me, and not really praying. now what we've realized is that i need to pray outloud to organize and communicate my thoughts better to God, and she prays internally because she thinks more clearly than she speaks. this made alot of sense to me when i remembered we're talking to God, not each other. i have another thought though, matt: "The reason we do this is because we know we want to encourage the group with a thought, a verse or passage, a challenge, or a rebuke, but we don’t know that we should (or we are too timid to) address the group itself! That is just as biblical as praying in a group." "biblical", yes. that's very true. appropriate for the situation, not always. i know alot of the things God places on my heart is mostly something I need to deal with, and while it may me a great thing for others (at least in my mind), it can also be distracting for them. "rocking the boat" during prayer time usually makes it harder to connect with God, at least in my experience. the last thing i need is less peace. good points megan and matt!

sarah and i have been talking about this alot lately, because when we pray together i like to pray out loud, and she prays silently.

at first it was wierd because she felt like i was dissapointed with her not praying out loud, and i felt like she was just humoring me, and not really praying. now what we’ve realized is that i need to pray outloud to organize and communicate my thoughts better to God, and she prays internally because she thinks more clearly than she speaks.

this made alot of sense to me when i remembered we’re talking to God, not each other.

i have another thought though, matt:
“The reason we do this is because we know we want to encourage the group with a thought, a verse or passage, a challenge, or a rebuke, but we don’t know that we should (or we are too timid to) address the group itself! That is just as biblical as praying in a group.”

“biblical”, yes. that’s very true. appropriate for the situation, not always. i know alot of the things God places on my heart is mostly something I need to deal with, and while it may me a great thing for others (at least in my mind), it can also be distracting for them. “rocking the boat” during prayer time usually makes it harder to connect with God, at least in my experience. the last thing i need is less peace.

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