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How do you talk to God?
Q: How does one "talk" to God?
By Anne C. Brower
There are many people who talk to God. For example: "I'm having a bad day--could You let up a little?" or "I need a parking place close to the grocery store because I can't walk very far--could You find one for me?" Actually, "talking" to God is a form of prayer.
There are basically four forms of prayer: 1) ritual prayer, which many denominations engage in every Sunday; 2) conversational prayer, when we talk to God; 3) petitionary prayer, which is specific and goal oriented; and 4) meditative prayer, when we listen to or feel the presence of God.
How do we pray? We probably talk more about how to pray than we actually pray. There is no right or wrong way to pray as long as we pray with love and intention.
Everyone has a story of how prayer saved someone's life--equally everyone has a story about how prayer did not work. Though prayer is our relationship with God, one must understand that prayer does not change God, but prayer does change us. Thus, we grow in our relationship with God.
--The Rev. Dr. Anne C. Brower, senior chaplain and director of the Healing Ministry at the Washington National Cathedral.
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David Waters
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January 14, 2010; 2:51 PM ET
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Posted by: ThomasBaum | January 23, 2010 11:21 AM
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I talk to the Divine all the time - when I water the plants, I talk to them. When I feed the menagerie, I talk to them. When my husband and I have our morning coffee, I talk to him.
When I drive my car, I talk to her. When I clean my house, I talk to her.
Posted by: lepidopteryx | January 20, 2010 9:14 AM
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Once again IMHO, God (if there is one) started the Big Bang. She/it/he
also granted the gifts of Free Will and Future to all the thinking beings in the Universe. This being the case, God is not able to alter life and requests/prayers will not be answered. Statistically, your request might come true but it is simply the result of the variabiliy/randomness of Nature.
So put down your rosaries and prayer beads and stop worshiping/revering cows and bowing to Mecca five times a day. Instead work hard at your job, take care of aging parents, volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to charities and the poor and continue to follow the Commandments of your religion or any good rules of living as gracious and good human beings. And lets all hope there indeed is a place called Heaven!!!
Posted by: ccnl1 | January 19, 2010 4:59 PM
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Rev. Dr. Anne C. Brower
You wrote, "Though prayer is our relationship with God, one must understand that prayer does not change God, but prayer does change us."
I believe that this is one of the most important "aspects" of prayer.
Both Abraham and Moses in the bible had conversations with God in which it might appear that they were "trying to negotiate" with God whereas God was bringing something "deep inside" of them out into the open.
One could say that God was working on getting the "Image and Likeness of God" in both Abraham and Moses to shine thru.
Take care, be ready.
Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.