Let’s face it, there are no wrong or right ways to pray if we’re praying to God.
Does it really require a daily ritual, or can we solely pray? Millions of people pray daily, others pray multiple times a day. We may ask why, why pray? That is the question we ask ourselves and each other as a race. Prayer is not merely or always used to ask for material things, spiritual masses, and/or a simple health fix, physically. It is a means to connect with God.
One of the most powerful spiritual forces known to man, for many centuries. A sacred connection to channel a high frequency of supernatural strength, hence the saying, “ There is power in power.” We often believe that prayer can change us and make a way-out of our immoral situations. Prayer should be, and it is often viewed as a deep consent that allows an individual to comfortably put themselves in God’s care. Mother Theresa once said, “ The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be.” Through prayer to God, we are willing, as a nation, standing for own well-being and the welfare God wants for us.
Prayer can surprise us in life if we truly believe in it. Nothing we give in prayer is too much for God to listen to. Him listening, is only the start to manifesting in into our lives. There was a moment in my life when I prayed daily and as other religions, I prayed multiple times a day, more so out of being spontaneous with the worship, I would give to God. When I slowly slipped away from prayer, my life had changed in ways, to be honest, I never thought were possible. It made me feel invincible when I prayed, that nothing bad in this would strip me of the power I had obtained from God by giving Him glory. In prayer to God, all forms of proudness are gone.
Our hope and faith can be lifted, which allows us to better admit our time of need, despair, happiness, and love. We grow more dependent on God and we learn to adopt humility personally. Throughout the many religions in the world, they all pray to a god. Much like the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In each of the religions’ sacred books, they are taught to seek God through prayer. Through those sacred books, the Holy Bible of Christianity, the Holy Qur’an in Islam, and the Tanakh in Judaism, the believers are told that seeking God in prayer touches God and He sees the need they desire for Him and his comfort. Often, we are subject to our own will and can stray from that of what God can do, because He, after all, knows what is best for us and others. How do believers of God see the truth in this, because God says so? As James 4: 8 says, “ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
” I think that if we draw closer to God each day, the peace that God will offer us will surpass all transgressions and oppression. For 2 Thessalonians 1: 2 says, “ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us test our abilities to pray to unto God as we learn in Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic religions. All three religions have their own special ways of communicating with God and have their beliefs of the blessings they receive from God, in how they praise Him in prayer.
In Christianity, during the Roman Catholicism, they would hold communion and more known as the Mass, in Islam, Muslims pray to God five times a day, and in Judaism, there are three different ways to pray to God; 1) prayer of thanksgiving, 2) prayer of praise, and 3) prayer to ask for things. The Methods of praying in Judaism is to build a stronger bond between God and His followers. They are praying to serve God wholeheartedly and obey the commands He has appointed to them, like that in Christianity. Just as other common religions, relating to Christianity and Islam, they pray to express their beliefs and share in the worshipping duty. Jews believe that whilst in prayer, the mind should be clear, and every word should come from the heart. In Judaism, Jews pray three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening. Praying on a regular basis daily allows for a person to manipulate a stronger relationship with God. The interesting discovery I found about Judaism was that they have a book of prayers.
Siddur is a book filled with daily prayers, a collection of Jewish liturgy; like that of the early Christian believers, Roma, who too practiced prayers on Sabbath day and for synagogue rituals. The blessings that Jews believe they receive from God because of prayer is that ‘ God takes action in response to prayer.” (BBC) I think that is a beautiful belief because Jews view that the more they pray to God, the more God loves them. An ending prayer from the siddur, for a morning service for Sabbath and festivals reads, “ And may he help, shield, and save all who trust in him, and let us say, Amen…” (The Standard Prayer Book) There are quite a few interesting prayers in this book revised by Reverend Simeon Singer that wouldn’t be so bad to use daily, for any religion. I think that prayer can change our faith, for the better. It can help us to become better as a person, and in the long run, it will augment our understanding of God.
For a long time, I never truly knew the history of Christianity and the prayer history. Growing up in the Christian faith, all I knew was Sunday worship, Easter and Christmas celebrations, and Communion (which I never knew much about until adulthood) The findings of the early Christian prayer practices or liturgy was astonishing. Liturgy is the public worship performed by a religious person or religious group. Just as I have learned about Judaism, Christianity has multiple prayer customs. In Christianity, it is known as the Mass or sacrifice of the Eucharist. Which with modern day Christians, Communion and/or the Lord’s Supper. Sunday is the day Christians worship Jesus Christs’ resurrection. Christianity views Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
They attend church, take off from work, and eat supper with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In the Mass, there is a direct order of events, I had no clue about, for the Lord’s Celebration! The greatest and coolest information I discovered was the Rites. There are four Rites that is the direct order on the overview of the Mass; 1) The Introduction Rite, which prepares the celebration of the Eucharist, 2) Liturgy of the Word, in which Christians will hear God’s plan for salvation, 3) Liturgy of the Eucharist, or celebrating Christ’s presence, and 4) the Communion Rite, which is the receiving of Jesus Christs’ Body and Blood. (Loyola Press) In part 1 of the Mass, Christians praise God in song, they reminisce about their sins and seek God for mercy, and ask for God’s ear for their prayers. In the second part of the Rite, Christians are in correspondence of the word of God, listen to it from the New Testament, and give thanks or “ Alleluia!” In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, third set of order, Christians would give offerings of wine and bread to the altar of God, the priests note that God has accepted those offerings, and the congregation would announce their faith in God. Which then leads them to communion, the fourth Rite. In Communion, Christians believe they are consuming the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
Known as the Lamb of God, Christians pray for forgiveness, peace, and of all things mercy. (Loyola Press) To find that Communion in Christianity and prayer are more than drinking wine and eating bread, it is more than asking God for mercy, it really is a chain of events that people believe that brings them closer to God and gives Him the great honor He deserves. Again, such a beautiful belief system.
I never knew that the giving of bread and wine at the altar was a sinner’s way of giving their body and blood to God, as Jesus gave his Body and Blood to man. Islam, being the youngest of Judaism and Christianity has a beautiful Godly belief and prayer system. It is by far my favorite, although I am of Christian background. I admire the prayer practice.
As I have already read from Judaism, praying multiple times daily can show God that we need Him more and more. In Islam, Muslims pray five times a day, known as Salat. Salat is the obligation to pray to God, or Allah. Salat is the second Pillar of Islam.
The five daily prayers are before sunrise, midday, after the passes, the late part of the afternoon, just after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. The Muslim prayer system is a ritual that is 1400 years old. I admire the belief in why Muslims pray. It is not that they are praying to God (Allah) it is the uniting the mind, body, and soul in worship. They also don’t believe they are praying for God’s benefit because they believe that Allah wants for nothing, He has everything. (BBC) I also found it interesting that before prayer, Muslims cleanse themselves through what they ritual washing, known as wudhu. That to me sounds like an honorable prayer that is not only cleansing a person spiritually but physically to be in the presence of God.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three of the most influential religions in the world. They each have an impact on the world. All three of the Abrahamic religion is very similar and I have a place in my heart for the three of them.
