Our church website has allowed posting of prayer requests for almost 10 years. It’s been a great help. The only problem is the long list of requests with no updates that accumulate to the bottom of the list and eventually have to be culled by my secretary.
But this article in USA Today seemed to be about posting the prayers themselves. I wonder if that was the author’s intent?
There does seem to be some confusion on that point.
Do you ever wonder if encouraging “public sharing” is a bad idea? It seems symptomatic of a disease of our culture… though I couldn’t really explain (yet) why I think so… the general narcissism maybe? I mean, don’t we all really have enough to pray for if we stick with the needs right around us in the lives of people we have some connection to? I’ve never quite seen the sense in praying for complete strangers. If we’re going to do that, why not just say “God bless everybody” and be done with it?
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
[Aaron Blumer] I mean, don’t we all really have enough to pray for if we stick with the needs right around us in the lives of people we have some connection to? I’ve never quite seen the sense in praying for complete strangers. If we’re going to do that, why not just say “God bless everybody” and be done with it?
Yeah, I’ve had the same thoughts/questions too. I’ve just never come up with any good answers for them.
I think the point of this statement could be paraphrased “May You be obeyed here as You are in heaven.” It’s sad that it turned into a kind of mantra we insert in prayers when we ought to be telling our Father what we desire from Him. Of course, we should do that humbly and submissively, knowing that we often don’t have a clue what’s best to ask for. But asking God to just do whatever His will is—this is not encouraged in Scripture as far as I can tell.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Discussion
NewOur experience
But this article in USA Today seemed to be about posting the prayers themselves. I wonder if that was the author’s intent?
NewConfusion
Do you ever wonder if encouraging “public sharing” is a bad idea? It seems symptomatic of a disease of our culture… though I couldn’t really explain (yet) why I think so… the general narcissism maybe?
I mean, don’t we all really have enough to pray for if we stick with the needs right around us in the lives of people we have some connection to? I’ve never quite seen the sense in praying for complete strangers. If we’re going to do that, why not just say “God bless everybody” and be done with it?
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
NewWhy not just "Thy will be done?"
Yeah, I’ve had the same thoughts/questions too. I’ve just never come up with any good answers for them.
Dave Barnhart
NewI often suspect
Scenescape Media
New"Thy will be done"
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.