Does God have a preference in the way he is spoken to?

[Double]

I don't think there is any wrong way to connect with God, but because I often speak aloud in my thoughts to him, I can't help but wonder if I am channeling myself in the right ways? Does anyone know if the Bible mentions this anywhere?

Mentally, I seem to stay better focused and on-topic when I pray out loud, but I don't always clasp my hands together when I do it.. I just talk to him as if I'm speaking to him in person. I also don't always come to him with prayers, sometimes I just to like to talk, and am unsure if my hands should be clasped when doing so.

I've been wondering if whether or not praying quietly to yourself can actually focus the soul/spirit better, thus making the Lord hear you better?

 

[mateus2013]

I think he does not.

 

[Knotical]

Well, if we use The Lord's Prayer exhibited in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, I would suggest He does have a preference as to how we should speak to Him. In essence we should model our prayers after that prayer. The most important part of it being that we are praying "in Jesus' name," Amen!

 

[Eugene]

I think he does not.

Why? Just kidding and welcome to CF.net.

 

[Sparkey]

1 Kings 19:11-13
... Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

We are to realize who He is and to speak to him as our Father in heaven.

Now in the New Testament, under the new covenant, God's role is chiefly seen as Father and we are chiefly seen as sons. Because we entered into a new relationship with God that was not the old covenant. In the old covenant, they were not born again. In the new covenant, we are begotten of God, anew, afresh. The bible calls it being "born of God." Now, being born of God, we enter into a very new and wonderful relationship. In this relationship, God becomes our Father. Jesus becomes our "pattern" that we have on earth. He began every prayer that we have recorded with, "Father..."

Our Example
Every prayer. Read them. Stretch them out. There are seven of them recorded and every one begain by Jesus saying, "Father." And so He is our example. To us, for the position that God takes in our life as being chiefly "Father" because we are born again. Now, very important role, this High Calling of God, that should be taken with a marvelous magnitude of rejoicing but also with great sobriety, but is also so viciously attacked [these days, speaking of the role of "Fatherhood"]

We are to speak in Faith, believing in what we are asking for; we are to speak in obedience to the guidance that He provides through the Holy Spirit and the "more sure word of Prophecy", the Bible itself. And if we lack Wisdom? Look to James chapter 1. Somehow the Lord knows that we will ask for wisdom when our Faith is being tried and when we fall into various trials. That is the very thing that works endurance and patience, that gives us the necessary tool needed to seek Him and continue our walk with Him. "Let him ask in faith, nothing doubting..."

Nobody loves to hear the "obedience words" from God because it means change. We're comfortable with our ways, but commanded to consider Him in all our ways. Change will happen, growth can not happen without it. But what about obedience? Is there benefit? What about the sure knowledge that we are praying according to His will and the assurance that by so doing all of our prayers are answered. That seems to be a benefit, does it not? And how or what is the best way to start practicing such things, how can we put training wheels onto that which will carry us into the strength of heartfelt effective fervent prayer?

Consider the reason that Jesus died, was it not to pay the price for sin? How could this not be the will of God, if we see our brother sinning (and I'm not talking about sin that leads to death here, there is sin that leads to death, but I do not say one must pray for this) but if we see our brother sinning, we shall ask and God will give life. We then become acting members of His body in our prayers, praying according to the Will of the Father, for each other, like individual cells who by exercise are moving with the flow of the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. [NIV]

God also speaks through people and His Word. This doesn't mean you should hunt for everyones words, let it happen when it happens. You will know His voice because His Truth testifies to your spirit and you feel it inside stirring you up with good things. Even if it's conviction, Godly sorrow leaves no regret. The Word of God is literally Words from God, the Bible. Nothing is being preached here that was not spoken first to Jesus from His Father, and confirmed as it was again spoken through the Apostles and recorded in the Bible. We are to pray earnestly, to pray in the Spirit and in our understanding, and in accord with the goal of unification of His body toward the unity of our most holy Faith.

By the way, just talking to God, like He is your friend is good! He is our friend, the one who sticks closer than a brother.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Would you walk up to the head of a national government and just start up with, "Hey, Dude, how's it goin'?"

Probably not. I'm not saying the OP is wrong -- I often address God during the day directly and quickly (kind of like Nehemiah's prayer), but those are exceptions. I believe if you wouldn't address an important government official in so casual a manner, you probably shouldn't make it a habit with God, either. Just sayin' ...

 

[farouk]

While the believer in the Lord Jesus can utter the intimate, filial cry 'Abba, Father (Romans 8), s/he should also remember that, for example, Psalm 111 says 'Holy and reverend is His name'.

 

[Dan1966]

The book of Mathew makes it simple.

1. Pray not in public in the presence of others.

2. Pray in secret as your Father hears in secret.

3. Use not vain repetitions.

4. You don't have to tell God what you're praying for because he already knows your needs.

5. Pray the our father, end with his Glory and name, Amen

 

[Deborah13]

God is my Abba Father. He loves me and I love Him. Most of the time I talk to Him just like a father, it's personal.

I do pray more official type prayers as well, and all in Jesus' name.

I do worship my GOD who also happens to be my Father, as He is quite magnificent.

There is a teaching that I should probably read, "A Better Way to Pray". I think I could learn a thing or two or Many.

 

[Claudya]

Would you walk up to the head of a national government and just start up with, "Hey, Dude, how's it goin'?"

If the head of the national government happens to be the closest person in your life who was there when you were conceived and born and will be there when you die, and walked with you through your darkest hours and your greatest triumphs and all the boring trivial matters inbetween, and knows every little bit of you, and loves you as if you were the only human in the world? I guess he'd be okay with you calling him "Hey, dude", because that shows some sort of intimacy like you'd have with your best buddies.

There's a weird habit many young people - usually teenage or young adult girls - have here. They adress God by calling him "Papa" (German equivalent for "daddy") and that's a word I'd never use, but on the other hand Jesus told us to adress God as our father, and He also said we should be faithfull like little kids, so using a children's word for "father" is probably alright....

 

[farouk]

If the head of the national government happens to be the closest person in your life who was there when you were conceived and born and will be there when you die, and walked with you through your darkest hours and your greatest triumphs and all the boring trivial matters inbetween, and knows every little bit of you, and loves you as if you were the only human in the world? I guess he'd be okay with you calling him "Hey, dude", because that shows some sort of intimacy like you'd have with your best buddies.

There's a weird habit many young people - usually teenage or young adult girls - have here. They adress God by calling him "Papa" (German equivalent for "daddy") and that's a word I'd never use, but on the other hand Jesus told us to adress God as our father, and He also said we should be faithfull like little kids, so using a children's word for "father" is probably alright....

Claudya: You'd probably have been a bit careful talking to Herr Honecker, anyway...

(To say nothing of Herr Ulbricht ... :gah )

 

[Claudya]

Claudya: You'd probably have been a bit careful talking to Herr Honecker, anyway...

(To say nothing of Herr Ulbricht ... :gah )

LOL I shouldn't be talking to either of them because talking to the dead is kinda evil and also a rather one-sided conversation.

 

[farouk]

LOL I shouldn't be talking to either of them because talking to the dead is kinda evil and also a rather one-sided conversation.

Claudya:

Oh well, I guess Herr Gysi is still around... (Herr Lafontaine even joined them, I think...)

 

[Claudya]

Gysi isn't a head of the government. He's alive though, and it wouldn't need a crystal ball to talk to him.
You seem to be very fascinated with German socialist politicians. You must have a true leftist's heart beating inside of you.

Back to topic?

 

[farouk]

Gysi isn't a head of the government. He's alive though, and it wouldn't need a crystal ball to talk to him.
You seem to be very fascinated with German socialist politicians. You must have a true leftist's heart beating inside of you.

Back to topic?

Claudya:

Well, I didn't want to talk about a guy with a moustache that died in 1945...

Back to topic, yes.

I think politicians are often a poor example of divine authority....

 

[Sparkey]

I think the question has to do with "style" and honestly I don't think that the God of Hearts looks too critically or with a "picky" ear while listening to the heart of His child.

Sometimes we get a "flavor" of "holy language" because of the way that the bible translators speak. As I child (even as a full grown adult), it wasn't an easy thing for me to call my dad by his first name while addressing him face to face. Somehow it wasn't as personal and that wasn't my habit, to address my dad like we were no different than a couple strangers who just met. We are to pray unceasingly (without stopping). And there are different kinds of prayers too. Supplication, Intercession, Worshipful, Praise... There are phrases in the Bible about praying "with all supplication," and such, but it's never about a formula or ritualized prayer, more so about speaking to your best friend, Jesus, and your Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit helps in this (and I believe so do the angels).

One of the ways I know a friend is a friend is when I drop my guard and can just be myself around them.

Regards,
Sparrow

 

[Carolyn]

I was told that little Johnny was told to fold his hands during grace before a meal to keep him from poking his sister in the ribs. So if you have trouble with your hands getting into mischief while praying, by all means, fold them. LOL I know a devout Christian in India who still assumes a lotus position when he prays. He has totally renounced any hindu ties or any of the philosophy associated with yoga meditation, but it is just a custom. Do what seems natural or fitting to you. I never fold mine. Nor do I cross myself afterwards, which would not be wrong at all, either. I pray in Jesus' name, another may cross himself in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which covers it all.

 

[for_his_glory]

Prayer is very hard for some people as they do not know how to pray or they think there should be some grand format to follow to make a perfect prayer. Some are even afraid to even approach Jesus as they feel he is unreachable in their lives for the way they live, but Jesus will hear the prayers of anyone who has a sincere heart for the Lord no matter who they are and in all boldness will come to him.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Praying is humbling ourselves before the Lord and making a petition before him in simplicity of words for whatever our need is. Jesus, as our mediator, sits at the right hand of God making intercession for the saints of God as he presents our petitions before the Father. You do not need eloquent elaborate words or long prayers that use vain repetitions like the Pharisees used as God called them hypocrites because they were arrogant in their ways loving to have others see them in such formality who made the outside of themselves look good, but were nothing more than full of iniquity.

Romans 8:34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

1Timothy 2:5 for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

 

[Double]

Thanks for your all your thoughts, there is some good stuff in here. I really like the idea of starting a prayer with "Father". I'm gonna be working on that.