Growth HAS PRAYER BECOME A GUILTY BURDEN?

[vengaturreino]

“I ought to pray more”. “I ought to do more exercise”. “I ought to eat healthier”. Is your inner monologue anything like this? If it is, there’s a good chance that you might be… a normal human being! I think we are all plagued with feelings of guilt and inadequacy, especially when it comes to our spiritual lives and exercise routines. However, Christ came to set us free. Free from guilt and regrets; he wants us to be joyful and light like little children, who can laugh and rejoice and feel thankful.

How can we achieve this? I am no expert on the topic, but I wanted to share some reflections that have come to mind:

1. Sing more!

Even if you’re really bad at it, singing is good for your soul. We let go of tensions, we forget ourselves and our deep worries and we let the music take us. When we praise God with all our heart, mind and lungs, we focus on Him and His greatness, rather than on our own feelings of guilt and failure.

2. Improve your body language

Studies have shown that the position of our bodies has a massive impact on our mind and mood. There’s no need to feel uncomfortable or shy about standing up with your arms outstretched when praising God; it will lift your spirits to Him! If you don’t believe me, search for Amy Cuddy’s TED talk about this topic, it’s very impressive.



3. Simplify your life

Of course, this is easier said than done, but there is no other way. Finding more time to pray or exercise is not a matter of seeing how you can “fit it in” to your already busy schedule, you will only end up feeling frustrated and exhausted. Technology and entertainment can take up a massive amount of our time, and are often a waste of it. You may have to take some extreme measures, like trading in your smart phone for a Neolithic one or cancelling your subscription to Netflix, but whatever you feel led to do, be sure that the result will be FREEDOM; more free time without distractions, to be able to reconnect with God in prayer and with His Word.

4. Don’t let the devil trap you with a false sense of guilt

The devil wants to trap you in these feelings of inadequacy and guilt; he will sap you of all joy and lead you into self-doubt and recrimination. I was once told: “if you feel a general sense of un-ease and guilt, this is from the devil, whereas God will usually pin-point a specific sin you have committed, so that you can repent and be freed from it”. Of course it's impossible to say if this is the case without lifting up all these feelings to God in prayer, but if you do find that after praying deeply and repenting you're still weighed down with the same burden of shame and heaviness, it is not because God hasn't forgiven you or that you don't deserve His love. Many dedicated and faithful Christians suffer from anxiety and depression, this is not a sign of a lack of faith or sinfulness, it's part of being a broken human being in a frail, mortal body. As Christians we shouldn't shun modern medicine or psychology; admitting that we can't control how we feel is a brave and important step and a sign of a humble attitude, and we know that: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)

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[Obadiah]

Now I feel guilty about not singing enough! (Just kidding.)

Actually I've always wondered how proper or effective prayers are that are said out of guilt for not praying enough? I've always felt that prayer should come from genuine faith and desire to communicate with God, not guilt. And that involves listening as well as speaking to God. I've also wondered this about group prayers, such as in a worship service when people are "lead in prayer" by a pastor or other leader. How many of us dutifully bow our heads and fold our hands because this is what we were taught to do, so we do it because we would feel guilty if we didn't? I've sure done that a lot. And I find myself concentrating more on my physical position than on the prayer, which isn't my prayer anyway. Many times I find myself ignoring the group prayer and simply using the time to talk to God in my own words, or to just quietly listen for Him to speak to me about something that's on His mind rather than me constantly telling Him what's on my mind.

 

[Deborah13]

If someone is praying for a particular person or situation I can be right there to agree with them in that prayer. But some prayers are more just sounds, like music that doesn't go anywhere or songs with repetitive lyrics. I'm sure that the person praying is very sincere but I loose focus and end up praying about someone or something else. But then my planned prayers start out very reverent and end up as a chat. Not sure if that is good or bad.

 

[AirDancer]

But then my planned prayers start out very reverent and end up as a chat. Not sure if that is good or bad.

Sometimes when I pray, my words would be deemed as 'a reverent prayer'. Other times, however, I have a conversation with our Lord God, our Father, during which I'll pray for His healing grace for someone or someones. The style of prayer varies....but our Lord knows my heart and the sincerity of my prayers. The same goes for the length of prayer time. He knows my heart, therefore, I don't worry.

 

[Brother Mike]

“I ought to pray more”. “I ought to do more exercise”. “I ought to eat healthier”.

So what happens if we don't? Dead spiritually, fat and dead physically?

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
(1Sa 12:23)

Pray without ceasing.
(1Th 5:17)

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
(Rom 12:12)

So, it's the devil that makes us feel guilty for not praying enough, eating right, and exercising.

Let me tell you what guilt is. It's a violation of our own conscience.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
(1Jn 3:21-22)

So to fix this, I get better Posture, sing more and Make my life more simple. This to avoid feeling guilty for not praying as I should, eating right and putting my flesh under.

Now we have new age teaching here about how to violate our own conscience that is designed to help us and keep us safe. Let's get this right, it's our own heart that condemns us, Not God. Would be no reason to think God was doing the condemning anyway.

Many dedicated and faithful Christians suffer from anxiety and depression, this is not a sign of a lack of faith or sinfulness, it's part of being a broken human being in a frail, mortal body. As Christians we shouldn't shun modern medicine or psychology; admitting that we can't control how we feel is a brave and important step and a sign of a humble attitude, and we know that:

You can't suffer anxiety and be in faith. Impossible. You can't suffer depression and be in faith, impossible. This statement don't even make sense. We can't control how we feel? We are not to be led by feelings!!! I don't ask myself How I feel, I tell myself how I feel. If I considered how I felt about many situations, I would be a basket case.

Let the weak say what?

The outward man is dying, we know that, not a big mystery, but the inward man can be strong, unmoved, and full of faith and the power of God.

If you feel like you don't pray enough, speak in tongues all day. Not that hard, and your brain is so limited in prayer anyway, I doubt you have 10 minutes worth of prayer stored in that head of yours. The Spirit helps out greatly when it comes to praying.

If you feel like you don't exercise enough. Exercise!!! Don't leave it on your conscience. 30 min a day, be done with it.

If you don't feel like you eat right enough. Bread, sugars, Soda pop will kill your body!! Buy some celery, snack on that all day, but get it off your conscience.

The World is full of people looking for other fleshly things to get around what they know is right. Don't condemn me they say, I have issues they say. ya, Jesus does have a yoke. Let me tell you though, His yoke is far less than the mess you will make of your life ignoring your conscience.

Guilt comes from a violation of ones own conscience.

Be blessed.