Eleventh Doctor Q&A

[Miss Friendship]

Hmmm, well thats not really the point. The fact that you have every prayer documented that you need....that seems like it would make it a ritual or chant, instead of you asking God for what you need.

Yes, it even mentions non-wordy subjects like bread for the day. I didn't see that in your morning prayers or anything relating to the neccesaties of life.

You can't be praying at any random moment of the day if you only use written prayers that you have to read....unless you do nothing but read prayers.

Why would you pray that prayer if you have not sinned? I mean after all, we have been washed in Christ's blood, and are instructed to walk and live in holiness. It was never Gods intention that we should be always berating ourselves for being a sinner.... We have to live and walk in newness of life. Yes, repentance is important, and that's a continual thing, but we have to grow and walk in victory.

[Eleventh Doctor]

I don't think it makes it a ritual or chant anymore than the Lord's Prayer is a ritual or chant. I still ask God for what I need.

I think the morning prayers ask for all kinds of necessities: "Do Thou, O Lord, Who hast raised me from my bed and from sleep, enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips that I may praise Thee" I mean I also say the Lord's Prayer during my morning prayers. I'm trying to understand what you mean by the necessities of life though, what do you say in your morning prayers that relate to the necessities of life?

I can be lifting up my concerns to God in wordless prayer and supplication. But when I need to pray I usually find the written prayers to be best.

Because I'm still a sinner who needs God's mercy who has sinned and so am in need of forgiveness and repentance. I don't see how this is berating myself for being a sinner, its simply acknowledging that fact. My newness of life comes from the fact that I receive forgiveness and mercy.

[Miss Friendship]

Well, I have heard that you should always approach God in prayer with giving thanks first. Then you can ask requests. When I start out my day I pray about specific events taking place and I voice my worries and ask God to keep me from failing. I also ask growth in the areas I need. I am sure you could find a prayer that asks for the areas you need most growth, but you would have to find different ones to include everything, right?

When you talk with a friend, do you read things that have been written to talk to friends with?

Can you add to that prayer? Like specifically pray about particular sins?

[aragtaghooligan]

Do you think it is bad when people like me pray like this: "Yo, God, I am really glad you exist. Please help me to remember how grand you are and understand it better and find peace with what I do not comprehend. I'm sooooo confused God please help me know what to dooooo. Amen"

Because that is a very typical prayer for me and I don't know if it is disrespectful.

Woah I'm actually getting deja vu, have I asked you before what you think about me using the word Yo in a prayer?

[Mandy]

I am prayin very often for God's direction in certain things i'm facing or his opinion on what I should do. I ask Him for help and comfort and specifially pour out my heart to him all the time. I tell Him everything. Do you not ever pray like that? I think God loves to hear us individually express our hearts in our own way, altho I do think prayers like The Lord's Prayer have their place too.

[TigerShadow]

I feel the need to interject that there are many Psalms that, roughly translated, basically tell God that the speaker's life is terrible, he doesn't know why, and he's not really pleased with God over it, but that he still intends to follow Him regardless. Just because prayers exist that are pre-written doesn't mean that all of them have to be, but there's also nothing wrong with using them, any more than there's anything wrong with putting a Psalm to music or quoting one while praying. Every Christian prays differently.

[Eleventh Doctor]

I am sure you could find a prayer that asks for the areas you need most growth, but you would have to find different ones to include everything, right?

Sure but our regular prayers cover pretty much everything. So I we usually have the Great Litany in the order of service which covers most things: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Great_Litany

When you talk with a friend, do you read things that have been written to talk to friends with?

You mean when I'm talking to friends do I usually write out what I'm going to say and post it on places for them to read? No not in casual conversation but if this was an argument against written prayer then it's an argument against the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms.

Can you add to that prayer? Like specifically pray about particular sins?

Sure, I can add specific people or sins or situations in the context of a written prayer.

Do you think it is bad when people like me pray like this: "Yo, God, I am really glad you exist. Please help me to remember how grand you are and understand it better and find peace with what I do not comprehend. I'm sooooo confused God please help me know what to dooooo. Amen"

Do I think it's bad? No of course not, God will hear each of us no matter how we pray. Do I think there are ways that have been effectual and profitable to pray that are more formal? Yes, I think we should lean on the wisdom of those before us, I mean this style of prayer is not new or unusual it has been the normative for most of history. Look at the Psalms, those are prayers.

I am prayin very often for God's direction in certain things i'm facing or his opinion on what I should do. I ask Him for help and comfort and specifially pour out my heart to him all the time. I tell Him everything. Do you not ever pray like that? I think God loves to hear us individually express our hearts in our own way, altho I do think prayers like The Lord's Prayer have their place too.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Pouring out ones heart like that to me is very hard and I have only done that several times, to be honest I am very new to this whole prayer thing not having prayed on my own growing up. For me the prescribed prayers offer a good guide to what I ought to be doing. And while I agree God loves to hear from each of us individually I still wince at the prayer that goes "Lord um, we want to thank you Lord for being here Lord and Lord we just want to ask you Lord to be here with us Lord as we worship you Lord." There's nothing wrong with praying from the heart but I feel like many of the churches I grew up in did not place enough emphasis on prayer or did and placed the emphasis on being good at praying publicly which lead to poorly extemporized prayers like the one above.

And as usual agree with everything TigerShadow said.

[Miss Friendship]

You mean when I'm talking to friends do I usually write out what I'm going to say and post it on places for them to read?

Your sense of humor always shows up when least expected.

No not in casual conversation but if this was an argument against written prayer then it's an argument against the Lord's Prayer and the Psalms.

Its not. It's an argument for personal conversation with God as you would talk with a friend. Written prayers, which I would compare to written letters, are fine and good and right. But we do need to pray to God as we would talk with a friend face to face.

"Lord um, we want to thank you Lord for being here Lord and Lord we just want to ask you Lord to be here with us Lord as we worship you Lord."

That is annoying. And I agree, many people cannot properly format their thoughts into prayers out loud easily, or are doing it just for show.

Sure, I can add specific people or sins or situations in the context of a written prayer.

Personalization.

Look at the Psalms, those are prayers.

Yes, but David wrote them. Which means they came straight from David's heart. He wasn't reading someone else's prayers. He did his own. So to follow his example, we can pray our own originial prayers too.

[aragtaghooligan]

Why do dogs stink?

[Blitz]

Who would you pair me with on the ss?

[Tarol]

What did you think of my description of you?

What are your thoughts on medicine, antibiotics, and natural remedies?

[Mandy]

I agree with you about the thing where people say Lord every other word in their prayers. It's so distracting to me and it makes me want to count how many times they say Lord. Once a guy I know said Lord or Father like 75 times in his 5 mintue prayer. I'm like, seriously?!

How long will you be gone from the SS? A whole year?

[aragtaghooligan]

Would you get mad at me if I said "Hi WD, uhm hey WD I just uh....sorry WD I'm having trouble wording my thoughts, but like thanks for being my friend WD, ok well bye WD see yah later." Wouldn't you understand I was just doing my best to word my thoughts and saying your name was giving me a chance to pause and think?

[Tarol]

Haha, I just got deja vu to my first debate with you ED. We were discussing the "um"-ing in prayers with IT. Do you remember it? I think I used a similar argument as RagTag. #ReasonWeAreFriends xD

[Eleventh Doctor]

But we do need to pray to God as we would talk with a friend face to face.

I'm curious as to where this comes from actually?

Personalization.

Within a framework.

Yes, but David wrote them. Which means they came straight from David's heart. He wasn't reading someone else's prayers. He did his own. So to follow his example, we can pray our own originial prayers too.

David didn't just write them down though, they were still formal prayers that followed frameworks.

Why do dogs stink?

I have no idea.

Who would you pair me with on the ss?

No one, go be a monk.

What did you think of my description of you?

I thought it was very accurate, I disagreed with your point about ignoring specific questions and answering as a whole but then I realized you were right.

What are your thoughts on medicine, antibiotics, and natural remedies?

Medicine and antibiotics good. Natural remedies, eh.

How long will you be gone from the SS? A whole year?

A whole year

Would you get mad at me if I said "Hi WD, uhm hey WD I just uh....sorry WD I'm having trouble wording my thoughts, but like thanks for being my friend WD, ok well bye WD see yah later." Wouldn't you understand I was just doing my best to word my thoughts and saying your name was giving me a chance to pause and think?

Would I get mad at you? No. But I would know you could do better. And I would know that if that is your best there are frameworks and examples you could use to do better.
@OxR I do remember that

[Miss Friendship]

I'm curious as to where this comes from actually?

Common sense? When Jesus came to earth one of His main missions was to restore the communion and fellowship between humans and their God. Like it had been in the Garden of Eden. Adam walked with God and talked like friends...Then sin came and sacrifices had to be offered and a Priest had to be the go between between man and God. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two symbolizing that the barriers that had existed before were now gone. God made us because He wanted companionship and fellowship. He gave us free will because He wants our love for Him to be geunine. So you don't believe God wants that personal relationship with each of us? But rather a system through a Church?

You mean David followed a check list while praying?

[Eleventh Doctor]

I do believe God wants a personal relationship with us and I never said David followed a check list while praying. I am saying that David didn't extemporize his prayers. He approached our creator and God in a deliberate and respectful way. Not saying there isn't a place for personal prayer but there is also an important place for prescribed prayers.

[Miss Friendship]

OK, but they were personal prayers....David went into lots of agonizing details sometimes.

So you think I should use prescribed prayers that aren't mentioned in the Bible?

Also, when Jesus prayed in the garden, was that pre written or thought out prayers? Or agony straight from his heart?

[Eleventh Doctor]

All prescribed prayers were written by someone.

All your prayers aren't mentioned in the Bible.

They were agony straight from His heart, I've never denied those have their place.

[Helios]

Do you plan on being a monk?