Do you pray these days?

by highdose 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Chalam

  For all those who felt they had a good relationship with "Jehovah" please check out the following

  John 14:6 (New International Version)

  6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

  One can't have a relationship with the Father until you first know His Son.

  Jesus says He is going to the Father but when He does, to ask Him!

  John 14:12-14 (New International Version)

  12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

  Same deal here. Jesus says until He returns to ask Him!

  John 16 (New International Version)

  22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

  Anyhow, Jesus and the Father are one John 10:30 Jesus is God John 1:1 and God with us Matthew 1:23

  All the best,

  Stephen
• 

  Lillith26

  Iam a Deist- i believe in a higher power that i simply refere to as natures god or the creator. I do not pray anymore, but at least once I day someone or something will remind me of how fortunate Iam to have the life circumstances I do and I simply say thankyou.
• 

  choosing life

  I prayed before I was a witness. It was more of a running commentary on what was going on in my life. I did believe that God was listening.

  After all the nonsense inserted into my mind about being worthy to pray, using the right name, asking for the right things, etc., I got to where I didn't pray much. All their rules got in my way.

  Now, after leaving, I pray again, but not with the innocence I had before they came between me and God. What bothers me now is that I know there are many sincere prayers that go unanswered. I had been seduced to believe that God would not allow more to come upon you than you could withstand. That is just not true.

  I feel a connection with a creator more when in a natural setting. Nature calms me and makes me feel less inclined to overthink things about God. I love the word grace. Don't know why, it just gives me a calm feeling. Maybe because it was denied by the watchtower.

  Still working it out, but I have seen a lot of the dark side of life and feel most will not make sense until I lose this mortal life.
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  Yes. I pray to our father, creator or great spirit. Sometimes I include angels, saints and relatives and friends who've crossed over. I try to rally all the support and love from that realm that I can find.
• 

  Chalam

  Here you go CL!

  Grace

  This one is great for the WT

  Acts 15:10-11 (New International Version)

  10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

  This one says it all

  Romans 3:22-25 (New International Version)

  22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

  Anyhow, plenty more in the "Grace" link :)

  All the best,

  Stephen
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  AK - Jeff

  Nope. I am agnostic. I have not given up on God exactly, but the fuel driving any faith toward a being that stays hidden and unprovable is running out for me.

  I do occasionally speak to my brother who died 6 years ago, telling him how damned upset I am that he left us. I doubt he hears, or that anyone does in fact, but it is good for the soul. I still miss him everyday. When he left us, I still believed in Jehovah. He did too. I sincerely believed I would see him again. Now, well, I don't know. So, on occasion I find myself shouting at God [don't know if that is a prayer] somewhat like Captain Dan did from the mast of Gumps' shrimper. It just comes out.

  Otherwise - no.

  Jeff
• 

  zarco

  Captain Dan,

  I am sorry about your brother. I hope as time passes that the pain fades while the memories stay vivid.

  zarco
• 

  Bumble Bee

  No, I don't, and after a time, as a JW, I rarely did. The times I did pray, nada,zip, zilch response. I never really felt any sort of a connection when I tried, and believe me I tried and tried many many times before I gave up.

  Now I occasionally talk to my father, who died several years ago, and there have been times where I know he heard me.
• 

  504deist

  Iam a Deist- i believe in a higher power that i simply refere to as natures god or the creator. I do not pray anymore, but at least once I day someone or something will remind me of how fortunate Iam to have the life circumstances I do and I simply say thankyou.

  ditto. i would like to add that deist believe prayer solves nothing. we figure if god is going to do something, he will do it. us asking him for it won't change anything.

  i don't look down on people that pray. i figure it makes tham feel better, and gives them peace. i am comfortable with the idea that god knows what's best and leave it at that.
• 

  Big Tex

  I talk but no one listens