Comments You Will Not Hear at the 01-03-2010 WT Study (November 15, 2009, pages 3-7)(YOUR PRAYERS)
Review comments will be in red or headed by COMMENTS
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SCAN:
http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/showthread.php?3721-WT-Study-for-January-3-2009
WHAT DO YOUR PRAYERS SAY ABOUT YOU? "O Hearer of prayer, even to you people of all flesh will come."--PS. 65:2
START OF COMMENTS ON PARAGRAPH (SEE SCAN ABOVE)
Q1,2. Why can Jehovah's servants confidently turn to him in prayer?
COMMENTS
Does God listen to the prayers of non-jws?
Do jws see themselves as jws or Christians? If asked what religion they are would they say Christians?
Does God hear all jw prayers directly or are the taken to heaven by the angels as I was told when a jw child?
Does Jesus hear these prayers since they are through him?
2. COMMENTS
Were David's prayers heard when he was having sex with another man's wife and arranging to have that husband
killed--when he conducted a census against God's requirements and the reminder from a good friend--David knowing it
was wrong and still did it, selecting a punishment that killed 70,000 innocent people, but he kept living?
Was David a "loyal worshipper" then? Was he "trusting in God" then?
What did David's prayers say about him?
Q3,4. (a) With what attitude should we approach God in prayer? (b) What should we do if we are troubled by
"disquieting thoughts" regarding serious sin?
COMMENTS
Who decides whether our prayers should be heard? Who decides if we are humble enough? Does God or the elders
examine us?
CARROT--Everlasting life
http://www.womenspost.ca/files/bp-carrot-stick.jpg
4. COMMENTS
So who had disquieting thoughts--serious sin--David certainly? Was he repressing a guilty conscience--certainly?
But according to the Mosaic Law what was the punishment for adultery and murder? Forgiveness if they had shown
mercy to others?
QUOTE
*** it-2 p. 450 Murder ***
Whereas the death penalty was prescribed for deliberate murderers and a ransom was ruled out in their case...
(Numbers 35:30-31) 30 “‘Every fatal striker of a soul should be slain as a murderer at the mouth of witnesses, and one
witness may not testify against a soul for him to die. 31 And YOU must take no ransom for the soul of a murderer who is
deserving to die, for without fail he should be put to death.
Q5. What does it mean to supplicate Jehovah?
COMMENTS
Anxious--pray?
During danger or persecution?
Pray for what?
Q6,7. For what reasons should thanksgiving be included in our prayers?
COMMENTS
How many jws (perhaps yourself even) prayed only when we needed something?
Only you can examine your motives.
7. COMMENTS
So do jws need the WTS to tell them what to thank God for ("should")? Jesus asks for things in this prayer; is there
some statement of thankfulness here?
(Matthew 6:9-13) 9 “YOU must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your
kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth. 11 Give us today our bread for this day; 12 and
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from
the wicked one.’
PRAY FOR OTHERS
Q8,9. Why should we pray for fellow Christians?
COMMENTS
fellow Christians--only jws--only jws are true Christians in their opinion
Who are jws not to pray for?
brothers and sisters in the faith--only jws
QUOTE
*** w97 1/15 p. 22 par. 22 What Does God Require of Us? ***
According to the standards set out in the Scriptures, they have real love among themselves, they have deep respect for
the Bible, they honor God’s name, they preach about his Kingdom, and they are no part of this wicked world. (Matthew
6:9; 24:14; John 13:34, 35; 17:16, 17) There is only one religious organization on this earth that has all these marks of
true Christianity—Jehovah’s Witnesses!
9. COMMENTS
anointed Christians--only jws
other sheep companions--aren't they Christians too?
Could John 10:16 be talking about Gentile anointed Christians?
The word "organization" does not even occur in the Bible.
Other Christians--only jws
Q10. Praying for others may have what effect on us?
COMMENTS
Praying for others--only jws
The WTS admits that jws are not fond of other jws--where is the love?
Unity in the WTS means agreeing with their teachings even if not bible-based
So how does a jw know they have received holy spirit?
Q11. Why would you say that it is proper to ask others to pray for us?
COMMENTS
So why would a parent pray for their child not to cheat if they had never done so before? How many other sins will they
pray their child not commit for the first time, not even showing the inclination to do so? Would they humiliate them by
praying publicly in the family setting?
OUR PRAYERS SAY EVEN MORE
Q12. What should be significant features of our prayers?
COMMENTS
So jws can't pray about problems they need to deal with....just be happy, happy, happy?
Witness of Jehovah--where's Jesus in this picture?
compliance with God's will as interpreted by the WTS = WTS = God
Until 1986 the WTS taught jws to vindicate God's name.
QUOTE
*** w95 5/15 p. 25 par. 17 Part 2—Flashes of Light—Great and Small ***
Similarly, for a long time, Witnesses spoke of the vindication of Jehovah’s name.
Q13.14. Our prayers reveal what about us?
COMMENTS
It is God who knows our motives because he can read hearts and minds, so would then prayers reveal our motives to
ourselves?
God already knows how
we feel about meetings
we feel about the ministry
we feel about the brothers and sisters
Christ's brothers = only anointed jws = yes, all non-jws are not Christ's brothers!
Repeating a set of words--have you listened to the prayers at a KH or the prayer at the end of an assembly/convention
as the review/outline all the points from the last 2 to 3 days, as if God wasn't there listening or didn't understand what
had been said?
14. COMMENTS
Rely on God or the WTS?
So does the WTS teach that God protects individual jws?
God is on OUR side--only jws
Q15,16. Prayer may help us to discern what about our desire to reach out for service privileges?
COMMENTS
HONEST prayer...motives
Eagerness to serve others? Or to get "double honor"?
God's people = only jws
Or is it first place to lord it over as = "mighty men" who have more holy spirit than the rank and file; or the PO who said
"it's my way or the highway"?
Jehovah's people = only jws
16. COMMENTS
Christian (jw) wives who want the status through their husbands who are MS/elders.
So they "work along" making hubbie look good, even regular pioneering, quitting their FT job only to quit pioneering and
work full-time when he is appointed.
REPRESENTING OTHERS IN PUBLIC PRAYER
Q17. Why is solitude desirable when we pray privately?
COMMENTS
How many jws pray privately? I remember the ones who never prayed privately at mealtime but made a big show of it
at a restaurant.
Why the caution to pray calmly? Are tears not allowed? Are they yelling?
Q18. What are some points that brothers should keep in mind when representing a congregation in prayer?
COMMENTS
meetings--fellow believers (only jws) should be able to say amen? So what wild things are being prayed about
publicly?
DID NOT ITEMIZE NEEDS OR PROBLEMS OF EACH PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE---I'd like to see that...just once
did a brother counsel someone by name from the platform in a prayer.
And parents should not do this either in the family setting.
Q19. How should we comport ourselves during public prayer?
COMMENTS
Red herring--a group link arms or hold hands during such a prayer....I never saw this but it is linked with this normal
behavior I have seen years at KHs and not been offended.
SOME MARRIAGE MATES MIGHT DISCREETLY HOLD HANDS, BUT IF THEY "EMBRACED"(quotes and caps
mine) EACH OTHER DURING PUBLIC PRAYER....MIGHT BE STUMBLED.
I read this over and over and realized that there was nothing wrong with hand holding but I read that comments were
made at WT studies saying that it is wrong. That means that the PO, secretary, and 3 other couples have their hands at
their side now like in the picture on page 6.
distract, shock, stumble?
PRAY FOR WHAT?
Q20. How would you explain Romans 8:26,27?
COMMENTS
Use prayers in the Bible as an example of what to pray for?
Q21. What will we examine in the next article?
CONCLUDING COMMENTSNext week, "Enrich Your Prayers Through Bible Study."
I get the feeling that the WTS is trying to improve the public prayers. I always got the feeling the the elders who prayed
at the conventions, got a script from the WTS what to pray for. Why not do that at the KH....hand out a scripted prayer?
Love Blondie