I pray in restraunts...but try not to make a production out of it. Short and sweet. Sometimes at Chaplain hosted functions the prayer is a bit long winded...and public...but what am I gonna do...leave?
Prayers in Restaurants....
by caspian 58 Replies latest jw friends
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m0nk3y
I want caspians ... RoaRRR !
monk3y
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ozziepost
"The Pharisee stood and began to pray........but the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'O God, be gracious to me asinner'." (Luke 18:11-13 NWT)
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Billygoat
Well, I do pray for my food. It's important to me to be thankful for the smallest things in life...even meals. It keeps my other desires in life (big screen tv/house/cars/etc.) in perspective. And Neil and I also pray in public when it's appropriate. We try not to make it obvious, loud, or showy. When it's in company that may be uncomfortable with it, we do it quietly and silently to ourselves. Again, it's a personal thing...we don't do it to show off...but we still want to have an attitude of thanks for our sustenance.
Andi
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m0nk3y
Personally I think the idea of closing your eyes and bowing your head in personal prayer is alot to do with show. Our brains work very quickly .. we hold conversations with ourselves every day without anyone else seeing .. so why then do we need to close our eyes and bow our heads in prayer to god ? I don't know who I pray to but I do speak to someone, kinda a message sent out on the winds to whoever will recieve it. I do it while I am doing whatever else .. it's just like talking to yourself.
monk3y
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UpAndAtom
At your next outing, make sure you invite a Hindu and a Muslim (very nice people - I have neighbours) . JW's automatically assume that everyone at the table is of Christian faith, or psuedo-Christian. They are a minority religion.
Next time, ask them to stand outside the resturant on the street corner and prayer even louder - they won't, but will inside. Funny that.
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tinkerbell82
ooooooooooooh man, when i was a JW kid, our family was friends with this other witness family that was very ostentatious, and whenever we went out to dinner they INSISTED not only that we pray over the food, but that we all hold hands round the table while we prayed!!!!!!!!!!!!! TALK about embarrassment!!!!! i'm cringing just thinking about it! geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks!!!
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SixofNine
LOL @ Caspian's situation. That had to hurt, paying for your own spiritual roasting before the host of host, lol.
This thread has got me thinking though. I wonder what god must think of all these people in western nations, thanking him for food while children starve to death elsewhere. I mean, if I was god (not 'a' god), I'd like to see these people imploring me to feed the starving elsewhere, whenever they are reminded of the topic "food". I'm not suggesting a boycott, but maybe god would like to think that the rest of us care enough to pass on the over used "thanks" and instead go for the, "I'd give some of this up if you'd just pass it on to the needy, Lord". Three times a day X's billions of believers, might have a real impact. Hell, you've thanked him already, it isn't as if there is a realistic danger of being ungrateful.
I don't even believe in a personal god, but if there is one, He/She/It knows I'm as thankful as any person praying to Her/Him/It.
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caspian
Yippee I am not the only one ! Thanks Tinkerbell
I think most of us hit on the head when we say it is for show, only a very few JW's are that sincere.
I actually saw one of the diners on the other table at our local ASDA about an hour ago , I just ducked behind the fish counter really quickly, thought he had gone and bumped in to him in the wine and spirits aisle.
Quick mumble about how I did volunteer work taking residents from the nursing home round the corner for trips and meals blah blah what a nice chap I am... did the trick..........I think.
Cas
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Yerusalyim
Six,
I think God would be more impressed by us trying to feed those starving by donating money...time...and food to those agencies in a position to feed the poor. If I do this (I Do) then a simple "Thank You God" is all that's required at meals.