FORUMS > Spirituality Forum Rules

Question...

Being raised a staunch Roman Catholic prayer has always been a part of my life. Even since I knew I was gay guy prayer has continued in my life.

Am I a loner in this department? I'm no longer a practicing Catholic. Does anyone else have an active prayer life?

@ OP: I do, but only when really necessary; or someone's troubles seem that far out of their control they can't get ahold of their situation by any logical means of themselves. I haven't prayed for myself in years.

Definitely not a loner. I pray at least twice a day. I come from a very religious background. But I know who I am and how I was born...so I know that God is cool with the way that I am, or else He wouldn't have brought me here.

All that mumbo jumbo you hear about God hating fags, it ain't true. Spiritual/God is real, the Church and all that other stuff is man-made and that's what's corrupt. That's how I see it.

I also come from a very staunch roman catholic background (12 years of catholic schooling)

and tho, like you, im not a pracrticing catholic anymore, I do not let the dogma of organized religion ruin my relationship with God. .

I pray....not even that often, but sometimes I will feel struck to pray about something, whethers it's giving thanks, asking for guidance or perhaps asking for guidance to make a right decision about something, etc.


I dont pray often. But no matter what, I will stay say a quick prayer on an airplane before take off!!! i know i know, it's prob stupid to do, but i feel compelled. what can I say?

Import saidI also come from a very staunch roman catholic background (12 years of catholic schooling)

and tho, like you, im not a pracrticing catholic anymore, I do not let the dogma of organized religion ruin my relationship with God. .

I pray....not even that often, but sometimes I will feel struck to pray about something, whethers it's giving thanks, asking for guidance or perhaps asking for guidance to make a right decision about something, etc.


I dont pray often. But no matter what, I will stay say a quick prayer on an airplane before take off!!! i know i know, it's prob stupid to do, but i feel compelled. what can I say?

It's reassuring to me that I'm not alone in this. I didn't think I was but reading your comment and the others brings a smile to my face.

I pray... but I also don't really know what I think about what prayer is supposed to do. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much... but God's definition of a righteous man pretty much narrows the field to men praying for God's will to be done. Does God answer my selfish prayers? Perhaps, perhaps not.

I find the purpose of prayer is more for us to turn to God and seek after Him than it is to produce some miracle. And perhaps that, in the end, is better than having Him grant us wishes like a genie.

Sometimes.

People often confuse prayer with the showy crap that's dishe dout in Sunday school and churches on a daily basis: Both Mark Twain ("The War Prayer") and Bo Burnham ("Rant" from "Words Words Words") cover this. Prayer isn't really suppsed to be all about asking God for all the tings you want from winning a war, a trophy, getting out of trouble this one time, bringin world peace (in the form of the praying denomination's denominational beliefs), etc. Prayer is suppsed to be a meditation, a centering of you within the context of the events of your life and the greater cosmos. If you are using prayer to focus, center and reflect on your own life then you are doing it right. If you are just praying to ask God/devine being for stuff you want, then, yeah, you are wasting your time. IMHO (well maybe not the "H")...

Larkin saidI pray... but I also don't really know what I think about what prayer is supposed to do. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much... but God's definition of a righteous man pretty much narrows the field to men praying for God's will to be done. Does God answer my selfish prayers? Perhaps, perhaps not.

I find the purpose of prayer is more for us to turn to God and seek after Him than it is to produce some miracle. And perhaps that, in the end, is better than having Him grant us wishes like a genie.

Well said!!

i think religion and god are different things!
Religion make apart people, and god join us!
Pray or not it's doesnt matter god want you love him
love you and love us nothing else.

I tend to pray when I meditate. I meditate everyday for one to three hours.

tristan22 saidi think religion and god are different things!
Religion make apart people, and god join us!
Pray or not it's doesnt matter god want you love him
love you and love us nothing else.

I'm curious how you love someone you don't think you have to talk to...

ME LUV U LONG TIME!

I was brought up Catholic, but prayer never felt right to me--it never made sense.

My aunt prays with her friends for sick people at their church; some people get better, some die. If a person dies it was, "part of God's plan." If a person gets better then, "all the credit goes to God." So what is the point of praying?

If God is going to do what he/she/it wants to do, why pray? Does God need to be constantly praised and thanked by billions of people every day? Does he/she/it need to be constantly reminded that he/she/it is awesome and all-powerful? Sounds like God has a huge ego.

When I was a Christian, my god didn't need prayer, praising or thanks—he was above such anthropomorphic needs.

Larkin saidI pray... but I also don't really know what I think about what prayer is supposed to do. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much... but God's definition of a righteous man pretty much narrows the field to men praying for God's will to be done. Does God answer my selfish prayers? Perhaps, perhaps not.

I find the purpose of prayer is more for us to turn to God and seek after Him than it is to produce some miracle. And perhaps that, in the end, is better than having Him grant us wishes like a genie.

Why do you change my mind on this without even trying?

I still pray every night, I like to think that I have a direct connection with God and my guardian angels, I'm so lucky, I'm always thanking God for my good luck, I don't pray for others that much though, I do mention my family and my dogs in my prayers and when I read about a horrific hate crime or something I pray for the victims.

I pray everyday, over my food and before I sleep. I don't feel right if I don't. God has brought me through so much and reguardless of how i feel I know im blessed, and sometimes I am just ungrateful.

I should pray more. I am so blessed.

JamieJfromtheA saidI pray everyday, over my food and before I sleep. I don't feel right if I don't. God has brought me through so much and reguardless of how i feel I know im blessed, and sometimes I am just ungrateful.

I should pray more. I am so blessed.

HAHA! You're so cute! You remind me of my grandmother... she did the same thing.

JamieJfromtheA saidI pray everyday, over my food and before I sleep. I don't feel right if I don't. God has brought me through so much and reguardless of how i feel I know im blessed, and sometimes I am just ungrateful.

I should pray more. I am so blessed.

I do have gratitude and express it in different ways; though I always cringe when put on the spot to pray. Never any good at Saying It.

Yes, I pray often and I'm a practicing Catholic. Prayer is for us. God doesn't need us, but we need HIM. We, the children of God, pray for one another. There is power in prayer and miracles have been performed through the intercession of prayer. Our prayers are for us so that we have a closer relationship with our God, much like a close relationship with a friend or parent. If you didn't communicate with a friend or your parent, do you believe you would have a very strong relationship with them? After awhile your relationship wains and becomes an acquaintence or non-existent. Same thing applies with our prayer: It's all about having a relationship with our God. And yes, you can pray for specific requests as is says "Ask and you shall receive." God doesn't want to simply give you the apple, but he wants to give you the whole orchard. But we are so focused on wanting the "apple" that we can not realize what is truly desirous in our hearts and that our loving God wants so much more for us. Happy Mercy Sunday!

Larkin said

tristan22 saidi think religion and god are different things!
Religion make apart people, and god join us!
Pray or not it's doesnt matter god want you love him
love you and love us nothing else.

I'm curious how you love someone you don't think you have to talk to...

of course dont love to everyone! Because we are not perfect! We dont like some people and it's normal.
But you can love someone unknow like this people in street and you watch them sad and you pray to they gona better ! It's love i think so!

say this everyday.

"May I be open and present to all guidance that directs me to be of spiritual support to others. And when I am in need of support please direct me to those who you would select on my behalf. I remain forever grateful that you so closely and lovingly keep a mindful eye on all of us who share life on this earth. So often we do not understand why we must endure what is asked of us and in those times grant me the grace of faith. May I always be guided to live a life of service that benefits humanity and the quality of my own spiritual journey."


I never get guided wrong. ; )

conscienti1984 said

JamieJfromtheA saidI pray everyday, over my food and before I sleep. I don't feel right if I don't. God has brought me through so much and reguardless of how i feel I know im blessed, and sometimes I am just ungrateful.

I should pray more. I am so blessed.

HAHA! You're so cute! You remind me of my grandmother... she did the same thing.

LMAO grandmother...thanks...i think

JamieJfromtheA said

conscienti1984 said

JamieJfromtheA saidI pray everyday, over my food and before I sleep. I don't feel right if I don't. God has brought me through so much and reguardless of how i feel I know im blessed, and sometimes I am just ungrateful.

I should pray more. I am so blessed.

HAHA! You're so cute! You remind me of my grandmother... she did the same thing.

LMAO grandmother...thanks...i think

Ha! Don't over think it... its not bad.