My Prayer is #Constant, Unchanging ... 'I Pray for You' means 'You're included in the "Us" of "Our Father"' (Not 'I Hope You Get Well or -Get Hired etc.') @BBCworld @AmbasciataUSA @PrayingB4God @prayerDotOrg @BibleOrg @getFandom #ConstantPrayer #Constantly
As I've probably mentioned before, I respond harshly to friends' 'prayer-requests' ... sort of like "Jesus 'Cleansing the Temple"—the other 'believers' there are just "doing the traditional thing for their own peace-of-mind," and Jesus was all-"den of thieves! you brood of vipers!' in there.
They'll say 'oh! my brother's sick- or my cousin's looking for a job- or we had a death in the family-, and we need your prayers!' and I'll respond (totally nerdy) "Umm ... actually, you only need your own prayers; if we hear 'your prayers' (or rather 'the needs that you pray about'), we'll 'Amen' your Prayer and Have Faith that The Holy Spirit hears you."
But nobody pays attention to that (probably because I write it too 'confrontational-ly,' and the people asking for 'prayers' aren't looking for "conversation with God," but rather are looking for 'words of encouragement'), and they go off and ask for more prayers about other matters in their- and their friends'-lives.
One of my friends took a second to glance at my confrontational response, didn't quite understand it (thought I was condemning pray-ers to Hell), and threatened to get me kicked off Facebook if I didn't take it down because (she says) "The Bible says we should pray constantly!"
'I'll go ahead and change my comment,' I said (and I did, and my friend saw it and okay'd it). 'But no, The Bible does not tell us that.' ... Actually, it does tell us that; but ... I take the rule that 'we should only pray in our private room' as a higher command (from Jesus Christ as He lived) than 'we should pray all the time' (from a letter to one of the early churches).
... I guess my point is—'My Prayer is Constant' (I might repeat 'the basic outline Jesus gave us' below), and people just need to be reminded that they are 'brothers & sisters whom I pray for right along with myself as I talk with Our Father.')'Constant' (below-hyperlinked to BBC News' report on Italy's inspiring response to COVID19) is built on an even-deeper source ... something crucial that firms the foundation upon which our lexicon stands ...
The word “Constant” is built on ancient words that mean "|With, |Together + to |Stand, make or be |Firm."
I regard 'constant prayer' as more like "a conversation that's constantly going on-&-on in your head (like in one-or-two of Tom Cruise (& co.)'s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-movies, where his team-members are in constant communication through equipment in their heads; or like The Borg (STAR TREK), where each individual has access to the thoughts of The Collective)."
I suppose 'my idea of community-prayer' is influenced by "the Catholic Mass's 'Kyrie' (where everyone sings The Chorus, then the soloist sings A Verse, followed by everyone's Chorus, followed by another solo Verse, etc.)"—our prayer doesn't change, though 'the soloist' (God, with the world playing the background-music) changes the context.
Our prayer is something like:
In the name of Lord Jesus Christ:
Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. You give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And you lead us not into temptation, but you deliver us from evil.
You deliver us–oh Lord–from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. You keep us free from sin & anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior (your son) The Lord Jesus Christ. For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever-and-Ever. Amen.
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