Friday, 26 September 2008

  • Using God's Name in Vain During Prayer?

    lily by mrs lily 

    prayermtg

    Have you ever been in a prayer meeting or something of that nature, and find many prayers go something like this:

    "Lord God, we come before you Lord God, and we just ask Lord God, that you would meet us here Lord God. Lord God, we thank you Lord God for being here with us, Lord God..."

    So Reader, I just want to ask you Reader, how you would feel, Reader, if every time I talked to you, Reader, if I said your name, Reader, over and over Reader...

    Wow, that would get really annoying. If someone did that to me when I was talking to them I wouldn't be able to listen to what the were saying, all I would be thinking is, "Ok, I get it, you know my name..."

    Luckily the Lord is more gracious than I am...but I that isn't the point I'm trying to make.  I think what makes the biggest difference between these two scenarios is that the name of the Lord is holy, and to use it in this fashion can be, in a sense, using the Lord's name in vain. I'm not saying that it has to sound perfect, or that every time a person does this they are using the Lord's name in vain.

    Often when we pray like this we are not really addressing the Lord - instead, by doing this we are using the name of the Lord as a filler word (by saying "Lord", when we really mean "um") to bide for time when we are praying in front of others so that we can think of what to pray, or perhaps is it so that we can look more spiritual.

    Have you ever thought about this?

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Comments (40)

  • Night_Light@xanga

    Your blog brought a smile to my face. Yes, I've noticed this before and wondered the same thing about the repetitiveness of addressing the Lord in this manner. But there are so many ways that we adopt catch phrases and the like, many of us seem to pray things like 'bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies' or "Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for your many blessings." I think public prayer distracts us from Who it is we're praying to, to how we're being perceived by others who are listening. It seems like much of it would border on 'vain repetition' It's a real discipline to focus a public prayer on God and talk to Him like the real person that He is. 
  • Lance2france@xanga

    This is a good point and I'm of the opinion it's just a habit formed by listening to others pray in evangelical circles.  If you think about it, it amounts to punctuation....a comma if you will.  Where a comma would go in a normal conversation, these folks say 'Lord'. 


    I personally try not to dwell on it, as I don't think they realize what they're doing, but it can be distracting.
  • iworship@xanga

    I don't know about anyone else, but I have done this before.  I do it on occasion.  I love His name.  Besides that, when I am in fervent prayer, I repeat His name often so as to remind me that I'm talking to Him (and not to myself) and to remind Him that I am serious.  Desperate.  Sincere.  Many writers and speakers will use their intended audience's name more often when they are serious and wishing to drive a point home.  (Note any famous historical political speech introduction, for instance.)
    Again, I don't know how everyone prays, but when I am in general conversation with God I tend to use His name less often, like when I am in the car, just chatting with God about my day or before bed, when I'm asking Him for advice for something that is on my mind often. 
    <><
  • quilt_cats@xanga

    Praying aloud, especially in front of a whole group of people, has never been my strong point.  I like to think of prayer as talking to God, whether it is aloud or quietly.  At my church, so many of the people seem really "good" (if that's the right word for it?  Impressive, perhaps?)  when I hear them pray aloud.  I guess if a person's thoughts are organized they don't need the fillers as much...
  • fratmom@xanga

    @tendollar4ways@xanga - Thank you for saying it for me. 

  • Cliffycliffz@xanga

    I don't go to church or anything but I always speculate about this... It's kinda like taking out "God" from the pledge of allegiance? hmm...
  • nyclegodesi24@xanga

    I wouldn't think too much into this. It's not intentional, so it's not using the Lord's name in vain. I think as I first began praying in public I got very nervous and repeated Lord alot, in a very annoying way (good insight on providing a possible reason, btw.) I realize that it's annoying to me, and I cut it down. The reason for it is just being nervous of praying in front of others. I wouldn't really morally contextualize it, unless I use it for the other reason as trying to appear spiritual, which wouldn't make much sense.

  • AngelOfLove21190@xanga

    I don't think it's using God's name in vain as much as a religious view that has to be broken.

  • too_pretty_to_die@xanga

    despite how old He is, i am fairly positive God does not have Alzheimer's... you don't need to keep saying His name as though He's forgotten.  or are you worried another god will think you're speaking to them?
  • thepurpleporpoise

    Yeah, I think you're probably right...I think that using God's name as a vocal pause could be seen as a misuse of his name. This always drives me crazy when people do this, but I've never been able to verbalize it in this way. :)
  • anonymous

    I agree with several others here.  I don't think repeating God's name in a prayer over and over is using His name in vain. I think God is more interested in the heart of our prayer.  I feel the way I talk to God is between us, and no one else.  Christians should be less focused on the formalities and more focused on what we're put here on earth to do: Serve Him and proclaim the Gospel!
  • NightCometh@xanga

    I went to a Christian college...and my eyes immediately recognized the urge to roll when I read this post!  Of COURSE I've heard this...and it bugs me to no end.  It's just a picked up speech pattern, probably displaying bad theology, lack of reverence for the name of God.  I think it's rude to babble on and on in public prayers, actually.  Those things turn into a show and tell of how bad people's lives are if people aren't careful.  Let's get back to prayer as reverence and worship of God!
  • gingergram@xanga

    Agreed.
  • anonymous
    With time people should be more MATURE, so that NEBOJSA UNDERSTANDS HE UNDERESTIMATED KATARINA, was too harsh and broke up in a hurry - That he start  to appreciate their earlier relationship more - THAT HE START  TO CARE FOR HER MORE - AND NOT TO WITHDRAW FROM HIS FEELINGS. That he understands he underestimated his feelings for her AND MAKE NEW STEPS TOWARD KATARINA - That Nebojsa DOES NOT GET INVOLVED INTO ANY NEW RELATIONSHIP - that God WORK ON HIM to understand THAT FEELINGS ARE NOT TO RUN FROM THEM, BUT BUILD FUTURE AND LIFE - AND PUT  HIS EFFORT  AND STRENGTH  IN THAT- he said, and knows what he promised. For their complete reconciliation , conversation, agreement  about  THEIR  FUTURE  AND MARRIAGE– That they continue that conversation AND BRING IT  TO FULFILLING  AS  SOON AS POSSIBLE - That God heal all OLD HURTS, and bring them  together and LEAD THEIR  MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS 
    Also for me, MARINA - I am Christian and a girl in a ministry –That God send a RIGHT MAN FROM HIM, man with LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, PASSION AND GENTLNESS THAT GOD  WILL BRING  SINGLE AND COMPLETE PERSON, FORMED, GIFTED, etc.
    FOR SPIRITUAL AND MATERIAL  BLESSINGS in our families! FOR MORE CLOSER AND BEAUTIFUL PRAYERS TO THE LIVING LORD!
    FOR ALL DOORS  FROM GOD to be open for us, His children, FOR  MANY OF HIS RESOURCES  TO BE AVAILABLE  TO US

    OPEN DOORS, FOR OUR WORK AND NEW SUCCESSES
    FOR VERY INTERESTING AND INTENSIVE SOCIAL LIFE, MANY FRIENDS IN OUR LIFES
    For new understandings and revelations THAT WILL BRING JOY and STRENGTH... MAY GOD BLESS US  and FULFILL US, May He be able to touch people around us, through us, and BRING JOY, OPEN SPIRITUAL  EYES..FOR FINANCIAL BLESSINGS, GOODS , INDEPENDENCE AND INCREASE –AND WISH YOU ALL THE SAME –MAY GOD ABUNDANTLY, ABUNDANTLY BLESS YOU because you are also in our prayers.
  • quack_powered@xanga

    HAHAHAHAHA!

    "lord god, o god, father god, jesus lord"
    "Father god, thank you for this day father god"

    i dont know who started this trend, but it looks like ALOT of ppl picked up on praying like this and that is the most annoying type of prayer. i did it too, but now i stopped

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