One of the most absurd expectations for church members over the decades was the concept of spending one hour every single day on your knees in prayer. While the benefits of prayer have been established as beneficial for a person by all kinds of studies, it was the near command that church members spend one hour every day that was absurd. Pretty soon, as a reader here noted the other day, a person starts repeating themselves over and over. It's nothing new after a few days and usually ends up as petitions for God to step in and fix problems for the person or endless prayers for the so-called work that some splinter groups claim they are doing.
The Great Bwana to Africa has set out a list of 28 expectations he believes his followers need to be doing.
28 Tips on Prayer
People talk a lot about prayer. So? Christians through the centuries have found it beneficial to their mental health and well being, just as those in Armstrongism claim to.
Many pray in public. Yeah, and so what? Prayer in communal public worship is just as edifying as prayer in a closet or sitting on a rock in the woods. A person praying on a street corner makes most Armstrongites and the public uncomfortable. Yet, for that one individual who may find meaning and the need for prayer that day it may have life changing affects on the person. Armstrongite manipulators of scripture love to twist this and accuse Christians of doing it wrong, when in actuality the COG has been doing it wrong for decades!
Does God listen? This is a loaded question when an Armstrongite says it. They want want church members to believe that God only listens to them. Its not cool when a Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or God forbid a so-called Christian offers up a heartfelt prayer since God supposedly only listens to COG prayers. God supposedly does not hear these "unconverted people". Anyone who has ever interacted one on one with people of other faiths can realize they can make as many bold claims about answered prayers as Armstrongites can and many times offer better proof than a COG member can.
What does the Bible teach about prayer? There are five basic types of prayer in the Bible that have meaning for people, whether done corporately as a church or individually. These simple types of prayer are: intercession, petition, penitence, adoration, and thanksgivings.
Can what you do or do not wear be a factor? This is absolute useless bullshit to believe that God only hears your prayer when you are dressed in a suit or dress. God forbid if you were in a pair of swim trunks at the beach and gave a short prayer of thanks for a glorious day and for the beautiful creation you are surrounded by. God apparently plugs his ears in those circumstances. Besides that, what about the thief on the cross next to Jesus who was covered in blood, oozing wounds, wrapped in a dirty loin cloth or even naked, covered in piss and shit as his body reacts to multiple blows. Does Gods ignore him? Jesus sure didn't. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43"
How can your prayers be more effective?
Why doesn’t God seem to answer all prayers?
How should you deal with the difficult?
How should you deal with ‘the impossible’?
Here is a listing of the 28 tips that Dr. Thiel goes over in this sermon:
1. Pray to God the Father or Jesus as the thief did or even to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
2. Worship God in Truth Which truth? Thielism? Armstrongism? Flurryism?3. Believe God4. Obey God: Do More than the Demons In Armstrongism far too many act more like demons than they do as followers of Christ.
5. Worship God in Spirit All prayers from humans come from the heart, are sincere and/or are motivated by love for God and all that he has done. This is a weapon COG leader use to keep people scared that they aren't praying to God right.
6. Resist Satan Unless one is praying deliberately to Satan then prayers ascending from God followers are resisting Satan. COG members need to stop fearing Satan and the power COG leaders have given him over members lives.7. Don’t Fight God8. Pray for Others9. Pray for Your Needs
10. Remember God’s Will and Have Your Priorities in Order11. Praying Positions from the Bible Sitting, kneeling, standing, running, laying on your back in bed or under the stars...the positions are endless. Don't swallow the claptrap of so-called COG leaders.12. Pray Every Day While this may be the desired amount, most never do it. Don't beat yourself up if it's every other day or maybe weeks at a time. Sometimes people just need to step back from all the rigamarole COG leaders have placed upon them and recenter themselves.13. Forgiveness14. Recognize God’s Spirit15. Pray for What the Bible Says to Pray For
16. Ask for Spiritual Gifts17. Don’t Pray for Show Tell this to any any man standing in services for the opening and closing prayer. Far too many times these tend to be a slobberfest of adoration for the preacher.18. Obey the New Testament About Head Coverings This is more claptrap that Armstrongites love to say is required. If it works for you then great, but certainly is NOT a requirement. If you say it is then you cannot sit there in condemnation for those in certain Christian churches, Islam, Amish, and other faiths who use head coverings.19. Ask Often, Do Not Use Vain Repetitions, But Be Fervent20. If You Are Suffering or Sick, Pray About It21. Pray for Church Leaders
22. Pray for Secular Leaders23. Put Jesus in Your Prayers24. The Difficult: Remember Fasting While fasting may be beneficial to some it is not and never was a New Covenant command.25. Pray With Thanksgiving26. Deal With ‘Secret Sins’
27. Change Can Make the Impossible, Possible28. Close with Amen.
Sometimes the most effective prayer a person can utter is just one simple word, Thanks!, Wow!, or WTF!
Some of the best prayers a person can utter are when they are angry with God, pissed off, or in utter despair. Saying WTF God? is a far more genuine utterance that is heard by God than all the platitudes that so many COG men click off from the checklist in church prayers or even from Bob's silly list above.
Prayer should always be what is right for you and never what some so-called self-appointed church leader says you should be doing. Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee in hand and praying will be far more beneficial than being locked in some prayer closet, on your knees for a strict one hour, and with a written list of prayers in front of you.
Holy God, your knowledge of me exceeds what I grasp or see in any moment; you know me better than I know myself. Now, help me to trust in your mercy, to see myself in the light of your holiness, and grant me the grace that I may have true contrition, make an honest confession, and find in you forgiveness and perfect remission. Amen.
O Lord support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening come, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen
24 comments:
I remember years ago the WCG edict, OK, a suggestion, was: pray one hour, read the Bible one hour, meditate one hour. Horrors! Could never do that. My master is not a stopwatch.
There is nothing that Bob has to say that I find edifying. I think part of the reason why is that he is at his core not a Christian. It always works for Bob never any grace. His people have to be worn out following all the stupid rules he has set down as edicts in his cult. He needs to shut up and get out of the way!
Hi all again, I believe Dr Thiel should really think about Prayers For God to anoint his eyes so he can see the obvious Evil that he unknowingly has created in Africa by unleashing these False Satan whoring Men that call themselves Ministers of God, when in fact they're Minister's of SATAN. HOPEFULLY THE TITHES WILL DRY UP SOON AND THEY CAN GO BACK FROM UNDER THE ROCK THEY CRAWLED OUT FROM/ DR THIEL ALWAYS Taught CURSED IS HE WHO DOES THE WORK OF GOD DECEITFULLY / I think the CURSES ARE A COMING. OBEY GOD RATHER THEN MEN/ WOULD JESUS TURN A BLIND EYE/ Terry A. Nelson N.A.T.S.O.O.C.- Not Afraid To Speak Out On Corruption
"Is there a proper blessing for the Bwana?"
"A blessing for the Bwana? Why yes!"
"May God bless and keep the Bwana...far away from us!"
Is he kidding about some of these? I know the answer, but I am left just shaking my head in amazement. This was exceedingly offensive to me as a Christian.
I was particularly struck with #23, put Jesus in your prayers. Who the hell is Bob praying to if not God? Oh, I forgot. Bob teaches there are two separate gods. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not One as is revealed over and over again in Scripture. Tsk, Tsk Bob. Herbert would be very disappointed you don't BELIEVE GOD.
Bob the binitarian, leading himself and <150 members to hell with big, fat thick bibles in their hands.
The "Lord's Prayer" is a simple guideline in how to pray. I dont mean to just repeat it over and over, but as an outline to add more detailed personal and temporal items to, in more clarity and detail.
Arguably, prayer does more harm than good. Do you really know who you are praying to? In the "scriptures," YHVH has been conflated with various pagan gods.
This was exceedingly offensive to me as a Christian.
You mean, as a FAKE Christian.
I beg your pardon Anon @8:40?
I had recently cleared my search history and cookies, so when I typed "Banned by HWA" into my brouser, one of the items that came up was an article on the HWA, an acronym also used by the Horror Writers of America. i thought about how appropriate that was. As the perfector of a fear-based religion, HWA was most definitely an HWA!
Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not One as is revealed over and over again in Scripture.
Actually, the scriptures are not clear on the topic. The Trinity is just one of several interpretations.
None of the Christians of today would be recognized as such by the early church.
DW on April 17 at 7:08:00 ridicules Thiel for not accepting the Trinity, maintaining that it "is revealed over and over again in Scripture" that "Father, Son and Holy Spirit are. . . One."
Fascinating concept. I ran across an exegesis of the Trinity that readers here might find enlightening:
A certain chief god consisted of three persons with separate attributes: a god of wrath, a god of redemption, and an ineffable god. They were so tightly twisted together that they could not be divided. Wherever one of them was, that space was fully occupied at the same time by the other two in their entirety. To maintain solidarity with monotheism they identified as a single individual and chose the pronouns he/him/his. Human reason is too weak to grasp the principle of physics that made this arrangement possible, to say nothing of the miraculous arithmetic in which one plus one plus one equals one. Wonders such as these create a mystery that enthralls human beings and deepens their faith.
Bob is a spiritual genius! He knows how to cut and paste from old HWA lit.
Bob the binitarian, leading himself and <150 members to hell with big, fat thick bibles in their hands.
There is no such place as hell. Are you Catholic?
Big, fat, and thick. All of those?
What is it about these folks and lists? They appear to need reminders and instructions about everything! Hmmm, sure seems like no one has written anything on their hearts!
... years ago the WCG edict ... was: pray one hour, read the Bible one hour, meditate one hour.
It was a waste of 2.9 hours per day!
... by unleashing these False Satan ...
I don't get it. Do you mean there is a false Satan and a true Satan? Are we to worship the true Satan rather than the false Satan? Just asking.
... CURSED IS HE WHO DOES THE WORK OF GOD DECEITFULLY ...
Cursed is he who hangs on a tree.
God wants a relationship with us. We can call out to our Abba Father anytime from anywhere.
If you allow someone to set the parameters for your prayer life, as outlined by these 28 "tips", you have unwittingly allowed them to take control of your life. No man has the prerogative to do this, unless it's Jesus Christ in the flesh.
As dumb an asshole as he was, HWA used to restrict himself to his magical number of 7. These modern day imitators who rack up a wall of big numbers that later end up failing are like the Pharisees who evolved from the intertestamental (Helenist) period of history, setting up all of their petty dos and don'ts which Jesus had to correct, and for which He provided perspective.
So true Tonto.
This is been true in R/WCG
for as long as I can remember . Richard
Close with Amen.
Amen is the name of the Egyptian god who impregnated his own mother. If you say Amen you are praying to a pagan sex god. He also took the form of a snake. He became Amen-Ra the sun god.
The truth hurts. How many people really want it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBBb3W81yg
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