/christ/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

My preferred way currently is the rosary with Our Father, Gloria, Hail Mary being the only prayers I know by heart. Sometimes I do it with the Jesus Prayer instead.

I prefer to pray this way because the "open letter" to God doesn't work with me. I can't pretend that much without feeling bad, so I stick to the rosary prayers, or I pray thoughtlessly, that works too.

I pray rarely. It's not something I can do without feeling right about it.

>>4813

>We are told to pray always, and I struggle with it.

yes I do.

Soemtimes i pray repeatedly, i say the things over and over like if i had ocd. which for me doesnt feel sincere or personal, so i try to free ball it with the heart.

I pray multiples times i day: when i wake up, before eating, after eating, before going sleep, and during the day to seek for streght

>>4813

>Prayer is talking to God, to give Him praise, petition Him, or all three.

Oddly enough, I do none of these when I pray to God. To me, it's more like I'm trying to listen to Him by making room in myself. And it feels great.

>The one thing I would recommend people not to hinge on is "feeling good" while praying.

I'm not a "sick-soul" as defined by William James, and suffering for my faith doesn't work for me, it doesn't add any faith (and it's not by fear of pain, I can and have endured worse for other reasons), so how I feel matters a lot because if it feels wrong, I'll soon stop and not try again. That is why I don't do prayers where I just talk to God freely.

>Christ prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He wasn't feeling too happy. In fact His prayer was one of anguish.

Yes, but the anguish came from the fact that He was about to be tortured to death, not because of the act of praying. I'm pretty sure Christ enjoyed praying in more peaceful days, and even at Gethsemane, His prayers comforted Him and gave Him the courage and strength to continue (which counts as feeling a bit better).

>But don't stop praying because it doesn't feel good.

If it feels wrong, it won't be praying at all. Praying isn't a formality to me. If my heart is not in it, it doesn't count because God knows whether I'm really praying or just going through the motions, and I don't mean that as God expecting me to "obey" and knowing whether I'm "cheating" or something; it's like dancing, you know if your partner is in it or not, and if he's not, that's not real dancing, because that's not what dancing is about.

>>4813

This

>>4820

>If it feels wrong, it won't be praying at all.

Welcome to Christianity, where you never have to suffer any hardhsips or do anything that you don't like or follow rules. Glory.

>>4835

>Welcome to Christianity, where you never have to suffer any hardhsips or do anything that you don't like or follow rules. Glory.

You didn't actually understand what I said, so I'll rephrase and we'll see if you have the humility to admit that you didn't get it and preferred to rely on your general assumptions of me instead of reading the words.

"If it feels wrong, it won't be praying at all."

That doesn't mean it's a choice, it means that if I pray and it "feels wrong", and I pray that way for an hour, it won't count as praying, because, in effect, it won't be praying.

Do you understand the difference? I can force myself all I want, but it won't count as a prayer if it isn't one.

And that is why I have given up on this because I'm not praying when I "pray" this way (and that way would be the freeform praying where you speak to God).

"If it feels wrong, IT won't be praying at all."

I'm pretty sure you read "I" instead of it, didn't you…

Continue riding my ass with your "muh feel good Christianity, muh rebel, muh not liking rules, muh whiny whiny" but don't think it'll spare you reading what I actually write.

>>4838

>it doesn't count

For whom? For you? Does this even matter in the end?

>>4835

Moreover, there are different kinds of feeling wrong, which isn' the same as being a hardship. Talking to you is a hardship but it doesn't feel wrong. Being drowned in atheist insults doesn't feel wrong but it certainly isn't a pleasure, and I have no problem doing it.

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I know you literally believe this verse isn't in the gospel, but it is. Matthew 11:30.

>>4839

>For whom? For you? Does this even matter in the end?

For God, for me. Of course it matters, unless you think faith is about formalities and all that matters is pretending.

It seems to me that all you're interested in is being a good boy before God, because you think He is some kind of authoritarian father who doesn't give a rat's ass about whether or not you're really praying, as long as you obey. That is not how I see God, and as a result, not how I see myself. I'll do it for real or not at all.

>>4838

Yep, no understanding of christianity.

Your lack of proper pastoral care shows. I think you ought to read some Kierkegaard so you realise what you are doing wrong.

>>4872

>Yep, no understanding of christianity.

Christ is clear on that praying shouldn't be a formality and shouldn't be done to show off socially, but that it should be done from the heart.

You care more about the formalities than the substance, so don't think you can patronise me about what Christianity "really is".

>>4876

Why did he pray a rote prayer with his disciples then?

Well you have no the about the substance, thats why you are tripping in the dark. Stop claiming you know what Christ is saying. Had you seen His light, you wouldnt look so fucking clueless and fickle. Fuck what do you even know about my personal relationship with the Lord?

>>4878

>Why did he pray a rote prayer with his disciples then?

In case you didn't care to read my actual words (a thing many of you do, because you think you already know what I'll say), "rote prayers" are 99% of what I pray, especially the Our Father.

Just because it's rote doesn't mean you can't mean it with your heart. If you pray rote prayers and don't believe a word you're saying, don't bother. If you agree with this, then you also agree with my earlier statements, and you also agree that one should pray with his heart and not just go through the motions. If you agree with all this, then stop acting like you don't.

>Well you have no the about the substance,

You can't into grammar, but I'll assume you ran out of "idea" there.

>thats why you are tripping in the dark.

You don't actually know anything about what I know of the substance, so stop acting like you do.

> Stop claiming you know what Christ is saying.

No, you.

>Had you seen His light, you wouldnt look so fucking clueless and fickle.

I have, and that's why I don't feel the need to come down on anyone who thinks otherwise.

>Fuck what do you even know about my personal relationship with the Lord?

I know it doesn't prevent you from getting all mad at me. Love your enemies, right?

>>4882

Well unlike you I speak with the voice of the magisterium, that includes tradition. Tradition is democracy extended into all the times. If I didnt do that, i'd speak with no voice at all. And my point was that praying doesnt need to feel comfortable, as 100% perfect solemnity is an extraordinary grace. Surely God gives you credit for trying.

Stop feeling personally attacked just because I dislike your ping-ponging. I don't want you to stop thinking, I want you up stop running in circles.

Now, now, youre not an enemy and I am not mad, but since even Christ went angry when it was met, I will teach you a part of spirituality: 'Let sun not go down on your anger.'

>>4886

>Well unlike you I speak with the voice of the magisterium, that includes tradition.

Doesn't matter, if you end up speaking against Christ, you could have the entire earth with you and I still wouldn't care.

> If I didnt do that, i'd speak with no voice at all.

I speak with the voice of Christ. That's enough for me.

>Stop feeling personally attacked

Then stop making personal attacks. It's simple. There are many ways to tell someone something, you don't have to be a cunt about it.

> I don't want you to stop thinking, I want you up stop running in circles.

You want me to embrace Catholicism.

>Now, now, youre not an enemy and I am not mad,

I doubt you normally drop the F bomb so lightly, but whatever you say, brother.

> 'Let sun not go down on your anger.'

I wonder if that's how it was worded originally, but it sure is nice.

>>4886

Since it was just time for it, I can address what I mean with an example.

I just prayed the Angel of the Lord angelus prayer. Now this I do when I hear the bells for it. How often am I in a state I shouldnt pray at all? How often have I not said a word before this prayer? How often have I not properly been following along with my thoughts because of inner or outer distractions.

However, is it really void, a false ritual, man-made and empty or is

>>4890

Or is it an act of discipline that channels my love for Christ even when I am occupied.

>>4890

>>4891

What it is is up to you, but I suppose you don't spend much time of the day thinking God doesn't exist. That makes praying much more difficult and isn't only a matter of discipline. As stated above, I can force myself, that's not the problem.

>>4892

'Up to you'

I didnt solely say it to not hear your opinion.

>much time of the day thinking God doesnt exist

It depends on the day, my state of sin, etc.

Especially when in sin I am trying to rationalise.

>>4835

I disagree.

Christianity is not some tumblr sect that tries to victimize and try to suffer the most just because.

>>4878

Chill m8 are you from /christian/ ?

Do you walk over broken glass too?

Once a night, and I usually just say what's on my mind and give thanks.

It definitely helps with stress and gives me much peace, I definitely need to do it more often.

>>4886

This

>>4890

>>4891

Things have the meaning you give to them.

>>4942

>I disagree.

I was being ironic