

They may be with musical accompaniment or not. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously as they are prayed. One less noticeable act related to prayer is fasting.Ī variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning (mainly respect or adoration) associated with them: standing sitting kneeling prostrate on the floor eyes opened eyes closed hands folded or clasped hands upraised holding hands with others a laying on of hands and others. towards Mecca or the East) making the sign of the cross. Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: anointing with oil ringing a bell burning incense or paper lighting a candle or candles See, for example, facing a specific direction (i.e. If indeed an answer comes, the time and place it comes is considered random. Some may experience audible, physical, or mental epiphanies. There can be many different answers to prayer, just as there are many ways to interpret an answer to a question, if there in fact comes an answer. This is actually regarded as a requirement in several Christian denominations, although enforcement is not possible nor desirable. Some people pray throughout all that is happening during the day and seek guidance as the day progresses. Prayer can be incorporated into a daily "thought life", in which one is in constant communication with a god. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Some forms of prayer require a prior ritualistic form of cleansing or purification such as in ghusl and wudhu. Still others combine the two.įriedrich Heiler is often cited in Christian circles for his systematic Typology of Prayer which lists six types of prayer: primitive, ritual, Greek cultural, philosophical, mystical, and prophetic. Some pray according to standardized rituals and liturgies, while others prefer extemporaneous prayers. Muslim prayer involves bowing, kneeling and prostration. Jewish prayer may involve swaying back and forth and bowing. Some Native Americans regard dancing as a form of prayer. Some Christians bow their heads and fold their hands.

There are morning and evening prayers, graces said over meals, and reverent physical gestures. Various spiritual traditions offer a wide variety of devotional acts. Muslim men prostrating during prayer in a mosque The Vulgate Latin is oratio, which translates Greek προσευχή in turn the Septuagint translation of Biblical Hebrew תְּפִלָּה tĕphillah. The English term prayer is from Medieval Latin: precaria, lit.'petition, prayer'. The efficacy of prayer in faith healing has been evaluated in numerous studies, with contradictory results. Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people. Today, most major religions involve prayer in one way or another some ritualize the act, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practised spontaneously by anyone at any time. The act of prayer is attested in written sources as early as 5000 years ago. Prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. Prayer can take a variety of forms: it can be part of a set liturgy or ritual, and it can be performed alone or in groups.

More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise, and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor. You can access these from this page as well as from the Home page of this website.Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. Almost all devotions end with a daily prayer.
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You can watch the video or download and listen to the audio. So you can listen to the current week's devotions or go to any previous theme/series that speaks to your present need. So there are seven days of devotions that focus on the theme and bring you insight, understanding and revelation from the Bible. We have intentionally developed the daily devotionals around a weekly theme. His Word never return void or unfulfilled.Įach daily devotional is about five minutes in duration. Expect God's supernatural power to work miracles in your life. Expect to be healed, delivered, transformed. As you receive God's Word expect to receive wisdom and guidance. The Bible uses many metaphors: bread, milk, meat, food, water, honey, seed, rain, light, lamp, gold, sword, etc. God's Word is spiritual food and nourishment. Daily Devotional for Spirit filled living
