Inappropriate Prayers

 

Yes, Their Is Such A Thing

Prayer is very important for those who are on their Christian walk. A sincere Christian is one who prays for spiritual guidance. This is the Christian who prays for the personal strength to get through the day. This is the person looking for resolve as their going through various personal issues. Due to its importance, one would be tempted at calling praying the spiritual equivalent of texting to God. As painful as it is to use this cliché, it does help drive my point home on this rare occasion.

The reason for this is because prayer, like texting, can be abused by those who see it as a toy. Prayer can be abused by those who don’t understand its purpose. Thus, many reduce God to a genie or a butler. Dag Hammarskjold, the U. N. Secretary-General in the 1950's, once quoted "Your cravings as a human animal do not become prayer just because it is God whom you ask to attend to them.". To paraphrase, your wants and desires do not magically become prayers simply because your asking them from God.

Using prayer to ask for monetary benefits or material possessions isn’t beneficial to your spiritual walk. Don’t bother praying for that BMW. Yes, God is fully aware that Germans make better cars than we do. However, your still not getting one! Also, God doesn’t care which football team wins the game. You can pray for the Cowboys to win all you want, but its not going to happen. These prayer head straight into God’s wastebin. Empty prayers are going to get an empty response.

Christians who see their faith as image will make there prayers sound as elaborate as possible because they feel that this is what’s expected of them. More “Thou Arts” will show up in a prayer than in a Shakespeare play. God doesn’t need the spectacle. Just ask him what’s going on, and continue the conversation from there. God isn’t this distant entity that requires special words to grant that privilege. Just start the conversation.

When Politics Enter The Picture

Motives are very important as well. Praying for greater understanding of God’s words is very appreciated. Praying for spiritual guidance is always rewarding. Praying to God for the well-being of others is very noble. However, praying for pursuits that are spiritually ill-relevant are inappropriate. Prayer wasn't meant to be used as a tool for one to inject one's own social commentary.

Remember when I said that God doesn’t care about which football team doesn’t win the game.  The same can be said with elections either. In the grand span of the infinite universe, God has far more important things to do with his time than follow partisan politics on a particular spot on the globe. 

One finds it amusing when those with too much time turn mundane politics into this grand, divine battle between good and evil.  It's comical when secular parties and their leaders are elevated as spiritual pillars. This is especially baffling considering that both parties are consumed by corruption and prone to their moral and ethical shortcomings. For those placid individuals, their preferences have become righteous pillars. So strange. 

Whoever you vote for isn’t going to make you any less of a Christian. Your political preference isn't going to determine your spirituality in the same manner as whatever religious meme you share or don't share on your Facebook timeline isn't going to determine your spirituality either.  God doesn't care who you vote for. One realizes how trivial this is grand scope of the universe.

However, inappropriate prayers will enter into the equation when politics is used as a substitute for religion. When the election/recount was ongoing, one of the church leaders prayed for God to make the right decision. Even with a prayer that sounds innocent enough, the phrasing or gesturing can scream volumes. I already knew what she was hinting. 

This brings up an interesting question. What happens when that prayer doesn't go according to the way you want? Are you going to say that God got it wrong. This is what those making their spiritually irrelevant request are saying. Prayer become a farce when its used as a tool for one to inject their personal politics. That sacred tool of communication becomes a mockery for those who use it in such a inappropriate manner. Their was no reason to make that prayer in the first place. As such, this could have been easily avoided too. Just don't bother with it period. Why do people feel that they need to inject their politics in a prayer. God's time is wasted on such trivial request.

These prayers can get a very ugly undertone. Those who think that Christianity is a tool for control are going to ask God for things that are totally inappropriate. Prayer for a certain politicians to win so that Christians can exerted social and political control is a contradiction to Jesus’s teachings. Jesus’s ministry wasn't about social or political control. As such, those who think that it is have horrible misplaced idea of what Christianity is. When Christians pray for a spiritual revival, are they genuine in their request or are they seeking political dominance? For such, Christianity isn't no longer a movement for Salvation, but a tool for those consumed with being the thought police.

God, Please Don't Let Bill Gates Block Out The Sun....

It's adorable when little children prayer for something that's unexpected or comical. It's not when grown adults do the same thing. In fact, praying for something outlandish to be averted is outright bizarre. Their is a such thing as a wasted prayer. For those who consume click-bait from questionable sources that present conspiracy theories as the gospel truth, those cartoon villains become very real. The invisible boogeymen become legitimate pariahs. For Christians who blindly believe anything that they read on Facebook, there fear and paranoia becomes true in their eyes. 

For those who are too ignorant enough to exercise their critical thinking skills, this could be a bit of a challenge in their spiritual walk. For these gullible user, why should they check the claim? “The article came from a site that has the word Christian in its title. Are you implying that a site that has the words Christian in the title would lie to me!”. Many will blindly believe any website that has the word “Christian” in its title. Those operating the site know it too. They can make up the most outrageous claims and run with it knowing that their audience are naïve enough to believe anything that they publish.

If Christians consuming WND are told that some random politician is out to destroy them, then they will blindly believe what WND declarers without question. If an article comes about claiming that California banned the Bible, many will blindly believe those headlines instantly and share it without considering whether the claim is actually true or not. Many Christians won't get the vaccine because they read that it's part of the New World Order or that it has microchip in. 

Again, instead of validating these claims, those reading the article will take it at face-value.  Several won't get the vaccine as they heard that it will kill them as part of a part of a population control scheme. If those reading the sensationalist claims are asked why they don't validate such claims, many will respond that they don't have time. If those reading the article had the time to read it, form an opinion about it, and share it on Facebook; then they had the 5 minutes fact-checking it. Ignorance cannot be claimed.

What does this have to do with inappropriate prayers? That unintended social satire from Facebook become prayers for many. Many will pray for a particular candidate to loose because they read that the candidate is an Satan worshippers who operate a secret underground lair populated by well-dress men nefariously plotting together to destroy you. 

Others will pray for some random Pope to not be nominated because he will implement the New World Order and set forward the end of days. Prayers that could be used to have that deep personal conversation with God are wasted because that person is stroking fears about secret lizard people. 

Praying for God to stop these outlandish, wild plots from being thwarted is the same equivalent as praying for Godzilla to spare Tokyo. Sure, one could thank God that the grand city was spared from that giant mutant lizard, but wouldn’t that prayer been much more appropriate or appreciated for something of actual importance, like spiritual guidance. Wouldn’t that prayer been much more worthwhile asking God for the strength to reach out to those in need, like those in disaster areas (caused by actual natural disaster, and not pretend ones caused by giant mutant lizards!). There is a such thing as a wasted prayer.

Articles of Interest
Four Reasons Why You Should Never Share That Post That Says "Share This If You Love Jesus"
https://journeymadison.com/four-reasons-why-you-should-never-share-that-post-that-says-share-this-if-you-love-jesus/?fbclid=IwAR0pMoGwn0DtfIl19xReWsLvzz5s1k7rU48F81aHJSXGPmZwFjq0cQK6c7Q

5 Reasons “Share If You Agree” Posts Drive Me Crazy :https://heatherannemaclean.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/228/?fbclid=IwAR0Th2l1fiieO7k2TBDtuOfGugPaqAQJK10-PnI-mb87j1kbRKaiX1xMf3M

Articles of Interest -  When Politics Enter The Picture
Patheos - Unbelievable : https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2019/03/19/unbelievable/
Patheos - Jim Bakker: If Donald Trump Doesn’t Win in 2020, Christians Will “Suddenly Die” https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/06/22/jim-bakker-if-donald-trump-doesnt-win-in-2020-christi...
RWW - Jim Bakker: Christian Leaders and Politicians Will Be Murdered if Trump is not Re-Elected https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-christian-leaders-and-politicians-will-be-murdered-if... 
Patheos :  Christian Persecution – Fact or Fiction - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/blackwhiteandgray/2013/06/christian-persecution-fact-or-fiction/
What is Christian dominionism? https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-dominionism.html
GotQuestions - What is Christian dominionism? : https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-dominionism.html

Wikipedia - Christian Nationalism : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_nationalism

Dominionism (RationalWiki) : https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dominionism

What is the seven mountain mandate, and is it biblical? https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-mountain-mandate.html
Politico - Billy Graham Built a Movement. Now His Son Is Dismantling It. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/24/billy-graham-evangelical-decline-franklin-graham-...
Snopes - Did Billy Graham Warn Against Mixing Religion and Politics? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/billy-graham-mixing-religion-politics/
NPR - Billy Graham Walked A Line, And Regretted Crossing Over It, When It Came To Politics : https://www.npr.org/2018/02/24/587809173/billy-graham-walked-a-line-and-regretted-crossing-over-it-w...

Articles of Interest -  God, Please Don't Let Bill Gates Block Out The Sun....
Patheos : 3 Reasons Evangelical Christians Fall for Conspiracy Theories - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jaysondbradley/2020/05/3-reasons-evangelical-christians-fall-for-conspiracy-theories/
Snopes : Did Melinda Gates Wear an Upside-Down Cross? -  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/melinda-gates-upside-down-cross/ 
Snopes : Are Bill Gates and the ID2020 Coalition Using COVID-19 To Build Global Surveillance State? -  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bill-gates-id2020/ 
Snopes : Did Celine Dion launched a Luciferian gender-neutral children's clothing line? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/celine-dion-childrens-clothing/ 
Snopes : Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/gates-block-sun/
Snopes :  Would a Proposed Law ‘Ban the Bible’ in California? - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-bible-ban/   
FactCheck.org :  California Bill Wouldn’t Ban the Bible - https://www.factcheck.org/2018/04/california-bill-wouldnt-ban-the-bible/ 

Wikipedia - Rodney Howard-Browne : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Howard-Browne
Snopes - Is Kansas City Ordering Churchgoers To Register with the Government? : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/kansas-city-churches/
PolitiFact - No, Democrats aren’t pushing microchips to fight coronavirus : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/23/facebook-posts/no-democrats-arent-pushing-microchi...
PolitiFact - No, the Gates Foundation isn’t pushing microchips with all medical procedures : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/20/facebook-posts/no-gates-foundation-isnt-pushing-mi...
PolitiFact - No, the US isn’t developing a vaccine or ‘antivirus’ with a chip to track people : https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/03/facebook-posts/no-us-isnt-developing-vaccine-or-an...

Pastor: I’m Holding Services Because I Have Machines That Shoot Down Viruses : https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/27/pastor-im-holding-services-because-i-have-machines-th... 

BBC : 'They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out' - https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-53174415 

BBC : Man who believed virus was hoax loses wife to Covid-19 - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53892856

BBC : 'Hundreds dead' because of Covid-19 misinformation - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53755067

BBC : Coronavirus: Pastor who decried 'hysteria' dies after attending Mardi Gras - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52157824

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