QUOTE
truth-finder Oct 7 2010, 09:12 PM
How do you feel if you miss one of your 5 daily prayers? Are you still joyful, or afraid and guilty? I am not saying that prayer is a bad thing. In fact prayer is one of the things I enjoy most in my loving relationship with God. I have learned a lot of mystery of the Kingdom of God during my prayer. Prayer is one of the times when my heavenly joy, thanks and freedom overflow in my heart. Sometimes I just skip it if I do not feel like it or I do not have time. No problem. Do you think I feel guilty for skipping it from time to time? Not at all! The infinitely gracious God is not angry or offended by the missing of prayer of His tiny creature. We were born to be loved by God as the focus of His love, not an object of punishment.
Now let us look at Muslims. Their leaders obligated prayer so that they "must" pray only at certain times a day, and only to certain direction, and only in certain ways. It becomes a mandatory requirement to avoid the punishment of hell fire from their God. Here is a fundamental difference between Muslims and Christians regarding prayer. To Muslims prayer is their duty. If they miss it, they are guilty and afraid of the punishment. But to us it is our joy, not duty. If we miss it, there is no problem. We are still joyful because of God’s everlasting love for us that was shown most explicitly through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ on the cross. Instead of being picky and impatient, our God is very gracious and patient that He is not angry or offended by missing of our prayer from time to time. Even if we forget our prayer for the whole month, our God is still not angry or offended, but instead grieved and starts to miss us. Of course we start to miss Him too. Now do you see the difference between Muslims and Christians regarding prayer life?
How do you feel if you miss one of your 5 daily prayers? Are you still joyful, or afraid and guilty? I am not saying that prayer is a bad thing. In fact prayer is one of the things I enjoy most in my loving relationship with God. I have learned a lot of mystery of the Kingdom of God during my prayer. Prayer is one of the times when my heavenly joy, thanks and freedom overflow in my heart. Sometimes I just skip it if I do not feel like it or I do not have time. No problem. Do you think I feel guilty for skipping it from time to time? Not at all! The infinitely gracious God is not angry or offended by the missing of prayer of His tiny creature. We were born to be loved by God as the focus of His love, not an object of punishment.
Now let us look at Muslims. Their leaders obligated prayer so that they "must" pray only at certain times a day, and only to certain direction, and only in certain ways. It becomes a mandatory requirement to avoid the punishment of hell fire from their God. Here is a fundamental difference between Muslims and Christians regarding prayer. To Muslims prayer is their duty. If they miss it, they are guilty and afraid of the punishment. But to us it is our joy, not duty. If we miss it, there is no problem. We are still joyful because of God’s everlasting love for us that was shown most explicitly through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ on the cross. Instead of being picky and impatient, our God is very gracious and patient that He is not angry or offended by missing of our prayer from time to time. Even if we forget our prayer for the whole month, our God is still not angry or offended, but instead grieved and starts to miss us. Of course we start to miss Him too. Now do you see the difference between Muslims and Christians regarding prayer life?
I'm on the fence in this, so sway my vote. Debate it out and prove your points. Have at it .. Always remember the rules