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Reading Your Prayer

Reading Your Prayer

What are your thoughts about Reading Your Prayer? Strange question? Consider the following:

You are asked to give a prayer at a funeral or function attended by many politically correct thinkers. You do not want to mess up by saying something that will be published negatively in the papers and on television, so you decided to writ the Prayer before hand and then read it.

What are your thoughts?

Prayer Reading

I was so excited to read this post as when things like this happen I know it is because the Lord is mindful of me--it encourages me to continue pondering things even when it may seem simple or unimportant.

I have been trying to think of ways to teach my kids to pray with meaning, not just the basic prayer that they repeat over and over.

One of the ideas I thought about was writing down their prayers and showing them what others are hearing. I was thinking that if they read what they were saying--#1, they might be more aware of the phrases that they use such as, "Bless us to have a good day," and generic things such as that.

Number 2, by looking at the words we choose to say and discuss other forms of the words it can broaden their minds and 3, we can discuss other areas that are forgotten when saying rote prayers.

The interesting thing I have find in raising my kids, is when I THINK the Lord is giving me inspiration to better their lives, and it usually does, but first off I realize that I PERSONALLY need those same things in MY OWN LIFE! So thinking about that I realized that we all can be better at the language of prayer.

I truthfully hope I never have to say a prayer that would be "published", WOW that is a scary thought! On the other hand, we are told that our words are recorded in Heaven and we will be judged on them. I do not want my "published" prayers to be vain and repetitious. Speaking as if to a stranger or "reporting" because we are supposed to rather than because we want to.

One idea I have thought about to accomplish this may be a "Prayer Journal"--where I can record the things on my mind and heart. Not only can I go back and read it and expound on paper BUT it will be on my mind and therefore hopefully become less rigid and be more like a conversation with my Father.

If it were public, I wonder how hard that must be. Even in General Conference when I hear people pray I wonder if they are reading it or at least had practiced it before. But in the WORLD setting, where there are so many opinions and politically correct ways to say things--I think for myself I would have to PRAY about what to say in the prayer! I think I would definitely write it down and memorize it. If I lived in an ideal world, I would like to think I could just get up and let the Spirit tell me what to say. I am not in a place of that kind of faith yet. It is my goal to become that way continually in my personal prayers though.

Reading Your Prayer Studies Doctrine Mormon

It would not be inappropriate to write down the prayer before hand. As long as the Holy spirit guide your words as you are writing them, it can be as good as a prayer spoken at the moment.

From LDS.org

As to politically correct prayers, I would only write down those concepts that each audience is able to understand.
Consider in a lds prayer we might say "We are thankful for the covenants we have made with thee in the temple and at baptism, and we pray that we may keep them".

For a congregation of mixed faiths we may say "We thank thee for thy promises, and we pray that they may all be fulfilled."

I still think, regardless of the Audience, that it is important to teach some doctrine that can edify all involved.

Prayer Reading

I think in that scenario, of praying in a public arena attended by inter-faith guests, that it would be entirely appropriate to write down what would be "politically correct" in that situation. I also feel that following inspiration at the time of the prayer would also be appropriate; in other words, not JUST sticking to the written script, but following the Spirit.

Rather off topic, but... Personally, I've been pondering whether it would be appropriate to have a written list of the folks I need to pray for to sort of shorten my prayers a little bit - sort of like the prayer roll at the temple. Recently, it seems I really have a lot of people - friends, family, ward members, etc. - who I want very much to keep in my prayers. My memory seems a little shaky these days, and I don't want to forget anyone. Would it be appropriate to ask for blessings for each person on the list, and then move on to further topics in my prayers?

Prayer Reading

Just ask the reverse question. Does anywhere say you should not read your prayer?