Prayer

An investigation on prayer in Ancient Egypt cannot take as a basic reference the analysis of Marcel Mauss who did appreciate the practice of prayer only from what can be observed in rituality and written traces. The oral practice of prayer, since it is not based on writing and becomes a personal commitment, would therefore completely escape analysis when it is about an ancient culture whose believers have disappeared. The study of certain Egyptian texts permits nevertheless a classification of the various types of prayers in connexion with their ritual context and gives, sometime, the possibility of tracing oral practices, even the most discrete ones.

În învăţătura sa despre rugăciune, Mitropolitul Antonie pune accent deosebit pe tăcere. Nu doar inima şi mintea noastră, ci şi trupul trebuie antrenat într-o tăcere trezvitoare, prin care suntem deschişi faţă de Dumnezeu, dispuşi să primim orice ne va da El, şi deschişi faţă de aproapele nostru. Rugăciunea este departe de a fi un şuvoi de cuvinte rostite de noi către Dumnezeu fără oprire; mulţimea cuvintelor poate reprezenta o piedică în calea rugăciunii autentice.
Relaţia noastră cu Dumnezeu în rugăciune este fundamentală pentru viaţa creştină, iar rugăciunea este o artă ce poate fi însuşită prin lucrare după rânduială. Trebuie să învăţăm să ne rugăm, iar sfaturile Mitropolitului Antonie sunt practice şi amănunţite.

„Pentru a putea să te rogi trebuie să te afli în acea stare ce ar putea fi definită prin sintagma Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu. Trebui să recunoaştem că El este Dumnezeu, că El este Împăratul; trebuie să ne predăm Lui. Să fim cel puţini preocupaţi de voinţa Sa, chiar dacă încă nu suntem capabili să o împlinim.
Dar dacă nu facem astfel? Dacă ne raportăm la Dumnezeu precum acel tânăr bogat care nu L-a urmat pe Hristos fiindcă era prea bogat, atunci cum putem să-L întâlnim? Atât de adesea, ceea ce dorim să avem prin rugăciune, printr-o relaţie profundă cu Dumnezeu după care tânjim este pur şi simplu o altă perioadă de fericire; nu suntem pregătiţi să vindem ceea ce avem pentru a cumpăra mărgăritarul de mare preţ.
Cum atunci să dobândim acest mărgăritar de mare preţ?
Pe acesta nădăjduim să-l obţinem?
Nu este la fel precum în relaţiile dintre oameni: când un bărbat sau o femeie simte iubire pentru altcineva, pentru ei nu mai contează la fel alţi oameni. Ca să folosim o scurtă zicală din vechime: „Când bărbatul îşi găseşte o mireasă, el nu mai este înconjurat de bărbaţi şi femei, ci de oameni”. Nu este aceasta ceea ce s-ar putea întâmpla, ceea ce ar trebui să se întâmple cu toate bogăţiile noastre atunci când ne întoarcem către Dumnezeu?”
Mitropolitul Antonie de Suroj

Rita D. Sherma (Routledge London, Copyright): This volume marks the first wide-ranging and multi-vocal academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both (a) the variegation in types of contemplative practices within the Hindu traditions and (b) the use of Hindu internal hermeneutical perspectives for expanding the concept of contemplation beyond definitions that-though incrementally enriched by content from Buddhism-are still normatively constrained by Christian understandings of the concept. Part of the reason that the field remains fairly unrepresentative of the breadth of religious lives across cultures lies in the dearth of academic works, from scholars of diverse religions, on the subject of contemplative studies. Contemplative Studies, as a discipline, 1 can be approached via several avenues: (a) a rigorous focus on religious practices of contemplation, their history, and function within the context of one or more spiritual traditions; (b) the secular and interdisciplinary field of the study and pedagogical application of contem-plative practice and experience which may include methods extracted from religions or developed in engagement with other areas of inquiry; (c) neuroscientific approaches that analyze the effects of contemplation, and (d) its study and therapeutic applications in the health sciences. Finally, there are programs, which call for a transdisciplinary research methodology, 2

A rereading of the story “گربهٔ زاهد” ("Gorbeye Zahed", English: The Ascetic Cat) from “کلیله و دمنه” (Kalīleh o Demneh) chapter “باب البوم و الغراب” (Owl and Crow) written and translated by “نصرالله منشی” (Nasr Allah Munshi) into middle Persian from Indian collection of animal proverbs Panchatantra in the 12th century.

Pier Paolo Pasolini ha scritto un libro con questo titolo "Odore dell'India". Già… Ma che odore è? Chi l'ha conosciuto non lo scorda più. E' un misto d'incenso, smog, fiori, aria calda, di cocco, di polvere che entra dalle narici e investe l'anima. Lo ricordano per sempre il cervello e il cuore. E' la prima sensazione che s'avverte la mattina, spalancate le finestre del proprio appartamento nell'ashram di Sathya Sai Baba a Puttaparthi; un villaggio dell'Andra Pradesh nel sud dell'India.

This article traces the narrative source of Avinu Malkenu (Our Father, Our King) through two stories in the Babylonian Talmud, and one in the Jerusalem Talmud. By examining these stories, we can gain clarity on the purpose of this prayer and it relationship to the leader.

The Collects of Veit Dietrich, based on the Historic Lectionary, compared with the original source, 'Summaria Christlicher Lehr' 1548 with newly translated collects that were not in 'The Lutheran Hymnary' or in 'Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary.'

The prayer book of Mary of Guelders dates, according to the colophon, from 1415 and has been written by Helmich die Lewe by order of Marie d"Harcourt, duchess of Guelders. It's an extremely big and ambitious prayer book that reflects the ideas of the patroness. This paper argues that Mary not only ordered the book, but that she played a significant role in the design of the book and it's religious programme.

Chanting is a form of rhythmic, repetitive vocalization practiced in a wide range of cultures. It is used in spiritual practice to strengthen community, heal illness, and overcome psychological and emotional difficulties. In many traditions, chanting is used to induce mystical states, an altered state of consciousness characterised by a profound sense of peace. Despite the global prevalence of chanting, its psychological effects are poorly understood. This investigation examined the psychological and contextual factors associated with mystical states during chanting. Data were analyzed from 464 participants across 33 countries who regularly engaged in chanting. Results showed that 60% of participants experienced mystical states during chanting. Absorption, altruism, and religiosity were higher among people who reported mystical states while chanting compared to those who did not report mystical states. There was no difference in mystical experience scores between vocal, silent, grou...

לרכישת הספר באתר המכללה:
http://herzogpress.herzog.ac.il/book_page.asp?id=257

בעומדו על מכונו, תפס המקדש מקום משמעותי בקשר שבין עם ישראל לבין אלוהיו. עם החורבן, סבר העם שהוא נידון להיות מרוחק ומסולק מעם ה', וכי ניתק קשר הברית בינו לבין אלוהים. עניין זה מתבטא גם במגילת איכה שלאורך הדורות קראו אותה רבים בעיקר כדי לקונן על החורבן של המקדש הראשון, וברבות הדורות גם על חורבנו של הבית השני, ועל הגלות הארוכה הקשה שבאה בעקבותיו.
בספר איכה: מייאוש לתפילה טוען חוקר המקרא פרופ' אלי עסיס שמגילת איכה אינה רק קינה ונֶהִי על החורבן אלא היא נועדה גם ובעיקר לתת תקווה לעם בחשכת הגלות, ולהעביר את המקונן מייאוש לתפילה, ולאימוץ התפיסה שמצב החורבן הוא זמני משום שה' לא ניתק את קשר הברית עִם עמו. המגילה מבטאת את הרעיון שגם אם בניית המקדש נדחתה בינתיים, רצונו של העם להרגיש רצוי על ידי ה' אפשרי, וכי הברית עִימו לעולם קיימת. "הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ ה' אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה, חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם".
העם המקונן את המגילה אמנם מבטא בכך את כאבו ואת צערו, אבל תוך כדי קריאת המגילה הוא מפנים את התפיסה שה' לא זנח את עמו, ובאמצעות קריאתהּ הוא מקווה לחידוש הקשר בינו לבין אלוהיו. הדרך המתוחכמת שבה עובר הקורא מייאוש לתקווה מודגמת בניתוח של מגילת איכה שלפניכם.

פרופ' אלי עסיס חיבר ספרים על יהושע, שופטים, שיר השירים ויואל, ובהוצאה זו פרסם את הספר מאבק על זהות. הוא גם פרסם מאמרים רבים בתחום הסיפורת המקראית, השירה והנבואה. פרופ' עסיס שימש כראש המחלקה לתנ"ך, וכדיקן הפקולטה למדעי היהדות באוניברסיטת בר אילן.

Sir George Williams had a profound impact on the youth and business people of the 19th century.  Out of this renewal movement was birthed the YMCA movement which has reached around the globe.  This article explores the faith and values that shaped this world-changer.

The prayer of a Christian is the subject of his daily care in the process of spiritual development. We can say that without it and its dynamic development it is not possible for the spiritual progress of the Christian and the Church in which he or she lives. It is also a very extensive subject of research and scientific work in the field of theology and especially the theology of spirituality. Hence, it must be treated in a multi-faceted and multi-directional way. Among all the different categories of prayer, community prayer and common prayer are very important. This distinction is necessary because it reveals to us the truth that every prayer has a communal character, but it is not always common. However, prayer celebrated together is the source of Christian life and the Church, and it is the clearest and most readable testimony of faith.

Past research has demonstrated the self-regulatory function of prayer in response to personal problems. In the present research, we examined whether the direction of prayer (inward, outward, or upward) impacts the effect of prayer on emotional acceptance and cognitive understanding of a personal problem when compared with an equivalent time of thought. Graduate students at a nondenominational Christian university were recruited to participate in an online study about dealing with personal problems. Participants were randomly assigned 1 of 4 conditions: thought, inward prayer, outward prayer, or upward prayer. We found that whereas participants who directed their prayers inward and outward felt more resolved, at peace, and content than those in the thought condition, participants' emotional acceptance did not differ between the upward prayer and thought conditions. Cognitive understanding of the problem was significantly greater for those in the inward and outward prayer conditions. The importance of experienced social interaction for emotionally and cognitively processing negative personal experiences is discussed.

In the Epistle of James, prayer is a central and important theological theme; it is one crucial element that contributes to James’s holistic vision of the Christian life. James’s instructional tone offers readers insight into the necessity and power of prayer for faithful followers of Jesus. This essay seeks to draw out what may rightly be called a Jacobean theology of prayer. It explores the concept of prayer as an "antidote" to the double-mindedness with which James is concern, how prayer fits into James' specific teach about individual and corporate Christian living, and how, in James' view, prayer "activates" the human relationship with God. Specific attention is given to the treatise on prayer in Jas 5:13–18.

Desperation, bitterness, and fear not only bring people to doubt themselves but also God. Psalm 13 can help enter into a conversation with God and overcome the hopelessness. This article demonstrates how the path that Ps 13 follows can also be significant for the modern reader. It leads us through a process of prayer in which we move from complaint through petition into a new trust and God as well as (anticipatory) praise. The article also responds to (Christian) objections to the legitimacy of complaint, emphasizing the importance of this form of speech with God.

Vision: Young People who remain in Jesus in fervent prayer.

Mission: Prayer Ministry exists to provide a source of inspiration for young people that will lead them to have a sincere prayer life and a closer relationship with Jesus.

This mission can also be expressed in this acronym: PRAY, which stands for:
• P-Provide a source of inspiration for young people
• R-Restore a personal active daily prayer life
• A-Assist the Adventist Youth Ministries and other Ministries of the church in praying fervently
• Y-Yield to God’s will

Mark the Ascetic is opposed to the Messalians. According to them, Satan inhabits the human heart from the fall and must be removed through constant prayer and expelled by receiving the Holy Spirit. For Mark the Ascetic it is the Holy Spirit who lives in the human heart from his baptism. The believer must be vigilant because Satan wants to come from outside to take the place of the Spirit. The continuous prayer is therefore not a way of getting closer to God. It is a weapon in a spiritual battle trying to distance us from God. It is even more than a weapon: it is love, because God and man are from the baptism in a love relationship which is expressed by prayer. Mark the Ascetic confronts the Messalians, who use the continuous prayer as a way of achieving salvation, a way which should result in the coming of the Holy Spirit. In this way, the Messalians “instrumentalise” prayer. The studies on Mark’s works, especially on his vocabulary to describe prayer, show his clearly defined position, which is completely different from the approach of the Messalians. Prayer for Mark the Ascetic is neither means, nor instrument. It is a sign of love, an exchange of intimate love with God. By reaching for wedding terminology, Mark clearly shifts the accenton love with God. Prayer becomes a place of love that is experienced in the heart of the faithful.

Make the Words Your Own is a book about learning how to pray the Psalms. Up until the 20th century, the psalms were where Christians went to learn how to pray - to develop our most mature language as we respond faithfully to God.

Make the Words Your Own recovers the earliest surviving Christian guide for praying the Psalms – by pastor and saint, Athanasius. Athanasius is perhaps the most important theologian of the 4th century, and so his wise counsel on praying the psalms is all the more valuable. This book invites you to engage the Psalms just as you are - with the hope of becoming all you were meant to be in Christ.

“So to learn to pray the Psalms is a discipline that can free us from the narcissism that grips our lives, particularly in our day…. I think there are few mornings I do not hear something in the Psalms that surprises me, challenges me, and/or frightens me. Reading Athanasius’s Letter occasioned the same set of responses. That, I take it, is the way it should be.”
—From the foreword by Stanley Hauerwas

The topic of study of this work is the investigation of exorcism in its etymology, biblical
view, throughout the history of the church, in its most diferente aspects and
characteristics, as well as its perception in the presente. The question to be answeered is
what factors led exorcism to cease of being a chuch practice. It is known that the practice
of exorcism was common in biblical times, in the early church and in the middle ages,
what happened from the enlightenment onwards? Also investigated is the need to
maintain the practice of exorcism today as part of pastoral care and not simply be
dismissed as antiquity. The methodology used in this article is the qualitative one. The
technical investigation procedure used was bibliographic research. The reserach aims at
a general introduction to the subject of exorcism, addressing the theme from various
angles, etymological, biblical, historical and bringing its general characteristics to the
present.

Oxford.  Cambridge.  Harvard.  Princeton.  Yale…  These schools are recognized as some of the most respected universities in the English-speaking world.  George Whitefield, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, D.L. Moody…  These men stand out as some of the most influential Christians in the last 300 years.  What do these two short lists have in common with each other?  These are places and people greatly used in extraordinary movements of the Holy Spirit in recent centuries, and specifically related to collegiate campuses.

The Shema prayer came to gain importance in the Second Temple Period, even though none of the biblical passages give any indication of its theologically central or liturgical importance. The centrality may have arisen as a result of early rabbinic construal of the obligation to “recite (these words)… when you lie down and when you get up.” Nevertheless, it has come to maintain primacy in the individual and collective life of the Jews as a sense of affirmation of their faith. Although modern scholars regard the Shema as an assertion of monotheism, it initially served as the expression of Israelites’ loyalty solely to YHWH. Through its recitation, the worshipper thus reaffirms twice daily the ratification of the Covenant that, in the narrative of Deuteronomy, transpired on the plains of Moab.

It is simple for anyone to write a short topic on prayer. I have heard ministers preached about the essence of prayer, a professor lectured on the theological meaning of prayer, and a homegroup leader taught how to pray using the A.C.T.S. model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). Yet, Michael Reeves has written something peculiar to most of us. Praying, for Reeves, is something one ought to enjoy and cherish. Indeed, this short book is all about enjoying one’s prayer life because God delights in hearing the voice of His children.

This is a translation of a portion of the seatat (hours), prayed in the Ge'ez Rite, known as meharene ab (have mercy on us, father). I try to be as faithful to the Ge'ez, at every step, nook, and cranny, whilst still making sense for the contemporary hearer and paying homage to pretty English of the past. Enjoy.