...be a Christian. Sinfulness, forgiveness, faith, grace are just a few topics involved in being a Christian. Specific things must happen for one to become a Christian. Scripture is clear about how to become a Christian, (“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NIV) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)). After doing so, however, what does a Christian look like in their day to day living? What things does a follower of Christ actively do and participate in that reflects who they are and who’s they are? Two things that are important for me to engage in and display as a Christian are prayer and worship. Part One (Prayer) The Bible does not specifically give a definition of prayer. We can only look at what it says about prayer and the references it makes to prayer in order to understand what it is. By doing so, we can conclude that prayer is simply talking to God, either audibly or inaudibly, and expressing our feelings and thoughts to Him. It is how we communicate with God. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We can pray on behalf of ourselves or for someone else. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of...
Words: 1543 - Pages: 7
...is one religion little known about, but widely practiced. It currently has about 376 million followers. It is the fourth largest practiced religion after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Their spiritual beliefs concerning healing are somewhat different to what others may sometimes believe. For example Buddhists believe that the body knows that it is supposed to heal itself. However if your “spirit” is not as it is supposed to be things will not go as they are supposed to. In other words a healthy mind ensures a healthy body. A critical component of healing is somewhat the same as a Christian. Whereas Christians pray, Buddhists meditate daily. They mediate often and not always for self improvement. They believe in accepting all sickness as a process of exchanging themselves for another person. They use prayer wheels (a wheel inscribed with prayers that are spun to symbolize the repition of prayer,) incense, among other things to help the healing process. Buddhists also believe in using herbal medicine in healing illnesses and staying healthy. Sikhism is a religion not heard of very often. It was founded by Guru Nanak. In this religion they believe in one formless divinity. This formless divinity manifests everywhere in the world he has created. They believe that religion is...
Words: 1208 - Pages: 5
...Karen Childress Grand Canyon University: HLT 302 1-19-2013 Professor Verree Laughlin Abstract Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions worldwide and the most contrasted amongst theologians. In the holistic approach to health care acceptance of spiritual beliefs without bias is mandated of all employees. Acceptance and respect of an individual’s belief system and the rituals required aids in the healing process. Healthcare providers need to address key components of any faith in an open and compassionate manner to promote comfort and healing in all individuals. Respect for how an individual believes, the way they choose to allow growth in their belief system and how an individual chooses to maintain their spirituality are important aspects of the holistic approach to health care delivery Until June 8, 2008 my exposure to any religion had been forced by my parents or used as a way to get out of difficult or unwanted circumstances. On June 8, 2008, I had the first true and lasting heart conversion in my life. The journey since this time has been up and down with many trials and unwanted circumstances and the knowing that the Lord is with me to walk me through. Faith and spirituality are different from religion in my mind and I believe that the Lord meant for them to be different. Religion, to me, is legalistic rituals with rules that tell you what you should and should not do to get to heaven without any power to carry them out. Faith and spirituality...
Words: 2250 - Pages: 9
...“Prayer cannot change things” Discuss. Prayer is a difficult subject to try to understand for many reasons. Firstly, it completely depends on what kind of person you are, your beliefs and the circumstances of the prayer. People pray in times of need and hope. People pray for themselves and others, to god, to ask for things, be it forgiveness, material matter, or for god to fix things. In Christianity, prayer is a huge part of worship. Christians believe that prayer forms a personal relationship with god. In times of need and trouble, people look to god and put their faith in god, to fix things. This is one of the examples which proves the point that prayer can just cause more harm than good; If people put all their hope in god to make things better, and then nothing changes yet perhaps things become even worse, these people may lose all faith in not only god and religion, but also life itself. Some truly devoted Christians believe that even when god doesn’t answer their prayers, there’s a perfectly good reason for it; for example if someone prays for a close family member or friend to recover from sickness, but they don’t, although they may be pretty angry at everything, especially god. However, they may believe that god decided it would make them a stronger person, and it was time for that person to go anyway. To a true believer, the theory of prayer can make a huge difference to life. The question of whether prayer can change things or not is a question of which there...
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
...Allowing prayer in school is a widely debated topic amongst American schools. This is because America is the land of the free, we are able to worship who and how we want. This is why a standard Christian prayer should not be allowed in school. If we choose to allow prayer and religion in schools, we would need to be fair to all religions not just Christianity. Not everyone is the same denomination and should not have to be. Prayer was taken out of schools to be fair to all religions. The very foundation of this country allows people to worship the way they would like to. The supporters of no prayer in school feel that prayer is unconstitutional, because it forces religion and beliefs upon their children. What the supporters of no prayer in school fail to realize is that prayer in school provided a guideline for children. A recent poll showed that 80% of Americans believe in some type of religion and 50% of Americans believe that there are too little religious influences in young Americans. When prayer was taken out of school, the number of teenage pregnancies went from 5,000 per year to 27,000 per year. And violence and drug use among children has skyrocketed. We live in a society where God is a bad word and people are embarrassed to publicly worship their religion. But yet, graphic novels and violent movies are placed in schools. Children are able to bring cell phones and MP3 players but not able to describe Jesus as their hero. Since the separation of church...
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...kind of religion is pantheism, referring to religions that worship nature. These religions see their god as existent beings. Many of the polytheistic belief systems include worship of people, animals, or idols. Many monotheistic belief systems see the single deity as a spirit that cannot be touched or seen. All these religions believe that the deity or deities can observe the worshipper and deliver rewards and punishment according to the believer’s behavior. Some examples of sacred times that can be found in religions are feasts or fasts and special days or times of worship. One example is that Christians usually meet on Sunday to worship together; another good example is that the Jews meet on the Sabbath. Both of these religions have a leader that guides them on their holy day. Moslems stop their daily duties and pray several times every day at predetermined times. Their prayer...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Here I am on Earth trying to determine if the people here are religious or not?? Here I am on Earth trying to determine if the people here are religious or not. Three things I am looking for are prayer to a higher entity, sacrifice, and public acknowledgment of their god in ways other than prayer. The clues I am now assessing include people attending their houses of worship, people wearing crosses around their necks as jewelry, and people with their heads bowed in prayer. These people with their heads bowed in prayer have so many variations in their actions. Some people are at their dinner table praying, some people kneel on the ground in a line with other people five times per day to pray, and some bow their heads and put their hands together, and use a string of beads to pray with. The earthlings seem to practice sacrifice openly and variably. They are not, perhaps, killing a goat, burning it, and attempting to give it to the deity, but instead, people are sacrificing personal actions. The man who used to steal does not steal anymore, hoping this sacrifice will please his god. So it is with the woman who used foul words heavily in speech. She now, however, is trying to give up (sacrifice) her obscene language because she feels like she cannot reap the benefits of being a servant of her god if her language is not pure. She does not want to grieve her higher being, so she sacrificed her abhorrent language. Sacrifice occurs in Buddhism when practicing Sutra and one...
Words: 861 - Pages: 4
...PRAYER AND THE 1 Prayer and the School Setting PHI 200 Instructor Lisa Linkin May 11, 2012 Prayer and the School Setting Many students throughout the world carry on their daily tasks of going to school. They come home or to their dorms from the excessive day of learning and they may say a prayer or they may not. For the ones that do say a prayer, they may feel as if the prayer would have been better said during school at the time of a “stressful situation or test”. This was not the case because prayer is being banned from school. This topic has been a very hot one from the time of the first person speaking out against having prayer in the school setting even until now showing no signs of letting up. Why is it so bothersome? It stands to reason that the reason prayer in the school setting is such a rampant subject is because those on both sides of the situation have very strong and valid arguments. Every time there seems to be a sound solution, there is something else that challenges the peace the solution seemingly creates. When it comes to the issue of prayer being appropriate for the school setting there are those that say that it is not appropriate, those that agree that it is, and those willing to look for solutions to pacify both sides. To even come close to beginning to identify whether prayer is appropriate for school or not one must understand exactly what both these...
Words: 2943 - Pages: 12
...reflection weave their way through the descriptions of spiritual disciplines and this is also true, to some extent, in The Celebration of Discipline and The Spirit of the Disciplines. The apparent differences in style and emphasis appear to stem from each author’s religious orientation (i.e., Westerhoff functions as a priest in the Episcopalian Church and is oriented to Roman Catholic mysticism, Foster is a Quaker grounded in the mysticism and intuitive approach of the Friends and Willard is an evangelical Baptist who embraces the spiritual formation movement). They all seem draw heavily from extra-biblical sources and not upon exegesis for their contentions. In Celebration of Discipline Foster lists twelve spiritual disciplines: meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance and celebration. Ultimately, however, he writes that his list is not comprehensive and can be supplemented with others of one’s choosing...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
...Polish Funerals Christianity in Poland has changed a lot in the last 100 years, in this paper I address the history in polish funerary traditions and what my family and family friends experienced when they had the unfortunately to experience a death. Back in the day, superstitions and spiritual customs were very important when dealing with the death of a loved one. The soul and spirit of the deceased were still are key elements in society’s culture. According to Martha Stortz in the article Grief and the Christian Funeral, says during a sermon “grieving works in both personal and social settings”. It is not just the family of the deceased that grieves but also the community comes together to help with the funeral. In the article Burial Rituals and Cultural Changes in the Polish Community by Igor Piekiewicz, states that death and bereavement rituals are separate though primarily focus on the deceased and the bereaved. Rituals are performed to purify the spirit and aid its transition process from the realm of the living toward the realm of the dead. Before the funeral, there is a censing of the body with blessed herbs and sprinkle it with holy water. This aims to pacify and protect the community from devilish spirits. Considering common beliefs about life, the nature of the world, and spirituality among the given religious culture. Igor Piekiewicz indicates that being strong in a community is important for the bereaved for consolation. Another tradition performed in the household...
Words: 1486 - Pages: 6
...Christian Clients’ Preferences Regarding Prayer As A Counseling Intervention Angela Whitworth Liberty University Summary Spirituality is becoming an important consideration in counseling for the client and for the mental health practitioners. Spiritual interventions, such as prayer, are being used more in the counseling sessions. With 80% of the United States population believing in God and the power of prayer, it is not surprising that many clients want religion and/or spirituality included in their counseling sessions. Some practitioners believe that it is appropriate to pray with their clients, but most providers believe that it is inappropriate. Currently, research is lacking in client expectations with regards to prayer being included in counseling. This study particularly surveyed Christian clients and their therapists. The therapists were chosen because they advertised themselves as Christian counselors. Two instruments were created, Prayer Survey and the Brief Therapist Prayer Survey. The Prayer Survey was for the client to complete to assist in determining their preference in regards to prayer to in counseling. The Brief Therapist Survey was used to find out about beliefs and prayer practices of the therapists. The therapist survey was also used to help determine if therapist factors are related to their client expectations. The study found that eighty-two percent of clients wished to have audible prayer in their counseling sessions. Those that were less likely...
Words: 1286 - Pages: 6
...codependence problems, to help couples recover from sexual affairs, in child therapy using Narrative therapy and cognitive therapy using Scripture memory and meditation. In the book of Timothy, Paul says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. In the book of Philippians 4:8 say “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praise worthy think about such things.” What are some cautions or possible negative impacts regarding the use of prayer in counseling? Prayer is the weapon of Christians, is the divine resource to reach the unreachable, but in counseling we must be careful when praying during sessions with the clients. According to the lecture in this week counselor have to be caution so that we do not violate the empowerment of the client’s ability to self-direct, or so that...
Words: 432 - Pages: 2
...religion, even those who claim that tey are not interested in religion, worship something whether it be their car, house, an idol or a God. People worship to satisfy a human need just like eating and drinking Revivalism began in Jamaica between 1860 and 1861 as part for a religious movement called the great revival. This period saw the restoration of suppressed and discriminated against religious practices during slavery Information taken from: http: http://www.anngel.com/ACIJ/history-revivalism.htm Christian churches however were never fond of the Revivalist Manifestations of the Spirit, where a person in the service would be possessed by these spirits. Therefore participators would only be limited to singing hymns and reading scriptures from prayers, this is where most people in the Revivalist community would not have the satisfaction of worshipping. From this, Christian groups have been divided into two groups: • Temporal • Spiritual Christian “Spiritual” groups are those who accept the doctrine and the spiritual Possession of spirits while the of the Temporal” are those who do not accept such activities. Revivalist Bands Revival bands are an essential part to worship in Revivalism. Pocomania and Zion Revivalist Bands consist mainly of Female members. These women (Mothers) may even become Leaders of the Revivalists bands. Many revivalists in Jamaica are not employed and if employed they usually work within the field of Agricultural Farming, house holding...
Words: 1091 - Pages: 5
...School Prayer The issue of school prayer has invoked great controversy in our society. Some people feel that school prayer should be brought back into schools and practiced as part of the education process. The Supreme Court has continually denied allowing prayer to seep into the public school systems. Through years of controversy, many states started to adopt the “moment of silence” which was an attempt to bring back prayer in our schools. However, the school officials cannot suggest or have the kids pray, even though its true aim is clear, to encourage students to pray. Because of the “moment of silence,” there has finally been a neutral act to encourage prayer. There is a one sided claim that a mandated moment of silence in public classrooms amounts to an unconstitutional attempt to establish religion. The “moment of silence” is Constitutional, and a great way to encourage prayer for our students. Rufus Goodwin stated, “Praying, like poetry, is an activity that activates the human being.” In other words, prayer is a personal experience and intimate connection with our Father. People pray for several reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others. Prayers can consist of requesting guidance and assistance, confessing sins, or to express one’s thoughts and emotions (Goodwin R.). Why wouldn’t this intimate act with our Creator be an important part of the student’s day? Moments of silence often last one minute, but other amounts of time may be chosen. Sometimes...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
... USE OF PRAYER AND SCRIPTURE IN COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY Summary This is an article review of Use of Prayer and Scripture in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, 2007. Within his academic journal, Tan explains the moral and suitable use of prayer and Scripture, interior mechanism of CBT in religious when hiring a CBT based Christian. It seems that, the usefulness of his move toward spans 25 living years of his performance, as fit as, its submission in a diversity of settings counting in Bible school psychotherapy, rural care, hospice surroundings and extra contexts of counsel. Tan states eight key gears of a principled and suitable Christian-based CBT focusing on prayers and Scriptures. These comprise the astonished love in customer counselor app-relationship, the well thought-out healing of reminiscences, use of investigate methodologies to create ultimate conclusion regarding CBT superiority and use of bible-corresponding way. This also goes for bearing in mind Scriptures revelations in the meaning of experiential, spiritual and religious aspects of faith and life, assessing how behavior and thought influence the underlying problem using biblical truth and develops scripture-based interventions. In addition, the author highlights that focus should also be on larger contextual factors, such as cultural influences, and use of relevant community resource such as churches in therapeutic interventions. Tan goes ahead to talk about two models of integrating Christian-based CBT...
Words: 1316 - Pages: 6
