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Phil 201

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Reflection Paper 2

[Introduction: Prayer and Hope in the modern world.]

Christians strive and struggle to remain strong in their faith while navigating today’s secular world. Faced with a constant bombardment of negative messages, portrayals, and media by popular culture Christians have to deal with outside influences as well as their own personal struggles. Prayer and Hope are two of the most powerful tools God has given Christians to renew their faith and receive Gods blessings. Prayer is the very act of a Christian reaching out to God for wisdom, help, renewal, forgiveness, and blessings. God requires prayer (1 Timothy 2:8 ESV), God rewards prayer (Luke 11:9 ESV), and God guides us in prayer (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV). The hope God provides is in the reward of everlasting life in heaven. (Core Christianity by Elmer Towns) God wants Christians to be hopeful and at peace with the future. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV) Prayer and Hope can change the very way a Christian presents themselves in public and allow themselves the ability to stand firm in their faith knowing Gods promise.
[Part One: Prayer] a. Theological Definition
As stated in the introduction Prayer is the very act of a Christian reaching out to God for wisdom, help, renewal, forgiveness, and blessings. It is through prayer that Christians build their relationship with God to seek His presence and guidance in their lives. Prayer is considered to be the intimate relationship between God and the individual. Beyond just asking for something from God, prayer is a conversation with God, and in that respect a way to relate to God. (Core Christianity by Elmer Towns) That direct relationship with God should translate into the way in which Christians interact with their families, church, and the outside world. Knowing that God has a relationship with each one of us, and He is always with us, should also be enough

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