304 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
304 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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PRAYER
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Prayer lies at the core of worship in most religions. We have already
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given some representative prayers in the Invocation, pp. 53-56, which
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opens this anthology. The passages here discuss the efficacy of prayer
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and give guidance on how to pray. There are general exhortations to
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prayer, with the promises that God indeed hears and heeds prayers and that
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prayer restrains one from evil. Other texts give instruction on how to
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pray. Prayer should be done constantly, sometimes with vigils far into
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the night. Prayer should be honest; it is quiet and sincere conversation
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in one's own words and from the heart. Prayer should be accompanied by
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deeds; the prayer of the hypocrite is without effect. Among the best
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prayers are those for the welfare of others ahead of oneself.
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Your Lord says, "Call on Me; I will answer your prayer."
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Islam. Qur'an 40.60
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The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
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to all who call upon him in truth.
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Judaism and Christianity. Psalm 145.18
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When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed Close to them. I
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listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me.
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Islam. Qur'an 2.186
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Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.
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Judaism and Christianity. Psalm 55.22
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If the poorest of mankind come here once for worship, I will surely grant
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their heart's desire.
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Shinto. Oracle of Itsukushima in Aki
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Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of
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God is the greatest thing in life, without doubt.
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Islam. Qur'an 29.45
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Beings possessed by carnal passions, anger, or infatuation have but to
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revere and remember the Bodhisattva Kuan Shih Yin and they will be set
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free from their passions.
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Buddhism. Lotus Sutra 25
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- - - - - - - -
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Psalm 145.18: Cf. Psalm 57.15, p. 114. Qur'an 2.186: God is the one who
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is 'Close' to man. Close is one of the ninety-nine Beautiful Names God
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given in the Qur'an. Cf. Qur'an 50.16, p. 114. Qur'an 29.45: Cf. Qur'an
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70.19-22, p.384; Berakot 5a, p. 926. Lotus Sutra 25: On the merits of
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worshipping the Bodhisattva Kuan Yin (Skt. Avalokitesvara), see Lotus
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Sutra 25, pp. 566f., and Gandavyuha Sutra 39, p. 369n.
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- - - - - - - -
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Establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches
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of the night: for those things that are good remove those that are evil.
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This is a word of remembrance to those who remember.
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Islam. Qur'an 11.114
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O Shariputra, having perceived this cause and effect, I with reverence say
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thus, "Every son and every daughter of a family ought with their whole
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mind to make fervent prayer for [rebirth in] the Pure Land of Buddha
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Amitayus."
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Buddhism. Smaller Sukhavativyuha Sutra 10
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Lord of creation! no one other than thee
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pervades all these that have come into being.
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May that be ours for which our prayers rise,
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may we be masters of many treasures!
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Hinduism. Rig Veda 10.121.10
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Wang-sun Chia asked about the saying,
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Better pay court to the stove
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Than pay court to the shrine.
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Confucius said, "It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong
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with Heaven has no means of expiation left."
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Confucianism. Analects 3.13
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You must always pray unto the Father in my name; and whatsoever you shall
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ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing you shall receive,
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behold it shall be given unto you. Pray in your families unto the Father,
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always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.
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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 18.19-21
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O believers, when you stand up to pray wash your faces, and your hands up
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to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet up to the ankles. If
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you are defiled, purify yourselves; but if you are sick or on a journey,
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or if any of you comes from the privy, or have touched women, and you can
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find no water, then have recourse to wholesome dust and wipe your faces
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and hands with it. God does not desire to make any impediment for you;
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but He desires to purify you, and that He may complete His blessing upon
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you; haply you will be thankful.
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Islam. Qur'an 5.6
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Qur'an 11.114: For more on the Salat, or five obligatory prayers, see the
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Hadith of Muslim, p. 835n. Cf. Qur'an 26.218-20, p. 752; 40.55, p. 743;
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70.19-22, p. 385. 3 Nephi 18.19-21: Cf. John 14.13-14, p. 835, Matthew 7.7-11,
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p. 686.
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- - - - - - -
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Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him
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sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
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church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
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the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord
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will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
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Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that
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you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its
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effects. Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed
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fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it
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did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and heaven gave rain, and
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the earth brought forth its fruit.
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Christianity. James 5.13-18
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Pray constantly.
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Christianity. 1 Thessalonians 5.17
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Rabbi Johanan said, "Would that man could pray all day, for a prayer never
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loses its value."
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Judaism. Jerusalem Talmud, Berakot 1.1
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The fire of hell has been forbidden to these two eyes: the eye that
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remained sleepless through watching in the ways of God, and the eye that
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wept with spirit trembling at the fear of God.
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Islam. Hadith of Darimi
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O you wrapped up in your raiment!
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Keep vigil the night long, save a little--
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A half thereof, or abate a little thereof
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Or add [a little] thereto and chant the Qur'an in measure,
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For We shall charge you with a word of weight.
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Lo! The vigil of the night is when impression is more keen and speech more
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certain.
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Lo! You have by day a chain of business.
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So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with complete devotion.
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Islam. Qur'an 73.1-8
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Call on your Lord with humility and in private.
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Islam. Qur'an 7.55
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When we pray alone to God, shedding tears, we will not feel lonely; God is
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surely with us.
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Unification Church. Sun Myung Moon, 2-15-67
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Worship me through meditation in the sanctuary of the heart.
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Hinduism. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5
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Qur'an 73.1-8: Cf. Qur'an 11.93, p. 740. Muhammad kept frequent prayer
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vigils through the night. Qur'an 7.55: Cf. Qur'an 23.1-5, p. 911. Srimad
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Bhagavatam 11.5: Here we begin several passages on prayers of the heart.
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When meditation is directed towards God conceived as a Person--here the
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Lord Krishna--it is in fact indistinguishable from prayer.
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- - - - - - - -
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There is a polish for everything that becomes rusty, and the polish for
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the heart is the remembrance of God.
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Islam. Hadith of Tirmidhi
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"To serve the Lord your God with all your heart" [Deuteronomy 11.13].
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What is a service with the heart? It is prayer.
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Judaism. Midrash, Sifre Deuteronomy 41
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Of all the prayers of the heart, the best prayer is the prayer to the
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Master to be given the grace of properly praising the Lord.
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Sikhism. Adi Granth, Maru Ashtpadi, M.5, p. 1018
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Set me free, I entreat thee from my heart;
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If I do not pray to thee with my heart,
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Thou hearest me not.
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If I pray to thee with my heart,
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Thou knowest it and art gracious unto me.
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African Traditional Religions. Boran Prayer (Kenya)
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People are granted birth into this world by the kami. Accordingly, the
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mind of a person is something which communes with the will of the kami,
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and one must thus avoid doing anything which would impair that mind. To
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be visited with the blessings of the kami, one must first direct one's
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mind wholeheartedly to prayer; to be granted the protection of the kami,
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one must make a foundation of honesty. In this way, the person's
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pristine, undefiled mind will be awakened to the original, profound way.
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Shinto. Records of the Enshrinement of the Two
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Imperial Deities at Ise
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Always let a man test himself: if he can direct his heart, let him pray;
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if he cannot, let him not pray.
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Judaism. Talmud, Berakot 30b
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Prayer should not be recited as if a man were reading a document.
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Judaism. Jerusalem Talmud, Berakot 4.3
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For the Great Spirit is everywhere; he hears whatever is in our minds and
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hearts, and it is not necessary to speak to him in a loud voice.
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Native American Religion. Black Elk, Sioux Tradition
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Sifre Deuteronomy, 41: Cf. Deuteronomy 6.5, p. 723; Berakot 17a, p. 720.
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Records of the Enshrinement of the Two Imperial Deities at Ise: cf. Oracle of
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the Kami Temmangu, p. 728; Divine Injunctions, p. 721; Michi-no-Shiori, p. 721.
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Berakot 30b: Cf. Berakot 5.1, p. 839.
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And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love
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to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they
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may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
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But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your
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Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
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you.
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And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for
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they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like
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them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
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Christianity. Matthew 6.5-8
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We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper
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of God and does his will, God listens to him.
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Christianity. Bible, John 9.31
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Prayers to the Deity accompanied by monetary gifts secured by injustice
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are sure not to be granted. Pray in all righteousness and the Deity will
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be pleased to listen to your supplication. Foolish is he who, in
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impatient eagerness and without following the path of righteousness, hopes
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to obtain divine protection.
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Shinto. Shinto-Uden-Futsujosho
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He who prays for his fellowman, while he himself has the same need, will
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be answered first.
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Judaism. Talmud, Baba Kamma 92a
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The pure whom you have found worthy for their righteousness and their good
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mind,
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Fulfil their desire, O Wise Lord, let them attain it!
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I know that words of prayer which serve a good end
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Are successful before you.
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Zoroastrianism. Avesta, Yasna 28.10
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What is the most important and necessary thing for us in our daily life?
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It is the life of prayer. Through prayer we should know the invisible
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enemy and distinguish the invisible enemy from ourselves. Don't pray for
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yourself. This is my teaching.
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Unification Church. Sun Myung Moon, 1-1-68
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- - - - - - - -
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John 9.31: Cf. Matthew 7.21, p. 811. Sun Myung Moon, 1-1-68: The 'invis-
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ible enemy' is Satan, who is constantly seeking to influence our thoughts,
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confusing us to the point where we think that his ideas are our own. Cf.
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Qur'an 114, pg.56; 1 Peter 5.8, p. 443.
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Sitting cross-legged,
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They should wish that all beings
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Have firm and strong roots of goodness
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And attain the state of immovability.
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Cultivating concentration,
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They should wish that all beings
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Conquer their minds by concentration
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Ultimately, with no remainder.
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When practicing contemplation,
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They should wish that all beings
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See truth as it is
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And be forever free of opposition and contention.
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Buddhism. Garland Sutra 11
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