Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: kneeling prayer Message-ID: Date: 2 Sep 90 03:51:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC Lines: 48 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article walsh@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com writes: >In article , gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) writes: >> In article barry1@ihlpa.att.com (Barry O Olson) writes: >>> >>>This idea that christians are called to be warrior defenders of the faith >>>is demonicand can only lead to the proverbial hell. How many Jews hate >> >> I think this may be merely a problem of word choice. We are warriors. >> Notice that Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Who puts on >> armor but warriors, soldiers. But also notice the position of >> battle--on our knees in prayer. > >Thanks for a good post, but as a tangent, does this passage really >mention "on our knees?" Can someone with a concordance handy please >post where else in the NT prayer is mentioned on our knees besides the >parable of the pharasee and publican? This is insignificant, but i >come from a tradition where prayer was always said standing up. I never >looked up bible passages either way. Ando: Just looked up the passage in Ephesians. The passage does not mention anything about being on your knees. I humbly apologize for putting words in the Apostles mouth, as it were. It may be that when I think of praying I see the person coming before the throne of God. The bending of the knee would be an appropriate action before the Majesty on High. I personally have a hard time thinking of supplication and prayer as taking place in any other positions except kneeling or full out prostrate before the Lord. However, since there is not a real command to kneel in prayer, then I don't suppose that it makes a big difference. The point is that our tactic in battle is not what one would expect, initially. After all, with all that armor on and sword in hand, one would think of more offensive actions being taken. Yet, the Apostle tells us that our battle tactic is to pray. While this doesn't sound like much of an offensive tactic to take, when you stop and consider what Jesus said about prayer in John, it is like the spiritual equivalent of a nuclear weapon. Especially so when saints come together in Christ to pray in agreement on things. Talk about taking the high ground!!! Again, I apologize for adding what wasn't there in the actual text. For His glory, Gene