[Vision2020] Prayer that violates God

[J Ford]

Below is a link to Doug Wilson’s Blog for today:

http://www.dougwils.com/

If Christ should not be “used for spiritual showboating” why does Doug 
Wilson open every meeting, every gathering, every  thing, with a prayer?  
And since God does “see(s) the heart in our acts of charity; He also sees 
the heart when we come into His presence in prayer” shouldn’t Doug Wilson be 
trembling in his boots at this point?

The passage that he marks as relevant to his ranting, Matt 6:5-8 
specifically is dealing with people like Jim Baker, et al, that are 
obviously praying to receive brownie points – “Oh, doesn’t he look so 
Christian praying there like that” or “See how serious she is – look at her 
tears” (referring to Tammy Fae)  Doug is telling people that prayer in 
public (we pray at meal time even in public – something Doug is NOT 
comfortable with and has admonished us for in the past) such as the football 
player in the end zone after a really good play resulting in a touchdown.  I 
had been told many times by Doug and his minions that such is a practice in 
paganism just like wearing of crosses, having a crucifix hanging in our home 
or other “shows” of our faith/trust in God.  (My cross is firmly affixed to 
my neck chain and shall remain so and the crucifix is very firmly attatched 
to our wall in the living room.)

Doug also talks about how people, when praying in a group (for perhaps the 
first time,) that use repetitive words are to be ignored or disciplined.  I 
know my youngest child, not the best public speaker, gets very nervous about 
speaking in front of a bunch of people that are not close friends, and tends 
to stutter and not make complete or steady sentences, especially when put on 
the spot.  I know plenty of grown people in the same boat – they simply are 
not public orators and will trip over words when forced to do something they 
are not used to.  So to that person, we are to ridicule, put down, admonish 
not to pray, etc, JUST because Doug Wilson says their prayer(s) are not 
sincere enough or perfect?  And yet he says “God knows the heart of the 
person praying”  IF he truly believes that, then God understands the 
nervousness of the prayee and that that person is NOT “violating God” in his 
attempts to pray.

Last point:  “We also have to remember what prayer does not do. The point of 
prayer is not to ‘fill God in.’…. prayer is not for the purpose of teaching 
Him anything. As Christ so plainly puts it, the Father knows what we need 
before we ask Him. So why ask Him at all?”

I know of many instances where Doug and his people have made very lengthy 
and tiring prayers, “filling God in” and THEN getting to the point of the 
prayer.  While God may know before we ask, I feel it is necessary at times 
to let God know “I get it – well at least most of it…can you fill in the 
missing pieces?”  God has never let me know I have violated Him by doing 
this – fact is, He answers me quite clearly that He is very happy with my 
prayers even if His answer is “no.”

Again, the throne comes out and see who is sitting on it? (as viewed from 
Doug Wilson’s vantage point.)

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