Re:Verse passage – Exodus 20:7 – (day three)
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
There’s a difference between magic and prayer. Magic relies on mechanistic recitations of formulas whose only purpose is get done exactly what you want to get done. Prayer is a kind of life in which you and God have access to one another, and the purpose of that life is not to get stuff done—though that might indeed occur—but to transform you into the kind of person who lives like God lives. In which of those contexts are you speaking about God and to God? The answer to that question will tell you whether you are using the name of God in vain.
Prayer . . . “but to transform you into the kind of person who lives like God lives.”
Very insightful! hmm I wonder how God lives? Holy?
Prayer, a way of tapping into God yet not realizing that God is tapping into us, we pray for so many thing and people but what are our motives?? What exactly are we trying to get out of those prayers. Bryan this is such a great reminder of how we should be mindful about what we pray for and what results we are trying to get from God. Living like God lives is what he calls us to do and being mindful of our prayers is a great starting point. Questions you can ask yourself when you pray is:
Is this prayer God honoring?
Am I trying to gain something over someone else with this prayer? Wanting to Control the person I’m praying for?
Is what I am praying for something that is selfish that will only benefit me? Or am I praying for the goodness of others?
Thanks Bryan this was very helpful to me.