OFTENTIMES... I wonder about his contradiction...

After spending over 3 decades (at least) attending Church Services on Sundays, I pretty know the MAJOR SERMONS that are typically preached even though some ministers approach them a little differently to target either an older or younger congregation.

But, I did not get a full understanding of what was going on with these sermons until I read the Bible from cover-to-cover, taking notes and writing down questions along the way.

One area that still causes me concern is the way we PRAY.

Jesus told us to use THE LORD's PRAYER when praying to HIS FATHER.

St. Augustine gives the following analysis of the Lord's Prayer, which elaborates on Jesus' words just before it in Matthew's gospel: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way" (Mt. 6:8-9).  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

SO...

why then do so many ministers, pastors, and priest pray differently than what was asked of them, especially when THIS ASK was ASKED BY JESUS???

That has always bothered me...

But, no one has provided me with any plausible explanation.

Dividing My Life

I can divide my life into 5 unequal (in terms of years) segments:

First --  is my life before high school  (0-14)

Second --  is my life in high school (15-18)

Third --  is my life in college, the military, and back in college (19-25)

Fourth --  is my professional career (26-67)

Fifth --  is my ongoing retired life (68-current age)

Throughout my entire life (up to and including right now) my faith has been with me, not as some sort of flashing beacon illuminating the way, but as if it were a coin or good luck charm in my pocket.  For many reasons, I do not believe in institutionalized religion nor do I think that the various Christian Denominations ARE A GOOD THING, especially since if you do not believe like they do, then you ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG.

This is not how faith was supposed to be experience...  at least this is my opinion.

A lot of people say that they live their faith but if you were to put a microscope to that statement, one would see that this is not true at all.

I live my faith but not in my witnessing and not in my going to Church and not in my Bible Readings and not in my prayers...   BUT, in my realization that,
first - my life is a gift from God
second - whoever or whatever that I am or have become is God's Will

In short, I acknowledge God as MY CREATOR and I accept that GOD'S WILL is being done here on earth regardless of whether or not we like the outcomes.

I don't pray for forgiveness
I don't pray for my good health or others
I don't pray for an end to violence
I don't pray that the US military win wars
I don't pray that I will be successful
I don't pray that I will be happy





WHAT I PRAY FOR AND ACKNOWLEDGE IS THAT GOD'S WILL BE DONE HERE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN...  wherever heaven might be....

I do this because in the Bible Jesus told us to use THE LORD'S PRAYER when praying to his father...   it is just that simple...  and, to me, very few people have followed that advice...   and, you would not believe how long some of the prayers I have listened to are...

I have no idea if I am correct in this analysis, but it is my analysis nonetheless.