Blog Post #4: Prayer

Blog Post #4: Prayer

A Written Response By Lily Jeffs

1. What are new things that you learned about prayer from this unit? Be specific.

I learned many new things about prayer within this unit that I was personally able to relate to my specific practice of prayer. With this, I learned that prayer is a way for people to communicate with God to address different personal thoughts including requests for help or giving thanks to others. Prayer is also a primary way for a believer of Jesus Christ and other prominent religious figures such as Mary to communicate their emotions and desires with and become closer to including the religion of Christianity as a whole. Many types of prayer include a silent personal prayer (recognizing God in silence), Lectio Divina (listening and discussing scripture), meditation, and recited prayer. Personally, I sometimes pray to God if I feel that I am in need of help, but I usually speak with others including my parents or siblings before I communicate with God. With saying this, I like that prayer is very personal and allows me to connect with God and his spirit as if he was with me and fully understands my thoughts. Prayer is ultimately a direct way to become closer with different religious figures who can help assist those who seek help in life. An image that evidently reflects the theme of prayer is shown below in which a follower of Christianity is shown praying to the holy cross that connects himself to Jesus Christ and allows him to gain help and wisdom from the Son of God.

2. Can you see yourself implementing any new prayer practices?

After thoroughly learning about what prayer is within the religion of Christianity, I can see myself implementing some of these practices within my religious life. Specifically, I am interested in writing a letter to God about what I need help with in life as well as discuss I am grateful for. This would allow me to organize and express my thoughts and connect with God as if he was a close friend. I also want to begin reciting more traditional prayers that are found throughout the Bible. Specifically, I would turn to a different page of the Bible each morning and choose a quote I find inspirational in which I would try to connect this quote throughout the rest of that day. A third prayer practice I would consider applying to myself is the daily examine. With this, I would be able to reflect on the different things that happened throughout the week solely with God and use it to inspire myself to continue living each day at a time and focus on the different positive and negative moments that occurred within each day. An image that evidently reflects these proposed prayer exercises is shown below in which someone is praying to God whilst reading different Biblical passages that represents the practice of reciting religious prayers whilst communicating with God.

3. What were the main messages you got from the movie The Case for Christ?

I learned many different messages relating to God and Christ within the movie The Case for Christ. With this, I was taught by the character of Leslie and her religious mentor and friend known as Alfie that God forgives all of his followers in which everything happens for a reason in the name of Christ. I was also taught that God's love is unconditional and that he is there to guide us when we are in need of help. As specifically stated by Leslie from John 1:12 towards Lee after he tells her that he has accepted Christianity, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." When reflecting on this quote, it has greatly influenced my life by showing me that God's message and Jesus' passion towards Christianity allows any who encounter this religion have the ability to become attached to it. This quote also showed me that God holds an everlasting amount of power that can be used to heal myself as well as guide me through certain situations when needed. Conclusively, The Case for Christ increased my understanding of who God and Jesus were as well as the major role they can play in one's life. An image that evidently reflects these messages is shown below in which Jesus is shown sharing God's message to different children and teaching them about the religion of Christianity, similarly to how Alfie taught Leslie more about God by taking her to her church.

4. What new things did you take away about yourself from this unit, perhaps from Lectio Divina, the Gratitude class, the meditation, or the movie?

I learned many new things about myself from this unit. Specifically, I was able to identify the types of prayer I enjoy practicing and what my relation with God was like before and after completing this unit. I was also given the opportunity to reflect on different things that I was grateful for that I wouldn't of been able to identify without taking part in this assignment. Apart from just my personal experiences, this unit also allowed me to connect with my peers and have an understanding of how they interpreted different prayer pieces. This also gave me the opportunity to increase my understanding of the relations various religious figures had with each other after reading the Bible in this activity. After watching the movie, I was given a thorough understanding of how Jesus and God can impact one's life and what role they play in the Christian society as a whole. This unit ultimately taught me many different things relating to God, Jesus, the Bible, and accepting this through the personal form of gratitude. An image that evidently reflects these messages is shown below in which Mary is given Jesus as a blessing from God so that she can care for him and share is word of Christianity and compassion to others, similarly to my experience where I learned more about God through sources including The Case for Christ and reading different Bible verses.

Works Cited

Allison, Cat. “Grasp God.” Pinterest, 28 Dec. 2014, www.pinterest.com/pin/312296555385713340/. 

“Embroidery.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.com/pin/183451384796960682/.

Jesus Clip Art Black And White | Clipart Panda - Free Clipart Images, www.clipartpanda.com/categories/jesus-clip-art-black-and-white.

“Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Case For Christ Movie.” Brian Dodd on Leadership, 8 Apr. 2017, briandoddonleadership.com/2017/04/08/28-leadership-quotes-and-lessons-from-the-case-for-christ-movie/. 

Madlen “Praying Hands.” Pinterest, 8 July 2013, www.pinterest.com/pin/388857749046471104/.