Why do we pray, and why this act has been seemingly forgotten

LandSpeeder · Jul 6, 2015

I grew up praying. I was born one Sunday, in church the next. I was Christian as much as I was white. It was me, my family and my community. Everyone went to church. I had no idea why we prayed. TRULY prayed. Until one day when we were "in the country" and my grandmother went outside and snapped a chickens neck for dinner.
Praying over that meal, I finally got WHY we pray over our food. We prayed for forgiveness of the sacrifice, for the nourishment of our body. An animal gave it's life, so that I can sustain mine. And I feel like with today's modern society, we forget where our protein comes from. So we have progressively forgotten WHY we pray. Even when we do, we just go through the motions and do not stop to reflect, something died, so that I can live.

I, like a lot of young adults, went to through a non-religious phase, questioning anything and everything and every belief. A life altering event changed that a handful of years ago. I'm back with the help of a couple of books, and although I do not go to organized church, I enjoy the word of God. I'm different now, however. And one of the things that I truly believe is, that, we rarely pray these days... because we didn't see where that patty that's in the bun, in the wrapper, on the tray.... we didn't see the animal give it's life so that I can sustain mine.

I posted this here, because most of us here are like-minded, meat-eating hunters. Or at least play that role. My view is by no means absolute, just merely an opinion. Curious how others here feel about the subject.

pholmann · Jul 6, 2015

Very well put my friend. :dblthumb:

jordan7118 · Jul 7, 2015

Interesting take on why we pray before (and/or after for some folks) a meal. Never thought of it from a sacrifice perspective. Always been more of a "thankful" viewpoint for me.... But you're right. We don't pray and truly put some meaning behind it.

joho75287 · Jul 7, 2015

I try to remember to give thanks for the good things that are bestowed upon my family and I (food included) as well as asking God for help when we need it. Lots of people forget that when you don't get immediate "help" in a situation, many times that is actually exactly what you need, to overcome and grow from the experience.

stano · Jul 7, 2015

I grew up in church too, praying before every meal and before bed. For the last several years I have been starting my day with prayer and try to do it through the day. I often find myself needing help on figuring out some thing so I simply pray. The bible say if a man lacks wisdom, let him ask.

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mikemounlio · Jul 7, 2015

I am not a religious person. I am more of a science guy. I have tried to be religious in the pat but it has not worked for me. I do not fault someone for their views tho. With that said i just watched the last episode of the island by bear grillys. On the show the men were able to catch a caiman. One guy wanted to be the one to take its life. He wanted the memories of how hard food was to catch on the island so when he went to the store it simply was not meat in a bag he was buying.

I am very thankful for everything i have. I tend to think about the basic things in life more then most around me. I may not have a god to pray to but i am very thankful for the food in which i have to eat.

LandSpeeder · Jul 7, 2015

mikemounlio said:
I am not a religious person. I am more of a science guy. I have tried to be religious in the pat but it has not worked for me. I do not fault someone for their views tho. With that said i just watched the last episode of the island by bear grillys. On the show the men were able to catch a caiman. One guy wanted to be the one to take its life. He wanted the memories of how hard food was to catch on the island so when he went to the store it simply was not meat in a bag he was buying.

I am very thankful for everything i have. I tend to think about the basic things in life more then most around me. I may not have a god to pray to but i am very thankful for the food in which i have to eat.

That show is what actually prompted this thread. And it hit the nail perfectly. The shear fact that they all sat down and had the convo over an animals life like that.

Religion is science. Sorry to all the Jesus freaks out there. But God is energy. That of which can not be created or destroyed. Regardless of what I or you or anyone believes... just believe. If you call that belief religion, or you call it science, or whatever... Just believe.

June dog · Jul 7, 2015

If everyone would believe in something it would have to help change the world for the better. No one thinks about the consequences of there actions. I'm not as religious as I should be but I do believe. I pray for others but I rarely pray for myself. Usually I pray for oppertunities to where I have a conscious decision to try to better myself to be a stronger person. I maybe doing it all wrong, I don't know but I know I fall short of what the lord expects out of me.

LandSpeeder · Jul 7, 2015

You don't fall short, Brain. You are exactly what is expected out of you. Know that.

I never pray for miracles or outside help. I always pray for strength to get through a task, or strength to overcome a situation, or for clearer thoughts to get through a complex situation. I pray for inner joy and sometimes inner peace. I pray for things I know that I need help from within myself. I rarely pray before meals, but usually in quiet times. My prayers have become almost meditations. And they work. It's like not being able to solve a complex task in the shop, stepping away for a night or even an hour and coming back and just seeing the issue clear as day. Prayer.