What's The Difference Between Prayer And Worship?

[Haich]

In Islam, we pray to God whenever the weather. You can pray in any language, about any topics and it doesn't always have to be about wanting something. You could simply express gratitude in your prayers by counting and acknowledging your blessings.

However, for us worshipping is a separate action. The 5 daily prayers are solely a means of worship and acknowledgement of God's existence and it's supposed to keep you in check.

My question is how do other faiths worship God?

 

[Todd]

I think prayer and worship are two different things but they definetely overlap.

Unlike the stereotypical notion about prayer, it's primary purpose isn't about asking God for things. Prayers is seeking God's will and allowing him to change our false preceptions about him and ourselves. It's more important to listen then to speak in prayer. True deep prayer usually leads to repentance, as we all have character issues and traits that God wants to change. When we seek God in prayer he will lovingly show us those things, so that we can give them up to him and ask him to change our hearts.

Worship is simply expressing gratitude and awe for who God is. Worship is necessary to enter into the deep prayer described above. We need to humble ourselves and come to the place were we can honeslty say "not my will be done, but yours" Worship is a way to cast off the cares and weight of this world and remind ourselves who God is and why is worthy of our adoration, love and submission.

 

[Haich]

I think prayer and worship are two different things but they definetely overlap.

Yh I agree they can overlap, but worship is an acknowledgment of God, so in a sense if you don't worship god you'll eventually lose consciousness of God and he may turn his back...How do you worship God in Christianity?

Unlike the stereotypical notion about prayer, it's primary purpose isn't about asking God for things. Prayers is seeking God's will and allowing him to change our false preceptions about him and ourselves. It's more important to listen then to speak in prayer. True deep prayer usually leads to repentance, as we all have character issues and traits that God wants to change. When we seek God in prayer he will lovingly show us those things, so that we can give them up to him and ask him to change our hearts.

I agree, although, there's nothing wrong with asking God for things. A job, a spouse, a house etc. Naturally we can acquire those things but sometimes if we pray for the right job, the right spouse who is God fearing then it makes a whole lot of difference

I'm not sure I get what you mean by listening I prayer, do you mean a congregational prayer ? Actually I think it's best to let it all out when you're praying! Maybe our ideas and how we pray are just different. Other than the daily worship prayers, I keep a prayer journal where I write to God and it helps me make sense of what I'm feeling...the traditional prayer is just to sit somewhere quiet and ramble but I can never quite get the words out...

Worship is simply expressing gratitude and awe for who God is. Worship is necessary to enter into the deep prayer described above. We need to humble ourselves and come to the place were we can honeslty say "not my will be done, but yours" Worship is a way to cast off the cares and weight of this world and remind ourselves who God is and why is worthy of our adoration, love and submission

Worship is what makes God have mercy on you and guide you. As long as we worship and seek Him, he'll continue to answer and guide us to righteousness
.

 

[Todd]

@Haich
I agree that we can ask God for things in prayer. I was just saying that it shouldn't be the only or primary reason to pray.
The book of Psalm is helpful in worshiping God when we don't know what to say. I like to worship with musiuc and sing the book of Pslams or write songs with words from the book of psalm and use those to enter worship. But music is not necessary to worship.

When I said listen, I meant get quiet before God and let his Spirit speak to your heart. You have to listen to hear. I'm not talking about an audible voice but that inner voice that speaks to us in impressions and thoughts. Do Muslim's believe they can "hear" the spirit of God. Do you believe God speaks to you?

I agree that worship brings down God's grace and mercy!

 

[Haich]

. I like to worship with musiuc and sing the book of Pslams or write songs with words from the book of psalm and use those to enter worship. But music is not necessary to worship.

But there's no scriptural way of worshipping? So everyone can worship how they like? Do you think that could be a factor in the disunity of the church?

The reason I ask is like we've agreed worship is integral in faith. However Christians mostly do what their church tells them and worship in various ways? Does scripture dictate how God wants to be worshipped?

In Islam the daily prayers are clear unification method so everyone worships the same way. Prior to the Quran I'm not sure how people worshipped, the people of the Book probably had their own methods that were revealed to them but im ignorant of the details. I'll try to some research on that matter

 

[Haich]

When I said listen, I meant get quiet before God and let his Spirit speak to your heart. You have to listen to hear. I'm not talking about an audible voice but that inner voice that speaks to us in impressions and thoughts. Do Muslim's believe they can "hear" the spirit of God. Do you believe God speaks to you?

I'm not sure I follow, so you wait for a sign? Excuse my ignorance I'm just genuinely not familiar with letting the spirit speak to your heart

Do you mean follow your inspired intuition? So you just wait for god to guide you towards something ?

The inner voice I believe to be our nafs or our soul in English. It's made up of our conscious, thoughts and desires. I definitely believe God sways these towards him when we worship, maybe this is what you mean by the spirit guiding.

God doesn't speak to us in a literal sense but he is the turner of hearts, the hardener of hearts and the softener of hearts. By heart I mean the attachment and love component to our soul not the organ lol

So if we worship and pray and ask for forgiveness God softens our hearts so we are more wholesome, obedient to his commands and fulfilling the pillars of Islam. We also become better people because we know ultimately God is watching us and there will be a judgement day. As a result you sin less, pray more and lead a positive life since you learn to accept your fate.

When god turns your heart, it usually means your heart will be inclined towards him. A sense of longingness like an old friend you miss dearly. Nothing can satisfy that empty hole inside unless you accept it's God calling you back. People with issues such as alcoholism, sexual promiscuity or drugs will hit rock bottom and when they acknowledge their sins and way of life has lead them astray god will reach out to them. I guess it's similar to being ' born again'...

Finally when God hardens your heart, he makes you dumb deaf and blind to anything which gravitates towards him. Adamant Atheists are an example of God turning his back and hardening the hearts of people. When you constantly deny his words, neglect your duties to God and indulge in sin, there's a sense of hell and doom which affects you and that's when you know God has left your life

I agree that worship brings down God's grace and mercy!

 

[Todd]

But there's no scriptural way of worshipping? So everyone can worship how they like? Do you think that could be a factor in the disunity of the church?

The reason I ask is like we've agreed worship is integral in faith. However Christians mostly do what their church tells them and worship in various ways? Does scripture dictate how God wants to be worshipped?

In Islam the daily prayers are clear unification method so everyone worships the same way. Prior to the Quran I'm not sure how people worshipped, the people of the Book probably had their own methods that were revealed to them but im ignorant of the details. I'll try to some research on that matter

If you went to marriage counselor and the marriage counselor said this is how you are supposed to love your wife, and you were supposed to say the exaxt same things to her that every other husband says to their wife and you said it pretty much the same way everyday, how much would that mean to your wife? Everyday I come home from work, my grandaughter greets me a different way. If she said the exact same thing everyday it would likely get old and meaningless.

I don't think God necessarily cares how we worship him, as long as we do it from our hearts. If me, as a shallow human being would get bored with the same exact worship from every person every day, how do you think God would feel about it. Maybe he enjoys seeing the creativity he placed in all of us, when we worship him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't follow examples in the bible. Kneeling, prostrating, raising our hands, shouting, singing, etc....but there is no one correct way to worship God.

 

[Todd]

I hear God all the time about very specific things. It's similar to our conscience or intuition, but there is subtle difference. Obviously whenever I believe God is speaking to me, I see if it lines up with his word. And yes, sometimes we can think we heard the still small voice of God only to find out it was just our own thoughts. The more time we spend in prayer and worship and reading the word, the better we come at discerning what are our own thoughts and what are the thoughts of God.

Journaling when in prayer is a good way to learn and practice listening to the voice of God.....

 

[Karlysymon]

"Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to
make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him."

I don't think God gets bored the way we do. As long as it comes from the heart, then its all good. I have to say, though, that my prayers, requesting for spiritual stuff, always get answered really really fast. And it reminds me, time and again, that to God, eternal interests come first. Not that He doesn't care about my other needs. He doesn't want to lose me, afterall there can never be another me!

 

[Haich]

If you went to marriage counselor and the marriage counselor said this is how you are supposed to love your wife, and you were supposed to say the exaxt same things to her that every other husband says to their wife and you said it pretty much the same way everyday, how much would that mean to your wife? Everyday I come home from work, my grandaughter greets me a different way. If she said the exact same thing everyday it would likely get old and meaningless.

I don't think God necessarily cares how we worship him, as long as we do it from our hearts. If me, as a shallow human being would get board with the same exact worship from every person every day, how do you think God would feel about it. Maybe he enjoys seeing the creativity he placed in all of us, when we worship him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't follow examples in the bible. Kneeling, prostrating, raising our hands, shouting, singing, etc....but there is no one correct way to worship God.

That's interesting, the issue for me is if God doesn't specify a particular way of worship then man will take it upon himself to worship how he likes which will cause disunity and conflict within the religion.Everyone will argue their way is the right way

Friday prayers are great example of unification. The whole point of a faith is to follow God in the same manner and worship him the way scripture specified. We face the same direction, recite the same prayers and it shows us how God united his people so we're all together

In reference to the wife analogy, it would work with God in a sense, the whole idea of being consistent with your praises and remembering but it doesn't sound like worship more prayer

 

[Lisa]

Isn't prayer worship?

 

[Haich]

Isn't prayer worship?

Well what do you think? How do you worship God?

I personally think there's a distinction but they can overlap.

 

[Todd]

That's interesting, the issue for me is if God doesn't specify a particular way of worship then man will take it upon himself to worship how he likes which will cause disunity and conflict within the religion.Everyone will argue their way is the right way

Friday prayers are great example of unification. The whole point of a faith is to follow God in the same manner and worship him the way scripture specified. We face the same direction, recite the same prayers and it shows us how God united his people so we're all together

In reference to the wife analogy, it would work with God in a sense, the whole idea of being consistent with your praises and remembering but it doesn't sound like worship more prayer

I have no issue with those who want to follow a prescribed ritualistic form of worship. It just doesn't work for me. I'm glad all my kids don't treat me exactly the same and recite the same feelings of adoration, respect and love over and over again. I would think since we are made in the image of God that the same repititious, prescribed manner of worship would not do as much for him as spontaneous worship flowing form our hearts.

It's my opinion and not meant to be a put down of how you worship. If that works for you and draws you closer to God, that is awesome. It just doesn't work for me. David danced with abandon in worshio of God before all the people, so much that his clothing fell off. His wife was embarrased by his show of adoration and worship to God. Tells me that David was not following some prescribed unitfied form of worship. Yet God called David a man after God's heart. That's what I want to be....

 

[Lurker]

I imagine prayer would be asking for something specific, whereas worship would be to live as outlined in your holy book. But I could be way off on that.

 

[Lisa]

Well what do you think? How do you worship God?

I personally think there's a distinction but they can overlap.

I think prayer is a form of worship. Why waste your time praying to God if you didn't think He was listening and could help you? That's why it's so wrong to give that to some other idol, only God deserves your love and respect enough to pray to Him.

 

[Karlysymon]

I have no issue with those who want to follow a prescribed ritualistic form of worship. It just doesn't work for me. I'm glad all my kids don't treat me exactly the same and recite the same feelings of adoration, respect and love over and over again. I would think since we are made in the image of God that the same repititious, prescribed manner of worship would not do as much for him as spontaneous worship flowing form our hearts.

It's my opinion and not meant to be a put down of how you worship. If that works for you and draws you closer to God, that is awesome. It just doesn't work for me. David danced with abandon in worshio of God before all the people, so much that his clothing fell off. His wife was embarrased by his show of adoration and worship to God. Tells me that David was not following some prescribed unitfied form of worship. Yet God called David a man after God's heart. That's what I want to be....

I completely understand your position but to confess, repetition would always cross my mind whenever i would read this:
Revelation 4:8
"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

 

[Todd]

I completely understand your position but to confess, repetition would always cross my mind whenever i would read this:
Revelation 4:8
"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

Good point!

 

[llleopard]

In Hebrew, one of the main languages of the Old Testament, the main words for prayer mean 'entreat, beseech, ask earnestly'
In Greek, the main language of the New Testament, the main words for prayer mean ' supplication, to beg'

In Hebrew, the main words for worship mean 'bow down, prostrate yourself, fall down, do reverance'
The Greek, the main word for worship means 'to crouch, fawn, prostrate oneself in homage, do reverence or adore'
(Strongs Concordance)

As you can see from the meanings of the words, prayer and worship are very different. However, when looked at in context throughout the Bible, both are very much about your heart attitude towards God, and how you live your life as a result of that, and are not reliant on words or set forms to be prayer, or worship.

 

[llleopard]

I think maybe some of the difference here may be due to different understandings of Who and What God is. The Bible teaches that God is a 'trinity' of three equal parts - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So Christians talk about being spoken to by the Holy Spirit, as a separate person distinct from the Father, but still part of the trinity of God. Sometimes that is a literal voice. As I understand it, the Quran teaches that Allah did not beget anyone, and although it mentions spirit, this is not referring to what Christians are. Is that correct?

 

[Todd]

The Bible teaches that God is a 'trinity' of three equal parts - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Correction, the Church teaches that God is a "trinity". At best the Bible, with debatable intrepretation methods, implies that God could be a "trinity". No where in the Bible is there explicit teaching that God is three seperate distinct "persons".