Prayer – In one billion, three hundred forty nine million, six hundred seventy eight thousand, four hundred and eighty-twelve lessons.

Lesson 1

Once, I tried to read a story in Spanish. I couldn’t do it. So I asked my daughter, a Spanish major, to translate it. I discovered something amazing. The story said pretty much the same thing in English that it did in Spanish. I guess that’s because translation means getting the text to say in the second language what it already said in the first.

We all know that in old English, “pray” meant to ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. It’s because the Greek and Hebrew words that are used mean ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. A careful scrutiny of the above will indicate that THEY MEAN THE SAME THING, and THEY MEAN TO ASK.

Prayer is not “adoration, confession, thanksgiving.” Before your heresy alert goes off, please note that I didn't say that you shouldn't adore, confess and be thankful. Adoration is essential. Confession is an important command. Thanksgiving is the only appropriate response much of the time. But none of them are prayer. Praying is asking for something.

So, I pray thee, hunt through the scriptures and find any reason to think that praying is anything more than asking.