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In '''worship''' or '''adoration''' ({{Latin|adoratio}}), the request as such recedes and the pure adoration and praise of God comes to the fore. However, the boundaries between prayer and worship are fluid and every genuine prayer must be carried by the mood of genuine worship.
In '''worship''' or '''adoration''' ({{Latin|adoratio}}), the request as such recedes and the pure adoration and praise of God comes to the fore. However, the boundaries between prayer and worship are fluid and every genuine prayer must be carried by the mood of genuine worship.


The early Christians still prayed primarily in the orant posture adopted from the Orient, standing confidently before God with arms outstretched at shoulder height, their gaze raised to heaven in supplication or also humbly lowered. More rarely, people prayed with their hands crossed in front of their chest. The folding of the hands with open palms placed together (Gothic prayer posture), as was also customary when paying homage to the feudal lord in the medieval feudal system, became widespread around the 11th century. It was not until the Reformation that people prayed with their fingers intertwined. The touching of the two hands together promotes selfconfidence {{GZ||158|113ff}}.  
The early Christians still prayed primarily in the orant posture adopted from the Orient, standing confidently before God with arms outstretched at shoulder height, their gaze raised to heaven in supplication or also humbly lowered. More rarely, people prayed with their hands crossed in front of their chest. The folding of the hands with open palms placed together (Gothic prayer posture), as was also customary when paying homage to the feudal lord in the medieval feudal system, became widespread around the 11th century. It was not until the Reformation that people prayed with their fingers intertwined. The touching of the two hands together promotes selfconfidence {{GZ||158|113ff}}.
 
[[Rudolf Steiner]] points to two basic moods that are the prerequisite for real prayer, namely a warming devotion and Godliness that arises from the feeling of inadequacy and failure in the past, and secondly the enlightening surrender to the future, arising from overcoming [[fear]] and [[anxiety]] {{GZ||59|103f}}.
 
Moods of the soul express themselves in colours. When the soul is devoutly absorbed in prayer in the right way, it lives in a violet colour mood {{GZ||282|290f}}.
 
In the ancient languages, which still had a much stronger mantric character, the prayers had a stronger effect. Through translation into modern languages they lose their power. The Christian original prayer, the [[Lord's Prayer]], had its greatest power in the [[w:Aramaic|Aramaic language]] {{GZ||97|99}}.  


== Literature ==
== Literature ==

Revision as of 08:55, 29 December 2021

Prayer (from Medieval Latin: precaria; Vulgate Latin oratio; Greekπροσευχή proseukhḗ; Hebrewתפילה tfiˈla) is a supplicatory, but not egoistic, turning to God or other higher spiritual beings, speaking only inwardly or also outwardly, and at the same time a preliminary stage of mystical immersion, in which the I-consciousness is not extinguished but strengthened.

In worship or adoration (Latinadoratio), the request as such recedes and the pure adoration and praise of God comes to the fore. However, the boundaries between prayer and worship are fluid and every genuine prayer must be carried by the mood of genuine worship.

The early Christians still prayed primarily in the orant posture adopted from the Orient, standing confidently before God with arms outstretched at shoulder height, their gaze raised to heaven in supplication or also humbly lowered. More rarely, people prayed with their hands crossed in front of their chest. The folding of the hands with open palms placed together (Gothic prayer posture), as was also customary when paying homage to the feudal lord in the medieval feudal system, became widespread around the 11th century. It was not until the Reformation that people prayed with their fingers intertwined. The touching of the two hands together promotes selfconfidence (Lit.:GA 158, p. 113ff).

Rudolf Steiner points to two basic moods that are the prerequisite for real prayer, namely a warming devotion and Godliness that arises from the feeling of inadequacy and failure in the past, and secondly the enlightening surrender to the future, arising from overcoming fear and anxiety (Lit.:GA 59, p. 103f).

Moods of the soul express themselves in colours. When the soul is devoutly absorbed in prayer in the right way, it lives in a violet colour mood (Lit.:GA 282, p. 290f).

In the ancient languages, which still had a much stronger mantric character, the prayers had a stronger effect. Through translation into modern languages they lose their power. The Christian original prayer, the Lord's Prayer, had its greatest power in the Aramaic language (Lit.:GA 97, p. 99).

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.