I admit I start skimming after the first or second paragraph.
I am finally able to start catching up now and read all you wrote.
I have to take it in segments.
As far as the prayer goes, my problem with having to fix a line in prayer, is when I pray whether quiet or out loud, I am praying to God and not for show. Now I know a pastor studies for His sermons and teachings. But for a prayer, I think if you are trying to say what others want you to hear, or read, then it is not to God...now that can open the wrong doors.
Yes, I have been influenced by different denominations. What is amazing is at church today, the one who prayed did something very similar to my first prayer I wrote in the story. And I was thinking, "awwwww, Jif is right. I am influenced by others in how I pray. But, I have gone to my church for over 7 years now. And it is non denominational, but mostly Weslyan type teaching from what my senior pastor had explained to me awhile back. It is a lot more laid back then when I lived in the Bible belt for so long. :)
But with this church family, I have grown more then any other. However prayers are worded, God knows the heart. And especially in the area I live where denominations like Assembly of God are close to non existent, doors to the occult are not open. (This is how I take what you are saying when you say supernatural). I see the Holy Spirit move over everyone. Come Holy Spirit. I need thee!!!!!
And I hear your point that the Holy Spirit lives in
I am sure it is from the heart but you had to pick that up from being around people that pray like that.
I didn't mention tongues either, if you note.
And like it or not, I find that kind of prayer even in my former Presbyterian church when they ask for the Father to send the Holy Spirit into the congregation... to minister to the lost, but I find no such prayer necessary in the Book of Acts for ministerial outreach when the Holy Spirit is in the missionaries and scripture testify that it is the Father that draws men unto the Son ( John 6:44 ) and the Father reveals His Son even to babes ( Matthew 11:25-27 ) and so I know about the common errant assumption practiced by believers that the Holy Spirit is the One drawing them by being around the event as if outside of the sinner when scripture says no. Sinners get the Holy Spirit from the Father when they come to & believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is already there in saved believers to minister to the lost by, so there is no need to call for the Holy Spirit when that can only happen at salvation at the calling of the gospel. FYI
It is no mystery to me why other denominations like Catholics and Protestant churches in 1994 experience the supernatural in regards to the "holy laughter" movement because that kind of prayer leaves them wide open for that to happen and lead many astray by when confusion does come in.
Sherwin was debunking the "slain in the 'Spirit' movement which I know can also come about by that type of prayer. I was hardly addressing tongues. I was exposing how Sherwin is aware of the "fakers" in such movements that try to fit in when others are actually being experiencing that supernatural phenomenon in that other church and that has happened in real life, sister.
Now if you defend "slain in the 'Spirit' " as being of the Lord, then we will have a problem. If you do not defend it, then we do not have a problem, but there is no denial that this kind of heartfelt prayer has left the door wide open for the supernatural to occur. It does not always happen, but it can happen and when it does, if you did not believe in the "slain in the Spirit" movement, then because of that kind of prayer, you would have a hard time telling those that are actually experiencing it that it is not of the Lord, because they will point to your prayer and claim that it has to be the Holy Spirit.
So.. if you are of the camp that do not believe God is the author of that confusion which is the "slain in the Spirit" movement, but still do not see anything wrong with your heartfelt prayer, then you can at least see how that kind of prayer can be used for something else for why you should not be mad at "Sherwin" for saying something to prevent fakers from trying to steal the spotlight off of whatever devotion Mr. Morrison has in mind tonight for those that are in mourning so that the Lord would minster through His words rather than by the spectacular show the fakers put on.
And yeah.. as much as I told that one Methodist pastor about his prayer like that as his reasoning that the Holy Spirit had to be there to minister to the lost... I am sure he was not going to stop praying like that in spite of understanding my point that when the supernatural happens, they will think that was the Holy Spirit responding in bringing all that confusion.
I had to stop singing certain hymns that was addressing the Holy Spirit in worship. There were things He had to help me correct in my speech in bearing witness of Him, even in prayer, if need be.
Jesus said that those who bear fruit, He will prune so that they will bear more fruit ( John 15:1-2 ). So I am serious about narrowing the way to that straight gate ( Luke 13:24 ) , thanks to Jesus. So as much as it is your heartfelt prayer, I reckon I can only ask you to discern that kind of prayer with Him for why He would have you pray differently so that no one can take that prayer, let alone seducing spirits, as an opportunity to steal the spotlight from the Son in fellowship... and in this case regarding the campfire tale...preventing Mr. Morrison from even beginning his devotion in all respect.
But if you want to leave that prayer alone and Sherwin's response as a way to bring awareness about how we pray and how it can serve as a threshold for something to happen to take that spotlight away from the Son in worship, prayer, and fellowship, be it fakers or the supernatural, that would be agreeable to me, but at least nothing will get in the way of that edifying devotion coming.
You can just have Jacob & Mr. Morrison see Sherwin as sounding an alarm that you believe was totally unnecessary as they are unaware of what Becky and her friends were about to do that Sherwin suspected of.
However.. if you want me to drop out of the story... and let you take it from there... that is fine, but I can't delete Sherwin's warning because of what that kind of prayer can bring in real life. FYI
I am finally able to start catching up now and read all you wrote.
As far as the prayer goes, my problem with having to fix a line in prayer, is when I pray whether quiet or out loud, I am praying to God and not for show. Now I know a pastor studies for His sermons and teachings. But for a prayer, I think if you are trying to say what others want you to hear, or read, then it is not to God...now that can open the wrong doors.
Yes, I have been influenced by different denominations. What is amazing is at church today, the one who prayed did something very similar to my first prayer I wrote in the story. And I was thinking, "awwwww, Jif is right. I am influenced by others in how I pray. But, I have gone to my church for over 7 years now. And it is non denominational, but mostly Weslyan type teaching from what my senior pastor had explained to me awhile back. It is a lot more laid back then when I lived in the Bible belt for so long. :)
But with this church family, I have grown more then any other. However prayers are worded, God knows the heart. And especially in the area I live where denominations like Assembly of God are close to non existent, doors to the occult are not open. (This is how I take what you are saying when you say supernatural). I see the Holy Spirit move over everyone. Come Holy Spirit. I need thee!!!!!
And I hear your point that the Holy Spirit lives in