COMMON MISTAKES AMONG CHRISTIANS (PART TWO) RELIGIOUS PRAYERS

Prayer is very vital in the life of every believer. This is because it is the only medium we can get access to God and have our needs met. Some people, however, have moved from the level of belief to the state of being more religious than being spiritual. To some Christians, being spiritual means having the ability to pray at all times, listening to gospel songs, preaching tapes and attending church always. I bet to differ. Spirituality has nothing to do with going to church or listening to tapes. Spirituality has to do with your stance before God. If you do all the afore-mentioned and man sees you to be spiritual, but before God you are nowhere near him, then where lies your spirituality?

This mistake is what i term , being religious. When you see Christianity as a religion, you will be moved to follow laid down rules and principles even when you are doing the wrong things. Following rules don´t make you a better christian. It helps though; but believing in what you do and not doing it as a routine requirement is what matters most as a believer.

One common mistake Christians do, and yes i have been there too, is to pray religious prayers. For you to understand what i am talking about, let us look at the scripture in Acts of the Apostles.

´´Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.``
ACTS 12:1-5
When Peter was arrested after the death of James, the believers lifted prayers for him. Yes, they knew that the only means for Peter to be released was through divine intervention. At this level, they were praying in faith. However, something happened that changed their reason for the prayers.

´´And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.``
ACTS 12:12-16
The disciples were praying for the release of Peter. Peter was released by divine intervention, however, the disciples did not believe it when a damsel, Rhoda, told them Peter was knocking at the door. How can you pray for the release of someone and still say his angel rather may be standing at the door? How can you pray for financial breakthrough and still believe the economy of the state will still be a problem to your request? How can you pray for a marriage, different from the patterns of failure in the family, yet you don´t believe it when you are in the process of having one? To religious folks, every blessing is too good to be true. Everything must come through the normal, laid down precepts of nature.The disciples prayed for results but disputed it when it arrived.

The disciples were at this juncture offering religious prayers. They were praying because it was required of them to pray and not because they believed in the prayers. Many of us wake up in the morning to pray because we were taught to do so. We go for watch night sessions because we were brought up to do so. We pray intermittently during the day, not because we have faith, but because it is a formality. We pray because members of that particular church are not to pray that way and live that way. This is the reason why a pastor will pray for you, not with faith, but because it is an obligation for him to do so.

Religious prayers don´t work. Many at times we pray for people to see us to be spiritual, we go to church for people to tag us as christians. We have to grow beyond this level of Christianity. You will never see results in your life when you approach Christianity as a formality.
If we pray just because we want others to know we are spiritual, then we already have our reward. We end up acting as religious folks than being believers.Being religious is the same as living in hypocrisy.