Luther’s view of prayer.
Luther-on-Prayer by David P. Scaer
Concordia-Theological-Seminary
I am finding this very helpful as it explains Luther’s view of prayer, in light of Holy Scripture, and the theology of the cross.
I hope you too will find something in it that is helpful to you in your prayer life.
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Anfechtungen, or ‘the dark night of the soul’, is constantly referred to in the piece.
Anyone have some other ways to describe ‘Anfechtungen’?
Filed under: Prayer |
The Old Adam Lives! 
Our enthusiast friends are working hard towards achieving for themselves an anfechtung-free existence on this side of heaven.
The enthusiast will not succeed. Life is never like that. And everyone dies.
Job said: the Lord gives and takes. May the name of the Lord be praised.
I’ve come to singing the gospel acclamation: Lord to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
That’s when everyone was turned off by Jesus and Jesus asked them if they were leaving, too. But it’s not a work of ours. There is really no other place to go.
hey guys, I found this interesting read on a website: http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2009/11/ray-ortlund-jr-s-gospel-manifesto/#comment-1712
I’ve noticed in my own life that the prayer of desperation is particularly effective; on the other hand, those feelings of desperation often come from being “I” focused; I appreciate the joy and peace that comes with the knowledge of grace.
I’m not sure I agree with the author (and perhaps Luther) in that self-reflection with the intent of seeing our own sin is a positive thing; certainly such times can cause us to seek God, however to do so purposefully seems to me to be “sinning so that grace can increase.”
The difference between protestant enthusiasts and Lutherans is where the anfechtung’s onslaught consciousness of sin drives them: for the enthusiast, to his inner feelings of personal belief and trying harder; for the Lutheran, to the cross and the promise of sins forgiven through the means of grace
It’s ‘accedo justus’ versus ‘simul justus et peccator’
Looking to the cross of Jesus and realizing what He did and why…Let the glum be glum no longer…*; )
Philippians 4:8 NLT
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
The two thieves of the Gospel: More thoughts on a theology of the cross:
http://centralityofthegospel.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/the-two-thieves-of-the-gospel/
Theresa of Avila called it “aridity”
You need think about it. Despite the emails, the overwhelming evidence showing global warming is happening hasn’t changed.
“The e-mails do nothing to undermine the very strong scientific consensus . . . that tells us the Earth is warming, that warming is largely a result of human activity,” Jane Lubchenco, who heads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told a House committee. She said that the e-mails don’t cover data from NOAA and NASA, whose independent climate records show dramatic warming.