Looking For Prayers... Options

Have been looking to focus more on the devotional side of things in my practice of recent, have to admit I near enough fall asleep attempting to read the bible but I was wondering if anyone was clued up on it enough to know about prayers... ones to recite when waking and falling asleep specifically.

Any info is appreciated.

Peace
/M/

Have been looking to focus more on the devotional side of things in my practice of recent, have to admit I near enough fall asleep attempting to read the bible but I was wondering if anyone was clued up on it enough to know about prayers... ones to recite when waking and falling asleep specifically.

Any info is appreciated.

Peace
/M/

I like the psalms in Hebrew. Not only are they perfect for devotional recitation, but in Hebrew the cadence is poetic. Plus, learning to translate the psalms in Hebrew bit by bit is a good practice if you're going to put your faith in a book that's been translated over and over again by a thousand different hands.

Psalm 23 is classic and simple. It's the classic eulogy psalm. Valley of the shadow of death, etc.

Peace

Thanks for that V.D, didn't think about converting it into hebrew... do you mind me asking how you went about this?

Am preparing myself for the Abramelin which I intend to attempt in a few years time.

.M.

you can find the audio online which makes it much easier to get your tongue around the hebrew syllables.

Basically, I memorize the psalm in english (I have a hebrew/english tanakh which I reccomend getting regardless as part of reading and learning the 'old testament',) then copy it down in hebrew letter by letter, then I comb a dictionary for the root words that I don't know (originally most all of them), and work up a very rough word by word translation of my own. Then I go find the audio and break it down word by word that way until I can hear each sound distinctly (some are subtle to native english-speaking ears), then I write it out over and over again in hebrew while reciting it in hebrew, and finally I just recite it back and forth hebrew, english, hebrew, english, etc... after all that I break it down and translate it letter by letter kabbalistically as well, but that's a practical preference for myself. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

You can pick up a tanakh with english translation at just about any major bookstore. google "Hebrew psalms audio" to find tons of resources, including psalms performed as traditional biblical music. The are supposed to be songs, after all.

peace

Thanks for that Mr Dreamer, will probably follow you cue and translate it, would be good to hear the resonance of it in hebrew.

Thanks again.
.M.

Have been looking to focus more on the devotional side of things in my practice of recent, have to admit I near enough fall asleep attempting to read the bible but I was wondering if anyone was clued up on it enough to know about prayers... ones to recite when waking and falling asleep specifically.

Any info is appreciated.

Peace
/M/

The Lord's Prayer would be a good place to start. I just went through Psalms and picked the ones I liked and learned them and use them now. It's helped a lot :-)

I've never tried in Hebrew. Interesting idea (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hmm.gif) I'll check it out.

Well the Psalms suggestion is taken. Alright well try the book "The Confessions of St. Augustine". It's a great book filled prayer like topics/ short story type things. Also books on prayer by E.M Bounds are excellent and the second resource I value after the Bible itself.

Hebrew is an ugly language, IMO, so you might consider chanting the prayers in Latin. It gives it a very holy feel, and can be quite moving and beautiful.

That's a surprising judgement from you.

Do you feel the same about all semitic languages? What makes latin more beautiful? What is your definition of 'ugly'? I never understood why latin is so commonly thought to be a more 'holy' language, and lots of people feel this way. It must be because of it's use in catholicism. Latin spoken like any other language is not incredibly pretty. You've probably only heard it chanted, canted, or sung. Try listening to one of the pslams sung in hebrew and see if you find it to be a different experience.

For that matter, track down a latin convention and listen to some 'conversational' latin.

Part of the beauty of hebrew is the depth of intricacy that is involved the letters, the words, and the philosophical interplay found between individual elements. Even the place in the mouth where the letters are formed has significance. Only the philosophy behind chinese characters is an equal to the elegance of the hebrew language, in my opinion.

peace

That's a surprising judgement from you.

From me specifically? I want to take that as a compliment, somehow. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Do you feel the same about all semitic languages?

Well, about the two I've heard spoken (Hebrew and Arabic). Perhaps "ugly" is too strong a word; they're not my least favorite languages, but they just feel... I don't know. Primitive, maybe. Arabic writing is certainly gorgeous, though.

What makes latin more beautiful?

As you mention, its use in Catholic rites has associated it, in my mind, with medieval monks and holy ceremonies and dignified chanting. Also as you mention, I've never heard Hebrew chanted or sung, and I don't like normal spoken Latin (well, I assume, because I don't like Italian at all).

Romance languages aren't my favorites in general, so I would have recommended he pray in Old Norse, but it doesn't seem as appropriate as Latin for Biblical stuff, heh.

What is your definition of 'ugly'?

I think Nahuatl, German, and Icelandic are some of the most beautiful languages, for comparison. I also like Chinese. I think all of these choices are pretty unpopular, so I'm just a weirdo I s'pose. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Part of the beauty of hebrew is the depth of intricacy that is involved the letters, the words, and the philosophical interplay found between individual elements. Even the place in the mouth where the letters are formed has significance. Only the philosophy behind chinese characters is an equal to the elegance of the hebrew language, in my opinion.

I quite like Chinese myself. The philosophical interplay of Hebrew... I don't know much about it, but I have a sort of dislike for Judaic philosophy in general (has there ever been such a poison as the Abrahamic religions*? blech!), so that's probably another reason I'm not fond of it.

*Don't get me wrong; I have read the Bible and am working my way through the Qur'an, and they're beautiful in many ways. The thing I don't like about them is the insistence upon eternal damnation, the emphasis on blind faith, and the archaic morality they espouse that is - unfortunately - believed by so many people today. I'm just glad most Christians aren't insisting that homosexuals still be stoned to death or whatever.

This post has been edited by Vilhjalmr: Jan 14 2011, 05:39 PM

^ I think that understanding the verses and such are really a lot more important here than bothering about languages. This reminded me of something I would see in the "screwtape letters" as a way to get the focus off the actual meaning and instead focus on how something sounds. Sure hebrew is probably better (regardless of whether it sounds better or not, which I would argue it probably does, the Semitic being an auditory people and all) but it doesn't really matter. I mostly agree with Vagrant in saying Hebrew has great philosophical interplays but am not especially knowledgeable about it, and am not familiar with chinese.

If you chase feelings from prayers you won't get any (or any good ones). If you chase the meaning and forget about the sounds then you will get eternal salvation, joy, guidance, communication with God, and all that jazz. Oh and that's from a Christian standpoint. If you're not Christian then just pick whichever language you like most.

This post has been edited by ☞Tomber☜: Jan 14 2011, 11:03 PM