Sunday, September 23, 2012

Is Saying Amen at the End of Prayers Right?

   Though I have many other things to share, I used to really desire and seek for something that is deep and thus the post, why was the Great of greats Mother a Widow? came in. And still now also, as philosophy and fundamentals or deep things I'm interested in finding, so am I in sharing them to my fellow men.
   And as one of my principle is one should not hide the truth, of which that enlighten the world and showed the right thing or path, but published it, therefore, I write the following things.

   According to very few votes I received from my poll of research, between 40 to 50 percent claims that they love God and most of the rest claims to love humanity and the few prefer Satan. But in reality, God includes humanity already and those who really love God and humanity may be very less, lesser than the poll who knows, though most of the people of the world, if not all, believed in the existence and power of God and do also prays.
   Yes, most of us pray, if not always but at least when troubles comes, we are worried or in need of guidance, protection or enlightenment or all. And that means many of us always use or say 'amen' at the end of our own prayers. But, since, we had all ran away so far from God we had confused and also forgotten or realize not when and where to use 'amen' and many other things. Keeping other things for the next time, we now really need to know what, when and where is the right and wrong use of 'amen.'

    Amen is used by Jewish, Christian and Islam but as 'amin,' with the same meaning, in Islam. It may be used by other religions also sometimes or regularly and in different occasion but popularly used in worship.
   And as far as we know, according to our understanding of the word 'Amen' in this modern world, it means 'so be it.' But if we look for more of the meaning or uses of 'amen' online, we see more of its uses or meaning and they are not only 'so be it,' but 'I agree,' 'Truth,' 'Faithful,' 'Trustworthy,' 'truly,' 'verily' but verily itself is not amen as amen is verily according to online results, and 'amen' it is also often used as an affirmation of any declaration.or to declare one's support for; uphold or defend.- See etymonline.com, google definition and wikipedia

    Since, amen means many things, like 'Truth,' 'Faithful,' 'So be it,' 'I agree,' and is used to express agreement, but does not mean for used at the end of one's own prayers one should not say so.
   Of course, we cannot say 'let it be,' or 'I agree' to express agreement at the end of our own prayers as prayers is asking or begging, offering thanks through words or praise or all the mixture of them to God.
   Therefore, it is not for us who pray (beg, offer words of thanks and praise) to say 'So be it,' or 'I agree,' at the end of our own prayers. It is for God to say 'let it be,' or 'I agree,' and He does when He agrees or accept our prayers. It is Him who can only accept and fulfill or respond to our prayers, and when He does we see the answer immediately or slowly, sooner or later. But we, we ourselves cannot fulfill our own wish but just pray to God, and that is why we do pray.
   We never use 'amen' at the end of our request even to our earthly god mother and father, eg, 'Dad, buy me a pair of socks, 'amen,'' or 'Mom, take me with you, 'so be it.'' How dare we answer to ourselves by saying 'so be it,' when and after we ourselves asked to our gods, when we are not the one who would make the decision to accept/agree or not, or to say 'so be it?'
   If we don't dare and is not appropriate to do so to our earthly gods, how much more would we dare not and is in appropriate to do so to our heavenly Father above, the Father of all things?

   When we say 'amen' to our own prayers its seems like we consider ourselves as God and pray to ourselves, and it mean that without our knowing about the meaning. And also we ourselves answer our own prayers without any fulfillment or effect, for we have no power.
   But, since, God is love and full of love and grace, He had always answered our prayers which are according to His will even though we do it wrong at the end of our prayers by saying 'amen,' and also through out the prayer by repeating our words and calling His name repeatedly. Yes, of course, He stills answer our imperfect prayers with grace for He oversees our lack of knowledge and forgives us.
   Then, how shall we do after we have known the right thing and way? After knowing that it is wrong to say 'amen' at the end of prayers and also repeat our words and His name, we should repent and do no more but if we are obedient children of God, for God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son had commanded us 'not to take His Name in vain' (Exodus 20: 7) and 'not to say words repeatedly in our prayers like the Gentiles do' (Matthew 6: 7).

   Then, is it wrong for the people to say 'amen' when a man pray before others on behalf of them?
   As in 1 Corinthians 14: 16, if a man sing a song of praise before the people or pray on behalf of the people before them, the people may also say 'amen' and that would mean they declare that they support the prayer of a man on behalf of them to God, in other words, we also pray to You the same. And that too, saying 'amen' is the peoples prayer, or prayers of every person at the end of a man's prayer who pray on behalf of them. Yes, they support or confirm that a man's prayer who pray on behalf of them is their prayer too.
   But, as God is worthy of honor and respect as He should be, the best and appropriate way for the people would be to say 'amen' with the following words 'O Lord, in Jesus name.' and may also add 'we pray.' This is right and lawful in the Lord. Of course, that is the appropriate way of prayers according to God, the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost, and also the run away sons and daughters of God but only if they are according to God the Omnipotent through Jesus Christ the Saviour and Lord.

    Of course, if reverence to God is concerned and necessary, and of course it is necessary, the people should not just simply say 'amen,' (So be it, I agree or support) at the end of a man's prayer on behalf of them, for they are not God who can fulfill the prayers.
   But they can support the prayer with prayer itself, and since prayer means as we have said above and truly its talking to God, it should be like this 'amen, O Lord, in Jesus name' or 'O Lord, amen in Jesus name.' See this Rev 22: 20.
   That's the appropriate and best way to say 'amen' according to God. Of course, the right way.

    As there are multiple uses and meaning of 'amen,' but the meaning of 'the Amen,' 'our Amen,' etc. as in 2 Corinthians 1: 20 are the Truth, Faithful, Trustworthy, Answerer and more which refers to or represents God. It may also be, 'King,' 'God,' but one clear thing about it from that Bible verse is that, it is one of God's name. And as God had given commandment 'to not use or say His name carelessly,' as the third most important in the Ten Commandments. See it on bible.cc and on biblegateway.com (Ex. 20:7) we must obey God if we loved Him.

   After all, Jesus Christ have never used 'amen' in His prayers and never ever commanded His followers to used or say it after prayers, He did not even say 'amen' when He teach them how to pray to Our Father in Heaven. See Mathew 6: 9 - 13, Luke 11: 2 - 4
   Even in Gethsemane Jesus Christ Himself did not say 'amen' at the end of His prayers, Mathew 26: 39 - 44, Mark 14: 35 - 41, Luke 22: 40 - 45 He did not even tell His followers, 'say 'amen' when you finished your prayers.'
   He did not say 'amen' at the end of His cries in the cross, 'Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?...,' Mathew 27: 46, Mark 15: 34, if He does, it will be so inappropriate.

   Therefore, for those who prays, it is so inappropriate and wrong to use in or say 'amen' at the end of our own prayers.
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