Prayer bracelets?

Sounds new age to me.

Why should one need to rely on beads to reach God?

1 Timothy 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the prayer bracelet?

NOT!!!

1 Timothy 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

If one touches each bead in prayer, his mind is not on that which he should be praying for, rather it is on the beads... did I touch that one already? What can this one represent?

 

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Again, it does not say, John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, Beads are the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by them.

Are we supposed to be concentrating on beads when in prayer? or on the Lord?

 

I would agree with 'Standing'here. Although probably not 'wrong' why would one need to use a bracelet and beads to help you pray?

 

Just a quick question...

How does a set of beads help one to concentrate any more than without?

My opinion... beads would take away from concentration. They would be distracting. Focus would be more on beads than on God.

 

Prayer Beads???

C'mon, that is just as bad as those that are looking for God in every material object possible.

God is not in those inanimate beads. To teach anyone that beads help one get closer to God is a false doctrine.

 

If she cannot keep her attention on prayer without beads, she certainly is not going to keep her attention on God with beads.

 

Well, Nate, let's look at it from another prospective.

Did anyone in the Bible ever use prayer beads for anything? I can't think of any.

Then there's always the question, "what would Jesus do?"

Peace,

Tam

 

Using aids to focus are fine as long as they do not become the focus. Closing ones eyes in prayer was developed as a means of aiding focus in prayer so that things going on around you did not distract you.

Some people only see the negative never the positive.

 

I use a prayer list. Does that mean I rely on the list instead of God?

 

You are comparing apples to oranges. Everyone I know uses a prayer list--but "prayer bracelets" are synonymous with "rosary beads" in the RCC.

The best example of the way we should pray is found in Matthew 6:5-13--many call this the "Lord's Prayer". That is somewhat of a misnomer. Actually, the real "Lord's Prayer" is found in John 17--Matthew 6 is a "model prayer" which Jesus taught His disciples. I like to call it the "Disciples Prayer".

So-called "prayer bracelets" are pretty much a New Age thing, very similar to the way people used "crystals" in the 70s.

 

Personally, I have no use for them. However, I have no problem with them, so long as the object itself is not prayed to (which would be idolatry). But the use of tools to assist in one's personal meditative and prayer life, I see no problem with it if one finds it beneficial.

Then don't use them. As I said, I don't and have no need for them. However, if someone else finds them useful in their prayer life as noted above, then I can see nothing scripturally wrong them them.

 

Of course there's nothing wrong with them. But it's too close to Catholicism so it must be wrong.

 

They are? The only prayer beads I've seen don't resemble rosaries at all.

I fail to see how. Crystals were believed to have special powers. I can find no one who claims that prayer beads (as discussed here) have any special type of pwer whatsoever, only as a tool. Now, if someone were actually claiming that prayer beads had any kinds of power to them, I'd be in agreement with you.