Do we have direction on how long we are to pray?

[Ellen Brown]

Matt 26:40
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Some will likely feel that this is a dictate, from the Bible that we are to pray one hour a day. Others will not think so.

Muslims are to pray at least 5 times a day, and having done it just lots, I feel that the average prayer time is around 12 minutes. That times 5, aproximates one hour. Odd coincidence that.

In contrast, in another incident, Jesus is said to have said that we are to pray in bed.

For better or worse, I pray in the morning and evening for likely less than 5 minutes, and since I am alone, it is easy to keep my prayer in the background. If something comes up, it is easy to go to full on prayer other times.

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Matt 26:40
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Some will likely feel that this is a dictate, from the Bible that we are to pray one hour a day. Others will not think so.

Muslims are to pray at least 5 times a day, and having done it just lots, I feel that the average prayer time is around 12 minutes. That times 5, aproximates one hour. Odd coincidence that.

In contrast, in another incident, Jesus is said to have said that we are to pray in bed.

For better or worse, I pray in the morning and evening for likely less than 5 minutes, and since I am alone, it is easy to keep my prayer in the background. If something comes up, it is easy to go to full on prayer other times.

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

No...Nehemiah prayed quickly (Nehemiah 2:4-5), and was heard.
Genuineness and sincerity — from your heart — is the only requirement at first. Then, when one learns from Scripture, one should pray to God, through Jesus . As John 14:6 states. Jesus is “the way” to the Father.

 

[sun rise]

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

There are of course organized groups with specific guidance or rules. But outside of that, I would not focus on time. I'd go further. One minute of wholehearted and sincere prayer to me is more valuable than hours of superficially reciting prayers.

 

[arthra]

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

For me prayer is "food" for the soul... You can generally tell when you're hungry as your tummy growls but your soul may not be so easy to discern when hungry.

Baha'is have three obligatory prayers that are recited daily... a short, medium and long obligatory prayer and we have a choice as to which one to recite. I believe for me it depends to an extent on the daily circumstances. The short prayer is recited around noon once a day... The medium prayer is recited three times a day, while the long obligatory day is recited once every twenty four hours:

The Obligatory Prayers

The prayers are recited in privacy not in congregation.

 

[whirlingmerc]

Matt 26:40
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Some will likely feel that this is a dictate, from the Bible that we are to pray one hour a day. Others will not think so.

Muslims are to pray at least 5 times a day, and having done it just lots, I feel that the average prayer time is around 12 minutes. That times 5, aproximates one hour. Odd coincidence that.

In contrast, in another incident, Jesus is said to have said that we are to pray in bed.

For better or worse, I pray in the morning and evening for likely less than 5 minutes, and since I am alone, it is easy to keep my prayer in the background. If something comes up, it is easy to go to full on prayer other times.

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

"pray at all times" I think means maintain an attitude of prayer and be ready to pray. Vain repetition for the sake of repetition is not a good means of appealing to the almighty.

 

[lukethethird]

Do we have direction on how long we are to pray?
Pray for as long as it takes to give up praying.

 

[Goodman John]

From the Didache, the Early Church went with prayers three times a day, which I see as being at 9am, 12noon, and 3pm (I think Hippolytus recommended two additional prayers, one upon waking and one just before retiring, but I can't put my finger on the reference at the moment). However, these prayers of the Early Church (and this was carried on by the Cathars) were, as I understand it, the Lord's Prayer only and it was performed only once at each prayer time. This makes for a very short prayer requirement in terms of time.

If we look to Jesus and how he prayed, we see that in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:39) that 'Jesus fell on his face and prayed'. To me this indicates prostration, and the Muslim position of 'sujud' (going to one's knees, bending forward with palms on the floor, head bowed- I just go with forehead on the floor as well) fits the bill perfectly. The LP is recited while one's head is down, and one rises when the prayer is finished. (In my personal practice, I do not perform prayers of supplication as I consider them to be vanity.) There is no requirement for the preparation of a 'sacred space' for prayer, but if one wishes to do so the Muslim practice of using a prayer rug for 'sacred space' is perfectly acceptable in my book (and I've still got some non-Islam-specific prayer rugs that would be fine to use). Obviously, if one is not able to assume this position, one would pray in an alternate form at their discretion.

The direction one prays in is entirely optional, but for consistency and respect I pray towards Jerusalem.

If one is using the discipline in penance, one remains on their knees, upright, and the LP is recited one line at a time, with the discipline applied once between each line, for a total of 10 applications. (The doxology is recited after penance is finished.)

 

[Ponder This]

Matt 26:40
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Some will likely feel that this is a dictate, from the Bible that we are to pray one hour a day. Others will not think so.

Muslims are to pray at least 5 times a day, and having done it just lots, I feel that the average prayer time is around 12 minutes. That times 5, aproximates one hour. Odd coincidence that.

In contrast, in another incident, Jesus is said to have said that we are to pray in bed.

For better or worse, I pray in the morning and evening for likely less than 5 minutes, and since I am alone, it is easy to keep my prayer in the background. If something comes up, it is easy to go to full on prayer other times.

Can we construe that there is a desire to spend a set amount of time in Prayer each day? If so what do you feel is proper?

Two monks were sitting in the Garden and smoking. One monk wondered what their teacher would think about them hanging out in the Garden smoking. The second monk suggested that they should each ask their teacher and meet back again the next day. The next day the first monk was sitting in the garden but not smoking but the second monk was sitting in the garden and smoking away. The first monk said, "Why are you smoking? When I asked the teacher if it was okay to smoke while I meditate in the garden he said, 'no'." The second monk replied, "Well, when I asked the teacher if it was okay for me to meditate while i smoke in garden, he said, 'yes'."​

Prayer isn't something that takes a set amount of time and then it's done. Maybe a recitation takes a certain amount of time, but prayer itself does not.
Maybe it's recommended to walk for an hour each day. But a person could walk more or less than an hour each day. It depends on the day, on the person, on the circumstances.

You sit down to eat, and a simple prayer to bless the meal might be appropriate instead of an hour of prayer and then the food is cold. We really need to pay attention to the purpose addressed in prayer.