04-23-2009, 07:27 PM
Peace Muslimah,
These are excellent questions that I will answer from the Bible.
"How do you pray?"
In the Bible, Jesus Christ instructs his disciples on how to, and not to pray:
Matthew 6:5-13
(5) Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.
(6) But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.
(7) And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking.
(8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
(9) Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
(10) Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
(13) And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This instruction on how to pray is also recorded here:
Luke 11:1-4
(1) THEN HE was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, [just] as John taught his disciples.
(2) And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven.
(3) Give us daily our bread [food for the morrow].
(4) And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong]. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil.
"Where do u find the teachings that tell you how to worship in general?"
Teachings on how to worship are found throughout the Bible, I'll list a few here for an example:
Matthew 16:24-26
(24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].
(25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].
(26) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] life [in the kingdom of God]?
Romans 12:1-2
(1) I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
(2) Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
John 4:23-24
(23) A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.
(24) God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).
And lastly: "What is your denomination?"
Denominate means to give a name to or designate. Jesus Christ gave us a name...His sheep. We are also called saints and Christians according to Scripture. Religious denominations are man made and come from man's evil imagination:
Genesis 6:5
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.
Genesis 11:4-6
(4) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
(5) And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
(6) And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
I posted the scriptures above to say I do not have a denomination or designation by which the congregation is called...we are Christians, saints of God, the sheep of his Christ.