Pedrajas, Relatorre, Rotina, Sinoy, Tampos BS ARCH 2A

RVE 3 (W 9:30-11:00 AM) Task 4: Prayer Analysis

This vocal prayer of Queen Esther tells us that God is our only Savior. It shows that
we should have a deep faith, trust, and total dependence on God in every very desperate
situation we are experiencing, for He alone can save us. Here, we read that even a queen,
someone in the higher up of a society, seeks for God’s help, despite the presence of her
people and riches to protect her from danger. Also, the level of this prayer is a private,
personal prayer, because it is her authentic Christian prayer.

The first passage, “My Lord, our King, You alone are our God. Please help me, for I
am alone and I have no one else but You to turn to; my life is in danger.” Is an adoration
prayer, she stated her recognition to God– considered Him as her Lord, King, and her God
alone, where she petitioned her need of help and protection for danger.

Second passage, “As a child, I was always told by the people of the land of my
forefathers that You, O Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples and designated our fathers
from among all their ancestors as a perpetual heritage, and that all of Your promises to them
were fulfilled”, tells us how relevant He is to her, to them. It tells us that what He promised
will be done or will truly come to life– in other words, nothing is impossible with Him. the
Lord God has manifested long ago, during the time of our forefather's father, that it is God
who choses Israel to be His people where His promises will be seen by those who doubt Him
 Third passage, “Now, however, we have sinned in your sight by worshiping the gods
of our enemies, and You have delivered us into their hands because you are just O Lord…”,
this is a contrition prayer. Whereas, she asks for forgiveness from their sins of worshipping
other gods.

The fourth and fifth passage, “Do not forget us O Lord. Be present to us in the time of
our distress and grant me courage,”, is a prayer of petition. This, she asks the Lord to be
there with them in difficult times, and she also asked Him for courage.

The last passage,” O King of gods and Ruler of earthly power… Save us by Your
power, and come to my aid, for I am alone and have no one but You on whom to depend, O
Lord”, is a prayer of offering. In this, we can say how she lift up to Him everything. She
offered her life by stating how she depends it on to Him.

This prayer is known as A Song of Ascents of David which declares his humility and
gratitude to God. Psalms 131, in the sense of expressions of prayer, is a meditation. This is
because we may use this scripture to reflect or think about God. In terms with the level of
Christian prayer, it is a private personal prayer, for David, because it is his own prayer to God

The first passage, “LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not
busy myself with great matters, with things to sublime for me.” tells us how David never
viewed himself as more important, he did not envy those who are above him nor did he
disdain those below him, he never saw himself as superior and was not conceited. A man
with no ambition. Thus, an adoration to God.

The second passage, “Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on my mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.” portrays David as a man
whom is like a young child with his mother when he is with God. He has obediently taken
heed of every command and condition God has placed in him, never questioning, never
insolent and never feeling discontent.

Third passage, “ISRAEL, hope in the LORD, now and forever.” represents David’s
hope that his people may be encourage to trust God with all their hearts, with all their souls,
and with all their minds, just as he did. He hopes that we may also have hope and have faith
to the Lord. Whereas, this depicts his offering to God– letting Him takeover them.

Christ meditate or contemplate about how to endure the pain on the cross by praying
for strength to do His Father’s will. He just prayed silently instead letting fear feed Him. This
shows that even if everyone or the whole world is against you or does not like you, meditate
and talk to God. Trust that He will stay and listen to you until the end. Trust in Him and He
will not disappoint you. Surrender everything to the Lord and your life will be easier. Jesus
underwent the most difficult trial of his life, the crucifixion. We know that God made us and
he knows what is best for us, in spite all of this, Jesus prayed in simplicity, humility and
acceptance.

Christ prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, first He prayed to “take this cup away
from me,”. This is a petition of Jesus to God. He prayed as a man and described this cup as
the cup of suffering, wrath, and the divine judgement of God to Israel and upon humanity.
The cup portrays the crucifixion of Christ upon the cross to take the cup and bear the wrath,
suffering, and the divine judgement of God. He prayed for God to take away this suffering,
wrath, and the judgement of God to Israel and upon humanity.

Christ also prayed for “yet, not my will but Yours be done.” In this prayer Christ
portrays obedience in spirit and truth that He submissively offers all the things to God so that
we will not put into temptations.

Thus, Christ offers Himself to God and submissively trust the will of God. Therefore,
this prayer of expression of Christ is a sign of offering. Christ voiced out Himself and submit
Himself to God, this type of prayer is a vocal prayer and a private, personal prayer because
Christ voice out what is in his heart to God for the Israel and to all humanity.