What is Prayer? w/ Jordan Peterson

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In this clip, Matt Fradd asks Jordan Peterson about prayer and the right ways to pray.
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[@costernocht]

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” -- St Therese of Lisieux

[@CatTrashRacing]

Ooof that’s good!

[@larrydunivin240]

Wow... thoughts are secular prayers. Yes. Thoughts are revelation. Yes. This verbalization just clarified some of my confusion. Thanks Jordan.

[@ivanvladic3293]

But always check the spirits :)

[@littleboots9800]

"We dont ask for unearned, undeserved favour.." Everything we are given by God is undeserved and his greatest gift, his son and his work on the cross is the most undeserved.

[@mattboylan7318]

That is correct and I am sure that JP would agree that we must have ultimate humility to properly orient our psyche. However, I believe his point is more that we should not be praying to God like he is a genie trying to get our wishes granted. We should be praying to hierarchically categorize our desires starting from the ultimate good and cascading down. The ultimate good would be that God's will be manifested in the way in which our lives unfold and we carry out our daily existence and that we grow to have our will conformed to His will. That is not to say that praying for a truly good thing like the conversion of our family members or that our wife will become pregnant is necessarily the wrong thing to do. We just must always acknowledge that the hierarchical nature of prayer should involve our will being subordinate to God's will (our destiny) with the knowledge that God's will will necessarily lead to a greater good in our lives than anything our will can conjure up.

[@PrayNow4all]

Yeah, EVERYTHING I pray for is undeserved including sanctifying grace, etc. I'm so overwhelmed by His blessings to me and my family.

[@maggiesamson337]

@@mattboylan7318beautiful

[@groobly6070]

I was once told that every time you pray, you are not the one initiating a dialogue with God, instead you are responding to the presence of the Holy Spirit inside you. So therefore, God is the one who always initiates prayer. And since God is always the one initiating, He is always listening

[@solomon7621]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@magicalmiller]

He is not always listening it is very clear in scripture. And not all are children of GOD. Your theology is very twisted in that understanding. I will say that when prayer is initiated it is THE HOLY SPIRIT, that is 1000000 percent true.

[@theAwkwardAvocado]

@@magicalmiller Where does it say that in scripture, that God is not always listening?

[@myfakinusername]

@@magicalmiller ''I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian.” Lk 4:25-28

[@masonthompsen9751]

​@@magicalmiller So you're saying that the Holy Spirit is not God, since the Holy Spirit is always listening, yet you claim God is not?

[@mrschris9521]

This is exactly what I needed this morning. A new way to pray as my stubbornness is keeping me from growing further in my destiny with Jesus. And nobody else is teaching us to rid our character defects ~ those things are easy to overlook when day after day after hour the world is giving permission to live in self righteous wrongs.

[@pickenchews]

Jordan strikes me as someone who is deeply worried about not being good enough, not being worthy, and has dedicated himself to a theory of achieving worthiness. He is now confronted with an idea of a loving God who doesn't care that he isn't "worthy", and he desperately needs to view this God through a lense of earning this God's favor, earning this God's assistance, earning this God's love, and definitely NOT asking for any of that if he can't earn it. It's easier for his pride to show off his ability to call himself wretched than to ask for and accept love and help from a superior being unearned...a God who would then ask Jordan to treat other unworthy ppl the same. For a man who has preached that the key to life and happiness and worthiness is to find the heaviest possible burden and carry it yourself, it is a wild twist to be faced with a God who has paid the price for him and wants to carry that burden for him. I'm rooting for Jordan.

[@ds2012ad]

Well said

[@pickenchews]

@@TypeLouderPlease Amen! 🕊️

[@yungrenzel9107]

Peace Brother, you wrote a whole paragraph what you couldve said in one sentence. Could you simplify please?

[@generalinformation4386]

Jordan recognizes that God expects us to give our best. THEN God does the rest. The whole idea that we are poor victims begging God to rescue us has impregnated Christianity and has no basis in scripture. It is insipid victimhood. David had to face Goliath, Jacob had to face Esau, the promised land had to be taken by fighting, Christ had to face the Christ. Good is NOT a butler nite a vending machine, what a great summary.

[@Rul_27]

I would say that prayer is primarily about expressing gratitude and asking for forgiveness, being humble while doing so.

[@dorsa78762]

Thank you for asking these great questions 👏

[@user-og2wt3le4j]

Prayer is a form of communication with God. It is a heartfelt talk with God. Prayer helps us draw closer to God. We pray to resist temptation of Satan. We also pray to confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness. We can also pray for guidance and help in our daily lives. We can also pray for others including family and friends. We can pray to God to give thanks for what we have or what we stand in need of. As we pray we should tell Him what we feel in our hearts, confide in Him, ask for forgiveness, and express our love to Him. Prayer is about humility, submission, and honoring God. We have all that we have because of the grace of God.

[@lordpenetron4285]

it struck deep when jordan looked into the camera. i think genuine paternal love is a very pure manifestation of the godly spirit. that is something you dont betray and something you don't hurt, because there is nothing as regrettable and emotionally painful as the guilt of hurting a loved one

[@SolSystemDiplomat]

3:28 to 4:34 is powerful stuff

[@EdginLegend]

An Australian and a Canadian speak English talking about the prayer techniques of a Roman religion to a mostly American audience. THE WEST IS THE BEST!!!!!

[@Dre2Dee2]

And that's a trait INHERIT to Christianity itself, because we are citizens of Christendom. Without Christianity, we would not have this value! Non-Christians don't have it. We forget this fact way too much.

[@violet3863]

You pray to seek him like prey! And I think that’s we say God bless your Heart and the love of the faith in redemption to edification. Like Elijah who prayed for rain 3 times and looked up and tried again until he saw. Hebrews 11:1 and really how beautiful when those come in the name of the Lord able to esteem his royal dignity with delight

[@Razear]

I think most, if not all, of what people pray for stems from a desire of unearned favors. And that's what causes people to absolve themselves of personal responsibility whenever a negative outcome of their own doing pans out. It's the diffusion of blame from oneself to some external entity.

[@obl7vi0n]

Jordan chill bro

[@georgemdonnelly]

Pretty wild that we Catholics have to discover these truths again, its a shame because we (Catholics) have so many works that speak to these ways of prayer (Spiritual Combat by Spiritual Combat by Scupoli). Makes me doubt what spirit is guiding Church leadership. Thank you for the interview.

[@yungrenzel9107]

You've nailed it brother. Makes me wonder too

[@GodSoLoved.Yeshua]

A conversation with God. 🥳👏✝️

[@m.fisher6950]

The guy on the right took a few minutes to recover from the "how am I stupid?"

[@RAMnnn1892]

in short: be introspective about the true intention of your actions

[@CMiller-tc5yl]

Most don't use his name properly and it's all about how you word it

[@jrb4347]

God serves man but he in’s not a servant 🙏🏼 It’s a beautiful life

[@dgamer4862]

How to justify anything like ancient madness - JP

[@makebritaingreatagain2613]

1:20

[@jbc242424]

God can and will grant you your desires. I have firsthand experience. You do, however, need to make the correct sacrifices.

[@laverdadescatolica5]

#ChristIsKING

[@historian9484]

Jordan seems more angry despite host being so patient

[@generalinformation4386]

As soon as you start reading others motives you have lost and are now judging. Judge not lest you also be judged.

[@historian9484]

@@generalinformation4386 how is that judgement.I am making a statement.A fact.Jordan tone of voice was raised despite Mat not being confrontational.Maybe Jordan will read it and work on it

[@generalinformation4386]

@@historian9484 none so blind as those who will not see. Tone of voice? Really? It doesn't take much to trigger judgement

[@historian9484]

@@generalinformation4386whatever

[@joryiansmith]

Brilliant 🔥 "If you had never sinned in your life, you could never call Jesus, savior." - Fulton Sheen

[@bethmcmullan7686]

Fulton Sheen is incorrect in that (if that’s a genuine quote). Mary never sinned yet Christ is her Saviour also. Mary refers to God as “my Saviour” in Luke 1:47. Whilst Mary is unique in the manner in which her sanctification and redemption occurred, it is untrue to say that one must sin in order to call Christ “Saviour.”

[@trebleshootingtrebleshooti9733]

Thank you for posting this interview. If I may request, please let the man talk. The constant verbalizations while the other person is speaking is very distracting.

[@isaac_paech]

"Thought is seculised prayer" is a fire quote

[@reegonfall8866]

😐💯🙏⛪👍

[@Native_Man123]

JP is Goat

[@Mohamed-bm6yk]

To whom pray to the father to the son to the holy spirit which one

[@pauldudley1200]

I think it's helpful to remember in prayer is that God is one in three Divine Persons. When you pray to the God the Father or God the Son you are praying to all of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. God bless!

[@Mohamed-bm6yk]

@@pauldudley1200 and when they answer the payer wich one do it i wanna adress him directly

[@charlottewyttle1578]

Peterson is one of the last people I would go to…

[@mden2490]

When you pray to God you are giving Him praise and honor, that should be the number one reason for your prayer.. that not to say you can't ask Him for help , but the Lord does not change His mind like you and I, about what you need and the future. For the most part we are a product of the decisions and actions we have made, so humility, repentant, and seeking to be being rightly formed (right reason) go a long way, so we can avoid the same/future sins, or mistakes and asking God to continue to form us/you like a potter forms clay, so you can become the person that the Lord brought us into this world too be.

[@Dre2Dee2]

That's true, but the Bible does tell us that God does respond to prayer. He definitely has his plan, but he weighs how much we pray and how devoutly we do it into that equation.

[@tenmilesfm]

"Thought is secularized prayer' must be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard Peterson say, and there are some strong contenders for that honour.

[@elitecroat4612]

I would say "The origin of the" rather than secularized maybe would be more accurate and maybe he was thinking that way

[@generalinformation4386]

When you think someone else is so obviously dumb it is best to check and wonder whether you are rating yourself more highly than you ought.

[@tenmilesfm]

@@generalinformation4386 oh, I'm nowhere in the same universe in terms of general intelligence to Peterson. That doesn't mean I can't recognise when he says something stupid.

[@jackslater8688]

its like JP got the Cliff notes on life. WTF!?

[@mikekatz6024]

Let's use the word teacher, the Bible is a living document, and I've had a personal relationship with God for 50 years. All I'm saying is it's more than psychology / philosophy.

[@n4ughty_knight]

In my opinion, Jordan is ritualistic. He doesn't pray because God exists. He "prays" because in his own logic, prayer is a way for men to become better. Kinda like how in Confucianism the rituals are practiced as a form of betterment.

[@rinihogewoning6528]

That is an excellent observation. I believe that is why Peterson is drawn to discussing "faith" or the "idea" of God with leaders and scholars from works-based religions like Easter Orthodox, Roman Catholicism, Judaism, and even Islam, because from what I see, Peterson can only accept the tools and benefits from faith that are tangible and pragmatic to equip one to strive to moral betterment in this life now which can be summed up as self-justification which opposes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace thru faith in Christ alone. Peterson's focus seems primarily to be in having confidence in the flesh as justification for salvation, not grace alone (Rom 5:1). Interestingly enough, Peterson is very similar to Paul in the Bible before his conversion who was also an intellectual elite but counted everything as loss for knowing Christ after he was supernaturally regenerated (Philippians 3:3-12); it's a striking parallel actually. Let's pray that God gives Peterson a heart of flesh so that he will profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, not Jesus as just a good person and moral teacher.

[@n4ughty_knight]

@@rinihogewoning6528 Thank you! Let's pray!

[@Michael-jv7uq]

That is a good observation.

[@generalinformation4386]

No, if you listen he prays for wisdom, to know God. It is scriptural, totally scriptural.

[@rinihogewoning6528]

@@generalinformation4386 I did not know that. However does he pray in Jesus name? Does he believe Rom 10:9, Col 3:1, 1 Tim 2:5, and John 14:6? One is only saved (justified) by believing that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord (Rom 5:1). Let's pray that Peterson would come to repentance and saving faith in Christ, because so far I haven't seen Peterson publicly confess that Jesus is Lord, instead he reduces Jesus to the most moral man who ever lived.

[@hansblitz7770]

Spiritual Filibuster

[@reba5679]

Pray that God’s will for you will be manifest in your life and the grace to know and be obedient to his will.

[@Reactionem]

As always, a major danger to the science of sacred theology are these KZbin talking heads. The science of sacred theology retrieves its material from sacred scripture, divine apostolic tradition, and the magisterium. Since its function is to give the clear and unequivocal meaning of the divine message, it finds that meaning of prayer expressed in the real essential definition formulated as: the petition of God for fitting things.

[@generalinformation4386]

My theology comes from knowing God and God is love. If you don't have that... well the scriptures are clear on that point.

[@bapam2]

You’re asking an atheist what prayer is? Peterson’s God is not your Catholic/Christian God and you know it.

[@generalinformation4386]

No, I don't know it and neither do you. Only the self righteousness believe they know the content of another's heart.

[@bapam2]

@@generalinformation4386 you obviously haven’t listened to him talk about this MANY times before he joined up with the Daily Wire. He likes the stories and the concept in an abstract way. Not the actual sky fairy literally. He has too much intelligence for that.

[@ds2012ad]

I love JP, but Aquinas is so weak in refuting the convoluted mess that JP is coming out with. Prayer is talking to the father, Not your self.

[@gregorywitcher5618]

Dr. Peterson (note the Icon cloak) is pointing y’all Papists (and The World writ large) to Right Teaching. ✝️☦️✝️ Forgive me, a sinner. Amen.

[@Ticked.-]

Humans had thought before they had prayers - Jordan has it in reverse ; 'Prayer is just religious thought'

[@gtkona1608]

I think JP does a much better job with the temptations of Christ in his book, 12 Rules for Life. Revelation? How about the cognitive unconscious sorting out a myriad of individual facts into the 'revelation'.

[@Dre2Dee2]

The one thing I will give Peterson credit for is he is good at knowing the trend. Now maybe he's genuinely much more Christian now, maybe he's not. I don't know, not my business, but as Christianity has become much more of a trend recently, he's also right on it.

[@benjamin5726]

You clearly don’t listen to his old stuff then.

[@Dre2Dee2]

@@benjamin5726 the suits made of literal icons is a NEW thing, give me a break

[@Dblue-rhino]

Thoughts are secular prayers. So logic comes from religion? He just explained our evolution. Blow up.

[@mikekatz6024]

He will give you what you need, I don't agree with how he turns everything into a psychological endeavor. He is not a theologian.

[@generalinformation4386]

The disciples were not theologians either and you don't need to be a theologian to know God. In fact the greatest theologian in the new testament, Paul, said "I count it all loss" in comparison to the joy of knowing God. The pharisees were theologians and they didn't rate highly on Christ's list.

[@bitofwizdomb7266]

Free will and prayer can’t work together. You are self responsible and accountable for your choices and actions . You shape your next moments experience with the thoughts you think , the words you speak and the actions you engage in . Live consciously and choose wisely

[@Dre2Dee2]

Why can't free will and prayer work? They don't contradict each other, one is our action and the other is God's. They co-exist perfectly fine, there is no contradiction.

[@bitofwizdomb7266]

@@Dre2Dee2 guess it depends how you define God. Does God already know the future ? Isn’t he supposedly omniscient? People talk about him having plans for every one , don’t they ? If someone dies when you’re praying for their recovery , people are apt to say “god had other plans for him “ no ? But if the person survives, then it’s a miracle , right ? If God is omniscient how is there free will ?

[@generalinformation4386]

You can't live consciously and choose wisely unless you have faith in God. Apart from God all thoughts are the product of a mind formed by billions of random processes over billions of years. To claim that such a mind can produce 'wisdom' is nonsensical.

[@Dre2Dee2]

@@bitofwizdomb7266 If God is omniscient how is there free will ? We make the choices first, THEN he draws up his plan. In that way we are given the freedom to decide everything before he enacts his response

[@bitofwizdomb7266]

@@Dre2Dee2 doesn’t Omniscience means all-knowing? Yaweh is all all-knowing in the sense that he is aware of the past, present, and future. Nothing takes him by surprise. His knowledge is total. Did yaweh know “Adam and Eve” would sin before he “created” them according to the biblical story ? take for example the pharaoh in the biblical story in exodus . Did yaweh intentionally harden his heart ? Was his free will striped from him ? And on the last plague , did the innocent first borns have any free will whatsoever? Did their parents have free will protecting their firstborns that they waited for and wanted to love? Does Yaweh/Elohim already have foreknowledge of what you will do, how you will act, what you will think in every moment of the life you will live , etc before you are even born? If so , where’s the free will ? Moreover , how do omniscience and omnipotent work together without yaweh looking evil and uncaring ? Think innocent Christian children being trafficked for example

[@alphainka]

Pray for Jordan to be born again, to truely come to know Jesus personally, not some etherial abstract concept that has practical truths. God is a being who wants to commune with us.

[@pickenchews]

Everything God does for us is unearned. FFS Jordan, let go of the pride games. Everything he does for us, he does out of love, because God DESIRES to do things for us. That doesn't make him a genie, we aren't guaranteed wealth and health for believing, but if you can't understand the fact that God loves us and really wants to bless us way beyond our own capacity to earn or deserve anything, then you can't even begin to appreciate Christ.

[@noyes8836]

your comment is part of a pride game

[@pickenchews]

@@noyes8836 how so? I feel as tho Jordan's pride won't just let God love him

[@noyes8836]

​@@pickenchews i think you want to say "let him love god"? yeah but why do you assume that your feeling is correct? you think jordan doesn´t love god? he talks about almost nothing else than god. okay

[@pickenchews]

@@noyes8836 no that's not what I'm saying at all

[@stephenmelton2532]

JP is stating that God’s love and blessings are self evident. Therefore our prayers should be to use those gifts appropriately and not to buttress our own vanity and pride.

[@user-mf4gz3sp1q]

...inner dialogue ascribed to unsubstantiated superstitions...

[@ezekiel5946]

Why would I entertain Jordan Peterson’s take on what prayer is when I have the whole deposit of the Catholic Faith? JP has too much pride.

[@stevengoldstein114]

WOW Jordan is trying to be a theologist now. Jordan just keeps telling people he know better than everyone else. Jordan needs to address as part of a disciplinary probation order, a period of suspension may be imposed prior to the effective date of the probation. The Board's Disciplinary Guidelines provide details of the conditions under which a suspension may be made a part of the probation order. During suspension, licensees may not practice psychology or refer to themselves as psychologists. As indicated above in "Probation," suspensions are considered disciplinary actions associated with probation orders and, as such, are public information and provided to consumers upon request. Jordan is a Frasier Crane wannabe. He is an entertainer not a psychologist. Because he sells books and videos and lectures, THAT IS NOT THERAPY. He needs to address his bad conduct in courts in the case of Case 1 Sordi v. Sordi, 2009 CanLII 80104 (ON SC) he defamed a parent in court. In the case 2 R. v. Pearce, 2012 MBQB 22 (CanLII) he tried to free a murderer. Then in the case Peterson v. College of Psychologists of Ontario, 2023 ONSC 4685, he tried to avoid taking responsibility. He also tried to interfere in a family court case in Montana, the Kolstadt case, where there was a GAG order, he unprofessionally diagnosed a minor without interviews or assessments, and tried to defend unfit parents.

[@jwillett7]

It's a satanic temptation to ask God for an unearned favour? Seriously? I'm surprised Matt didn't push back on this. This could not be further from the truth. Salvation is a free gift so that no one can boast. It is a fundamental difference in religions that Christianity is grace based and not works based. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

[@atgred]

The “work” it is talking about is the INITIAL WORK, which of course is by Grace from God. He is the “starter”. And how do we know this? Well, keep reading! “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus *unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”* What if one says they have faith but don’t do the good works ordained by God one should “walk in them”? Well, Rev. 20:12-13 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were JUDGED out of those things which were written in the books, ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS.” I wish I could be judged by my faith alone, but I will not be. As Jesus teaches in Mt. 25, what we DO to/for others, we DO to/for Him. Sin is also a work (thought, word, work and omission), a BAD WORK, and we will also be judged by them. Works are only a mean to put our love for Christ to action. God bless!!! Vocation is belonging to Christ.

[@pickenchews]

PREACH

[@jwillett7]

@@atgred I see what you mean and I think we almost agree. I am not saying that our own works are irrelevant. But what JP said and implicitly Matt seemed to agree by not pushing back, but I put that down to pressure of responding in the moment of interview rather than what he believes, is that we should not ask for something that we have not earned. But our salvation cannot be earned, so it couldn't be anywhere near a satanic temptation. It is the opposite. To be saved we must ask for a favour we cannot earn. Salvation is impossible for man alone but with God it is possible (Matthew 19:25-26). Jesus is 'the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him.' It is not that we can 'come to the Father' if we do enough selfless acts, feed the hungry and house the homeless, all good godly actions but they still will not take away the stain of our sins. However, how we act after we have been saved is important. Like It says in James 2:17 'in the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.' So, yes we are to do good works, treat others like image bearers of God, like the sheep and the goats we should feed the hungry, give a drink to to thirsty, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit the prisoner, but not to earn our salvation. The way I read James' statement with the teachings of Paul and Jesus (above) is that you are saved by Jesus' sacrifice and the proof of your salvation is in how you act once you have been saved. God bless, I appreciate a respectful KZbin comment, even if we disagree.

[@brianhussey1317]

I think he was speaking directly about asking God a favor to save us from our own stupidity. We have to avoid stupidity, and that is “doing” something. Not that we are earning it, I think he just misspoke. I’m just guessing though.

[@edwardbell9795]

His starting point for understanding the temptations is the human person rather than Christ. His anthropology is human rather than Christ centred. Matt Fradd is awed by Peterson. Embarrassing.

[@frankd8958]