I don’t think you have successfully shown it to be otherwise. Although there is a bit of compromise I’ve been trying to insert here. And to clarify let me post this A.I. response as food for thought:Morley wrote: ↑Tue Sep 24, 2024 4:25 am
Jesus did not introduce the idea of personal prayer, as you have suggested. Personal prayer is ubiquitous across time and culture.
And though you have subsequently tried to qualify your assertion as prayer to God as father, Jesus did not introduce that concept, either. It's as old as concepts of God
Inquiry: Did Jesus introduce the idea of personal prayer to father in heaven or did that practice already exist before he taught the way to pray to his disciples?
Response:
While Jesus certainly emphasized and popularized the idea of personal prayer to God as a loving father, the practice of personal prayer was not entirely new to Judaism at the time of Jesus.
In fact, there are several examples in the Hebrew scriptures of individuals engaging in personal prayer, such as Hannah's prayer for a child in 1 Samuel 1, or David's many psalms of lament and praise.
However, Jesus' teachings on prayer did represent a significant shift in emphasis and approach. Whereas Jewish prayer was often focused on communal and liturgical practices, Jesus encouraged his followers to develop a personal relationship with God as a loving and merciful father.
This emphasis on personal prayer and the centrality of God's fatherhood became a key feature of early Christianity, and continues to shape Christian theology and practice today.
So while personal prayer was not entirely new to Judaism, Jesus' teachings on prayer represented a significant development and expansion of this practice.
As I was saying in my previous post, Jesus and the Old Testament are integrally connected. We come back to the focus on liturgical prayer and personal prayer. Jesus brought personal prayer to the forefront and commanded us to pray to the Father and develop a personal relationship with Him.
Regards,
MG