"Only Baptized Ones have Unrestricted Privilege of Prayer"

BluesBrother

I was sitting at the recent Circuit Assembly that I attended, (the things I do for Sis Blues) and the Baptism Talk was under way . I admit that my mind was more on my imminent packed lunch and flask of coffee but I distinctly heard the speaker make the statement that heads this thread and cite a Wt reference.

You What ! I was shocked....... How can they possibly make such an arrogant statement ? What right do they have to tell God Almighty which prayers to listen to? Surely he is free to listen to whom he wants ?

Back home I searched the c/d rom for the phrase and sure enough the teaching is there in the Wt mag,

Wt May 15 1990 p12

"11 Some who were at one time progressing toward dedication later may seem to be holding back. If they do not have enough love for God in their heart to make an unreserved dedication to him, they ought to ask themselves whether they still have the wonderful privilege of prayer. Apparently not, because those approaching God must be earnestly seeking him and also righteousness and meekness. (Zephaniah 2:3) Everyone who really fears Jehovah is a believer who makes a dedication to God and symbolizes it by getting baptized. (Acts 8:13; 18:8) And only baptized believers have an unrestricted privilege of approaching the King Eternal in prayer"

That is presumption beyond belief. I thought this must have been commented on before, on this board, and it does appear on the search button . Forgive me but I was so gob-smacked that I felt it deserved another airing, since it apparently appears in the current outline for Baptism Talk.

slimboyfat

I remember being told this when I was getting baptised. I was like "what! You mean my prayers up to now have been ignored?" Answer basically was: "yeah probably, but Jehovah's listening from now on because you've made the right decision." Mmm.

blondie

I've mentioned that point at length in several Comments you won't hear. I was surprised...so much for telling people at the door that God hears their prayers...what about those accounts the WTS tells about how people were praying and jws dropped by that day.

FayeDunaway

REVOLTING!! And inaccurate and haughty and disgusting. I must have been sitting in a Kingdom Hall in 1990 and did that watchtower and didn't even notice. Ugh!

Introvert 2

Ah join the CLUB ! Bonus points for members, sort of like air miles. GB pimps.

breakfast of champions

Jehovah drops more calls than Sprint.

Beth Sarim

I think what that WT meant was only baptized ones only have the privilege of praying audibly in front of people, offering prayer before a group. They should make things more clear, discernable so people will understand more easily instead of having to spell things out.

Gayle

God is their commodity! You have to pay them, your time, money, heart and soul, to get God. Your down payment is baptism.

slimboyfat

I guess there's some wriggle room in "unrestricted privilege" of prayer. They seem to be claiming Jehovah listens to selected prayers of non-baptised, such as householders before Witnesses turn up, while at the same time threatening people who "delay" getting baptised that their prayers are pretty useless.

"No one comes to Jehovah except through baptism into our spirit directed organisation."

The Searcher

Is it any worse than saying that "only J.W's are true Christians?" Everyone else on planet Earth is a false Christian - by their definition! So much for Christ being the judge - the Org will save him the bother!

May as well rip these verses out of the RNWT.

John 5:28,29 - Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

Acts 10:42 - Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the one decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 17:31 - Because he has set a day on which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has provided a guarantee to all men by resurrecting him from the dead."

Romans 14:9 - For to this end Christ died and came to life again, so that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.

2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Christ, so that each one may be repaid according to the things he has practiced while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Timothy 4:1 - I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his manifestation and his Kingdom:

1 Peter 4:5 - But these people will render an account to the one who is ready to judge those living and those dead.

"Only Baptized Ones have Unrestricted Privilege of Prayer"

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