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Amen: Prayer Practices Around the World (Advanced Program) · Spotlight English: Advanced

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  Speaker 1: Ah Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Alice Irasari.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm Colin Lava. Spotlight uses a special English method
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  Speaker 2: of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no
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  Speaker 2: matter where in the world they live.
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  Speaker 1: In both the Christian Bible and the Tanakh the Hebrew Scriptures,
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  Speaker 1: there is a story about a man named Daniel. Daniel
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  Speaker 1: is a high ranking official in the Kingdom of Persia.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel prays to God three times a day. Other men
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  Speaker 1: are jealous of Daniel. They know King Duras favors Daniel
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  Speaker 1: over them. They want to get rid of Daniel. They
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  Speaker 1: persuade King Duras to pass a law to stop people
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  Speaker 1: from praying to anyone for thirty days. The men know
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  Speaker 1: that Daniel will not be able to stop praying to God.
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  Speaker 1: Prayer is too important to him. The men report to
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  Speaker 1: King Durias that Daniel continues to pray to God. King
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  Speaker 1: Drias has no choice but to put Daniel into the
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  Speaker 1: den where the lions live. Surrounded by lions, Daniel prays
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  Speaker 1: to God for protection. God sends an angel to shut
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  Speaker 1: the lion's mouths to protect Daniel. Daniel's prayers are answered,
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  Speaker 1: and King Drias releases him.
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  Speaker 2: Today's spotlight looks at the way people who follow different
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  Speaker 2: religions pray. Prayer is talking with a higher power or deity.
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  Speaker 2: Some people believe this higher power is the supreme creator
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  Speaker 2: called God. Others find this higher power in the sun, moon,
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  Speaker 2: or ocean. Some believe in a powerful energy behind nature
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  Speaker 2: and life in the universe.
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  Speaker 1: People express their prayers with words, thoughts, chants, songs, or
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  Speaker 1: physical movements. Prayers have several purposes. People offer praise to
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  Speaker 1: God or the higher Power. They ask for forgiveness. They
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  Speaker 1: offer thanksgiving. They ask for help for themselves or for
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  Speaker 1: other people. People think about spiritual truths.
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  Speaker 2: Buddhism is a religion followed by many people. It is
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  Speaker 2: based on four teachings called Duka, Samudia, Neroda, and Maga.
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  Speaker 2: Duka teaches life is full of suffering. Samudaia shows suffering
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  Speaker 2: comes from dire Neroda says it is possible to end suffering.
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  Speaker 2: Marga teaches to end the suffering, a person must take
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  Speaker 2: the noble eightfold path. This path includes right, action, speech, effort, understanding,
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  Speaker 2: and thought. Buddhists believe that they reach the end of
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  Speaker 2: this path by gaining greater understanding, also called enlightenment. They
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  Speaker 2: do not believe they will find this enlightenment with the
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  Speaker 2: help of an all powerful God. Meditation and prayer help
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  Speaker 2: this enlightenment happen. Buddhists use sacred phrases or sounds with
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  Speaker 2: spiritual significance in their prayers. While praying, Buddhists often sit
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  Speaker 2: with their legs crossed and a straight back. They picture
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  Speaker 2: in their minds the great qualities they want to have.
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  Speaker 1: Tick Naiat Hahn was a well known Vietnamese writer, speaker,
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  Speaker 1: and Buddhist monk. He saw much suffering during the Vietnam War.
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  Speaker 1: He taught engaged Buddhism that encouraged participation or being active
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  Speaker 1: in social and political issues. This participation comes from Buddhist
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  Speaker 1: spiritual practice. Han started schools and programs to help children
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  Speaker 1: affected by the Vietnam War.
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  Speaker 3: Hans said, anyone practicing understanding and compassion can show true power.
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  Speaker 3: Anyone can be a Buddha.
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  Speaker 2: Muslims pray to Allah. They believe that Allah is the
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  Speaker 2: creator of the universe. Muslims pray five times a day
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  Speaker 2: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night. Before they start praying,
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  Speaker 2: Muslims must perform wudu Wudu is a ritual cleaning of
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  Speaker 2: the hands, face, arms, and feet, following specific rules for
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  Speaker 2: purity before prayer.
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  Speaker 1: During Salat, a Muslim must stand bow, lay flat on
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  Speaker 1: the ground, face forward, and sit. This symbolizes submission to Allah.
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  Speaker 1: Muslims say their prayers in Arabic from their holy book,
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  Speaker 1: the Qur'an. They face in the direction of the Kaba.
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  Speaker 1: The kaba is a structure located in the sacred Mosque
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  Speaker 1: or mustide al Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Mecca is
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  Speaker 1: the spiritual center of Islam. The prophet Muhammad received the
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  Speaker 1: first revelations for the Qur'an in Mecca. K one, chapter two,
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  Speaker 1: verse one hundred and forty four states, Indeed we see you,
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  Speaker 1: o Prophet, turning your face towards Heaven. Now we will
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  Speaker 1: make you turn towards a direction of prayer that will
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  Speaker 1: please you. So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque
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  Speaker 1: in Mecca. Wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.
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  Speaker 1: Muslims must know the direction towards Mecca in order to
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  Speaker 1: pray properly. Because of this verse from the Koran.
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  Speaker 2: Over one billion people practice Hinduism. Eighty percent of the
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  Speaker 2: population of India follows Hinduism. Hindus do not have a
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  Speaker 2: single book they read like the Bible for Christians, the
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  Speaker 2: Tanak for Jews, or the Koran for Muslims. There are
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  Speaker 2: several collections of books that Hindus read, such as the Vadas,
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  Speaker 2: the Upanishads, and the Mahabarata.
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  Speaker 1: Also, Hindus do not believe in one God. They believe
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  Speaker 1: in an ultimate reality called Brahman that is the source
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  Speaker 1: of all existence. Hindus believe in millions of gods and
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  Speaker 1: goddesses that represent different characteristics of Brahman. These gods and
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  Speaker 1: goddesses also have different roles in the universe. Most Hindus
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  Speaker 1: have a small altar in their home where they worship
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  Speaker 1: different gods. They also go to temples to worship.
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  Speaker 2: Prayer is important to Hindus. They follow several steps. First,
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  Speaker 2: they bathe and put on clean clothes. They light an
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  Speaker 2: oil lamp and a candle with a strong smell. Hindus
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  Speaker 2: place pictures or small statues of gods on a clean platform.
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  Speaker 2: They arrange fruit, water, sodas, flowers, and other offerings Before
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  Speaker 2: their gods. Hindus pour water into a small cup. They
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  Speaker 2: light a ghe lamp ghi is a type of butter.
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  Speaker 1: The ghe lamp creates a peaceful environment. Hindus move the
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  Speaker 1: lamp in a circle in front of a god. They
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  Speaker 1: sing or speak a mantra. Mantras are words or sounds
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  Speaker 1: that are repeated as prayers. The mantras are dedicated to
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  Speaker 1: their gods. Hindus meditate or think with focused attention about
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  Speaker 1: their gods and offer prayers of thanks. They wear white, yellow, red,
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  Speaker 1: or orange clothes to symbolize purity, wisdom, and power.
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  Speaker 2: Judaism and Christianity are two of the biggest religions in
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  Speaker 2: the world. These fate share many similarities. Both religions worship
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  Speaker 2: one God who created the universe. Both religions believe that
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  Speaker 2: the Tanakh is the Word of God. The Tanakh is
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  Speaker 2: a collection of books. It includes the Torah, the Five
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  Speaker 2: Books of Moses, the Neviim, the Prophets, and the Ketuvem
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  Speaker 2: the writings. Christians call these books the Old Testament.
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  Speaker 1: Christians also believe that the twenty seven books of the
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  Speaker 1: New Testament are also the Word of God. The New
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  Speaker 1: Testament books include the four different writings about the life
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  Speaker 1: and teachings of Jesus Christ and writings by Paul, a
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  Speaker 1: Jewish disciple of Jesus who taught others how to faithfully
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  Speaker 1: follow Jesus. Jews and Christians also believe that humans are
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  Speaker 1: separated from God by their sin. Is anything in thought, word,
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  Speaker 1: or deed that is contrary to the word or law
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  Speaker 1: of God. Because of sin, it is necessary to offer
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  Speaker 1: a sacrifice to bring God and man together again.
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  Speaker 2: But there are differences between Christianity and Judaism. Christianity teaches
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  Speaker 2: that Jesus Christ is the son of God. While he
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  Speaker 2: lived on earth, Jesus Christ did not sin. He remained
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  Speaker 2: God's perfect, sinless son. Christians believe the death of Jesus
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  Speaker 2: Christ on the Cross was the one perfect sacrifice for
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  Speaker 2: all the sins of mankind. His death satisfied God's justice,
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  Speaker 2: healing the separation caused by sin. Jesus Christ's returning to
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  Speaker 2: life after he died shows that all mankind can have
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  Speaker 2: a new relationship with God. Christians believe that they are
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  Speaker 2: saved from sin and death by their faith in Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 2: They believe that all people who have faith in Jesus
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  Speaker 2: Christ will have everlasting life with God. Those who reject
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  Speaker 2: Jesus Christ face everlasting death. Death means complete separation from
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  Speaker 2: God for eternity.
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  Speaker 1: Judaism does not teach that Jesus Christ is the son
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  Speaker 1: of God. Jews believe that Jesus was a good teacher
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  Speaker 1: or a rabbi who encouraged people to love God and
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  Speaker 1: their neighbor in the first century AD. Judaism focuses on
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  Speaker 1: living a good life by obeying God's commandments. This good
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  Speaker 1: life requires daily study of the Torah law to know
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  Speaker 1: the six hundred and thirteen mitzvut or commandments. These are
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  Speaker 1: such things as keeping Shabbat, eating kosher, and giving charity.
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  Speaker 1: Reciting prayers should be a daily part of Jewish life.
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  Speaker 1: Prayer helps Jewish people realize their dependence upon God through
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  Speaker 1: their covenant or relationship with God. Jews pray three times
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  Speaker 1: a day in the morning, afternoon, and evening. This gives
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  Speaker 1: structure to daily life. Jews add a fourth prayer on
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  Speaker 1: certain Jewish holidays. The Jewish approach to prayer emphasizes community
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  Speaker 1: by praying together with other Jews to move their community
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  Speaker 1: towards compassion, justice, and following the commandments. The Sidur is
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  Speaker 1: a prayer book for a Jewish prayer service which has
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  Speaker 1: replaced the ancient temple sacrifices.
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  Speaker 2: Christians whenever they want to talk to God throughout the day.
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  Speaker 2: They believe that God wants them to spend as much
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  Speaker 2: time with Him as possible. God wants to have a
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  Speaker 2: close personal relationship with them. In their prayers, Christians talk
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  Speaker 2: openly about their struggles and fears. They thank God for
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  Speaker 2: his faithfulness and his blessings. They ask forgiveness for sins.
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  Speaker 2: They ask for God's direction. Many Christians do not repeat
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  Speaker 2: a scripted prayer, They say what they are thinking and
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  Speaker 2: feeling at that moment. Some Christians, however, do follow a
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  Speaker 2: pattern for daily prayers. The Christian monks in the sixth
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  Speaker 2: century AD noted specific hours of the day for regular
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  Speaker 2: prayers or canonical time.
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  Speaker 1: They use the words of the Book of Psalms found
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  Speaker 1: in the Bible for many of these prayers. Thomas Cranmer
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  Speaker 1: compiled the Book of Common Prayer during the fifteen hundreds
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  Speaker 1: for the Church of England. It includes the Psalms prayers
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  Speaker 1: for daily morning and evening services, and prayers for each
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  Speaker 1: Sunday and other Holy days throughout the year, as well
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  Speaker 1: as prayers for specific occasions. Some Christians regularly use these
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  Speaker 1: written prayers.
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  Speaker 2: Reverend Billy Graham was a well known Christian preacher around
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  Speaker 2: the world in the twentieth century. He taught about the
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  Speaker 2: Christian Bible and Jesus Christ to millions of listeners. Reverend
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  Speaker 2: Graham said about Christian prayer.
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  Speaker 4: Prayer is simply talking to God. The most important thing
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  Speaker 4: I can say about this is that God will wants
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  Speaker 4: you to talk to him. He loves us, and He
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  Speaker 4: has promised to hear us when we pray.
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  Speaker 2: Reverend Graham added.
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  Speaker 4: One of God's greatest gifts to us is the blessing
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  Speaker 4: of prayer. It is a blessing that is possible because
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  Speaker 4: of what Jesus did for us when he died on
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  Speaker 4: the cross. Thank God for the blessing of prayer. Give
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  Speaker 4: your worries to God. He cares about you.
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  Speaker 1: This program on prayer will conclude with the word amen.
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  Speaker 1: Amen is a declaration of affirmation. It means truly it
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  Speaker 1: is true, Let it be so, I agree, or I consent.
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  Speaker 1: It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic practices as
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  Speaker 1: a concluding word or as a response to a prayer.
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  Speaker 1: It is also used in ordinary conversation to show agreement.
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  Speaker 1: In English, the word amen has two primary ways to
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  Speaker 1: be pronounced Amen or Amen. We hope that you will
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  Speaker 1: agree with us that this program about prayer has been
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  Speaker 1: helpful to your understanding of practices for prayer from different
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  Speaker 1: faiths around the world. Perhaps you will say, Amen.
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  Speaker 2: How do you pray? What practices do you follow? Have
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  Speaker 2: you found prayer helpful? Why do you think prayer should
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  Speaker 2: be important in daily life? You can leave a comment
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  Speaker 2: on our website at www dot Spotlight English dot com.
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  Speaker 2: You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram,
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  Speaker 2: and x You can also get our programs delivered directly
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  Speaker 2: to you or Android or Apple device through our free
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  Speaker 2: official Spotlight English app.
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  Speaker 1: The writer of this program was Peter Anderson. The producer
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  Speaker 1: was Michio Osaki. The voices you heard were from the
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  Speaker 1: United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted
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  Speaker 1: for this program and voiced by Spotlight. No AI or
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  Speaker 1: artificial intelligence was used in this program. Spotlight programs are written, voiced,
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  Speaker 1: and produced by real people for real people, no matter
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  Speaker 1: where in the world they live. This program is called
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  Speaker 1: Amen Prayer Practices around the World.
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  Speaker 2: We hope you can join us again for the next
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  Speaker 2: Spotlight program goodbye, no