https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Brit_Chadashah/Beatitudes/beatitudes.html

I like to pray in my Native language when I praise and worship our Creator, as he gave that tongue to us and it is my deepest belief he enjoys to hear that language echoed back to him. What he breathes out, he breathes back in again, so as he has given that language to me, I am careful to breathe it back out to him.

My elders used to counsel me to use my language to commune with the Spirit of all Life. They had many names for the Spirit. They would call him Mamogosnan, Gshemnedo, Shkwedensi, Kaponkaget, Shkwedekaget, Jakeshkishgwen, Jayekekendeget or Jayekekendet, Nekmekeye’et, and so many other names, but it was not just one or two names they had for identifying the Spirit we call God. The Hebrews are the same in that they have many different names for our Creator, all describing a different aspect of him. We Neshnabek were no different.

I also pray in the many various tongues the Holy Ghost has given since I am filled with him. God is of such an infinite variety in our many languages, and when I am praying I often am not totally aware of which language I am using when the Holy Ghost is praying through me. Sometimes he simply groans and moans through me but I know I am communicating with God nonetheless. We sometimes pray in the tongues of angels, as the scriptures indicate and other languages, some of which the Holy Spirit translates for me to know what I am praying. There are times I prophesy in another language and the Holy Spirit will translate for those present so all will praise him and know what God has said. It is all the same Spirit; the Son, the God, and his Holy Spirit. It is so wondrous, this thing of walking with the Spirit and to be led of him in all things. This Faith Walk is simply gratifying and so uplifting.

Nin se Neaseno.

https://hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Shemoneh_Esrei/shemoneh_esrei.html

Some have told me they offer their tobacco every day, without fail, and I often smile to myself, as I know they really don’t. It sounds good to say it though. I went out to South Dakota once and I was asked to run a sweat by one of the old timers I knew, Henry Crowdog. None of the young men gathered around the fire, waiting for the stones to heat up, had ever met me or knew me. As I walked up, they all greeted me in turn and they proceeded speaking about the sweat and how good it was waiting for the stones. Several of them spoke of how often they sweat in their respective home places, and each story got to be “bigger” than the last one. One fellow said they sweat every day and another, who had to top that one, said they sweat at least twice a day. When asked how often we Potawatomies sweat, I told them, “Oh about every three months or so, as we were sacred people.”

It is sort of the same way with tobacco offering, as some want others to know how sacred they are, or think they are. I have heard some pretty tall tales about tobacco offerings from some Neshnabek. In some ways, young Lakotas are just like young Neshnabek, they cannot resist a tall tale or two in posturing themselves as strong Native young men excelling above any other.

Me, I consider myself fortunate if I offer tobacco once in a blue moon, but I do pray a lot, secretly, as I was taught. Prayer and the observance of ceremonies are supposed to be a secret thing, not bragging a lot about how often, as the Spirit hears every word one says. When the Spirit sees one praying in secret, he rewards one openly, is what the elders used to tell us. So we were told not to go around bragging about how often we prayed or observed ceremonies.

I found Jews are the same as us, in many ways. Some brag, but the real ones keep it to themselves, as they are taught. I spent a lot of time in the Middle East so am quite familiar with the spiritual observances of most of the people there.

Iw embyegeyan ngom

Nin se Neaseno.

https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/parashah.html

The things the children of Israel had to go through to be covered and have their sins forgiven is insurmountable compared to today and the way many of these church goers take their services so much for granted. I can remember how hard many of the elders worked preparing themselves for a given ceremony, only to have many of the participants come and take it so much for granted. Now many of those ceremonies and elders are all gone. Who is to perform them in their absence and what about the language those elders spoke when performing those ceremonies?

Most people are no longer afraid to commit sin! There is not longer any reverential fear of the Lord God evident in many churches or among practicing traditional Neshnabek today. Some people act and behave as though there is no God and they don’t care how much they sin, or whatever they do in the way of sin. Some people openly brag about how they have cheated and acquired something from another, cheating on taxes, cheating each other and committing adultery, both natural and spiritual, against their mates and a Holy God. We have forgotten how God stated to Israel, “I am a Holy God, be ye Holy for I am Holy!”

Hebrews 13:8 comes to mind and so does, Malachi 3:6-8.God hasn’t changed, we have and we must come back to that belief, that he is Holy and we must be Holy too!

Iw enajmoyan ngom

Nin se Neaseno

Posture, Passion & Fasting

Poised for Prayer

Why is Posture in Prayer Important?

* Posture is [generally speaking] the visible expression of an inward attitude.

What are the bodily postures people assume in these circumstances?

• Humility
• Eagerness
• Pleading or supplicating
• Receiving
• Attentiveness & Respect

* “…if we really desire to imitate God, we must take care that ceremonies do not express more than is in our minds, but that the inward feeling directs the eyes, the hands, the tongue & everything else.” J. Calvin, Commentary on John 17:1.

* “We should not normally, however, attempt to communicate this inward feeling of the heart to God without any outward form of expression. It is fitting, though not, of course, necessary, that the attitude of the heart should be reflected in a posture of humility, & with the hands & eyes so directed as to indicate that our desire is that our heart should be raised to Heaven from whence alone can come our help. The ideal in prayer is that the heart should ‘move & direct the tongue,’ & that the tongue ‘should not go before the heart,’ & that ‘the body should follow the mind of its own accord.’ Indeed, the feeling of the heart should be so overpowering that ‘the tongue spontaneously breaks forth into utterance & our other members into gestures.’ Nevertheless, there are times when the heart is cold & sluggish. At such times both the external exercise of the body & the use of the words & singing by the tongue can come to the aid of the heart, provided that the heart responds to the external ceremony, & the feeling of the mind goes along with the words that are used, so that hypocrisy is avoided.” Ronald S. Wallace, Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life, p. 283-4.

* “Christians often think that prayer is simply a matter of using terminology & putting standard ideas in an acceptable verbal format. God pays attention to the inflection of our voices, our expressions, our posture, & other forms of body language.” Richard L. Pratt, Jr., Pray with Your Eyes Wide Open, p. 163.

* A Practical aspect is that our minds often follow our posture. For example, if we give ourselves over to slouching, eyes cast down & shuffling our feet then depression can follow. On the other hand, when one is depressed picks up her pace, looks up & looks people in the eye, etc., then a more wholesome attitude usually ensues.

Do the Scriptures Have anything to say about Postures in Prayer?

* Kneeling

• 2 Chronicles 6:12-13 – Supplicating (see also Daniel 6:10, Acts 20:36, 21:5)
• Luke 22:41 – Weighted down w/ burden
• Philippians 2:10-11 – Surrender & submission
• Psalm 95:6 – Worship

* Prostration

• Psalm 145:14 – Mourning (see also Ps. 146:8)
  • Revelation 1:17 – Utter unworthiness & surrender (see also Gen. 17:3 Daniel 8:17, & Ez. 1:28 & 44:4)

* Eyes

• Luke 18:13 – Mourning for sin

John 17:1 – Ardor & seriousness: “By this attitude Christ declared that in His mind’s affections He was in heaven rather than upon earth, so that He left men behind Him & talked intimately with God. He looked toward heaven, not as if God (who fills also the earth) were shut up there, but because it is there chiefly that His majesty appears. Moreover, by looking towards heaven, He reminds us that God’s glory is exalted far above all creatures.”

* Hands

1 Timothy 2:8 & Psalm 63:1-3 (see also Ps. 134:2) – ‘an outward sign of an inward reality…indicating a pure heart.’ “…this custom has been practiced in worship in all ages, for it is natural for us to look upwards when we seek God, & the habit has been so strong that even idolaters, though they fashion gods in images of wood & stone, yet keep this custom & lift up hands to heaven; we should learn therefore that this practice is in keeping with true godliness, provided that the truth it represents also accompanies it.” J. Calvin on 1 Timothy 2:8

• Psalm 28:2 – Emphasis in crying out for mercy (see Ps. 88:9)
• Psalm 141:1-2 – Like the wafting up of incense (see also 2 Chronicles 6:13)
•  
  • Psalm 143:5-6 – Though it is an aspect of the intensity of crying out for mercy, the picture is one holding out his hands to receive mercy. A sign of reception.

Conclusion: As Richard Pratt noticed, “…we have seen that communication in prayer goes far beyond words. We express ourselves through weeping or singing. We may demonstrate our attitudes through kneeling &lifting our hands. We may enhance our prayers through the practice of fasting. As we make these elements a vital part of our prayers, our communication with God will be more effective & rewarding than ever before.” Because our whole body & soul was created by God, & our whole body & soul are partners in sin, & our whole body & soul is being saved by Christ, therefore our whole body & soul out to be re-engaged in the privilege of prayer. Let me encourage you, then, to lift your heart, soul, eyes & hands in prayer to our God, as you fall on your knees before Him to seek His face!

Neaseno’s notes:

The article written above by my wife can be applied to all modes of prayer, for if seeking the God, one does not have humility, or commitment to the God and his Ways, eagerness to learn and be corrected/blessed, pleading and supplicating type of attitude, and a high awareness of his presence and God’s being, with respect unto his ways, let not that person think they will receive anything in prayer.

We must go to him in belief, and that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him day after day. Posture, passion and fasting are necessary things we can exercise seeking the blessings in our lives. In doing so, we convince the God we are serious and only upon observing the stated things within the article can we be on a sure footing with the God.

Iw embyegeyan

Nin se Neaseno

Healing the Divided Self…

Traditional Explanation

The man said to Jacob: “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). Therefore, it is widely believed that the name “Israel” comes from the Hebrew word sharit (שרית), which in biblical Hebrew means “to struggle”, “to exercise influence”, “to prevail”. There is another way to interpret this name, one which helps us comprehend the depth of the transformation at Penuel.

What happened to Jacob?

The name Israel can be read as Yashar- El (ישר-אל). The Hebrew word Yashar (יָשָׁר) means straight, honest, honorable, law-abiding; in biblical usage, it also means “righteous, God-fearing person”. The root akov (עָקֹב֙), on the other hand, (the root of the name Yakov) might mean also “crooked”, as in this verse: the crooked (הֶֽעָקֹב֙) shall be made straight (Is 40:4). Then we understand the meaning of this change: Israel is the one whom God makes straight as opposed to “being crooked and uneven”. 

Discover the secrets of the Scripture

Names in the ancient Jewish world carried a very important weight. A name spoke of a person’s character, his deeds and his identity. For a person to be given a new name, meant a change in their identity. Reading the Bible in translation we miss the meaning of the names; undoubtedly, this is one of biggest losses we experience because of translation.

My notes:

Native American names are very similar in nature and translation as Hebrew names are. They mean something fairly specific and some names must be feasted at different times of the year, as a means of honoring them. For example, I have several names which mean something specific as to me nature as a Neshnabe man.

Neaseno: describes a warm wind from the South, implying that the Owner of said name should seek to warm or thaw things among the people, as to thaw a personality, thaw a given situation, warm up cold dead hearts to the situations facing us in this day and age, especially as it relates to recapturing our language and cultural knowledge. In other words, live up to the name; do what a warm southerly wind would do, thaw things out.

Biwagdebe: describes an iron head, having the dispostion of being thoroughly committed to the cultural ways and language of your people as to be unchangeable, unable to be persuaded otherwise, steadfast, solidly entrenched in one’s own ways.

I have four names but the description I just gave of two of them should get my idea across that names in Neshnabe culture mean something specific.

Iw enamoyan

Neaseno ndesh ne kas

https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/parashah.html

https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/articles.html